The first night out we staged at a huge ammo dump site. Itrained so I strung up my poncho between the chest-high stacks of crates around and slept peaceful and dry underneath. the crates were stacked in rows and were full of 155mm artillery shells. We weren't afraid.
When the Marines went into Fallujah. I was already there. Task Force Wolfpack comprised of tanks , light armored vehicles, Bradley fighting vehicles, river patrol boats, and a company of infantry Marines rolledup the main road West of Fallujah all the way to the bridges leading into the city. We rolled in the night before under a sky thick with clouds and exchanged mortar fire. We were excited but when that first jet dropped bomb exlpoded a little too close we were afraid. That night we took up positions all along the main road. I eneded up at a small cow and chicken farm used to support the shiekh of Fallujah and huis neighbors in their palaces in a neighberhood across the Euphrates from the city. Some Marines were staged in palatial estates of immense wealth. I sent the first two nights on top of a large chicken coop. It rained both nights. all night. :\
I climbed up the first night without any real idea of where I was at. I couldn't see anythingi n the rain. But when the sun began to come up I saw the river in front of me just a short way off and then I looked around. the river cut sharply around us on a little penninsula and behind me..there was Fallujah. the bridges were only maybe 3/4 of a mile. I saw the bridge where they hanged up those American contractors after they had burned them all those months ago. The tanks and armored vehicles were pushed right up to the river's edge and when the sun came up the insurgents started shooting across the river and the vehicles shot back. I climbed down off the roof.
It would be a whole day before the actual assault on the city itself began so we were on our own. the mortar fire was tremendous, but we managed to avoid any serious injuries.
A couple days in they moved us up briefly to an actual house that had been partly destroyed by mortar fire.
We guarded our section of the road and also took charge of a four month old (or so ) orphaned puppy that one of our guys found wandering around the house, scared out of its mind. Her name is Lucy.
After just a day or so they moved us back to the Company's Command Center in a compound of mansions. It was more secure from the mortar fire that continues to fall on us. not so much now that the city is taken. We've lost some guys to injuries, some serious, but no fatalities of yet from my unit.
We've been patrolling and trying to clear things up on our side of the river up to the city. it's been very busy. I'm back on base with a couple of others that have to stop by the hospital. I may have fractured my foot when we were sweeping some houses. we were chasing some guys that had been taking pot shots from around the perimeter of the compound and we were going through some empty houses. I stepped out of one and into a ditch and rolled on my foot.
not such a heroic way to end up.
But I'm safe and other than a foot that is in some amount of pain I am well. I'll try to write more and send some photos when I can. I don't know how much time I have on this machine so thank you everybody who left messages of support or emailed and whatnot.
I hope you are all doing well.
holy criminy. is it really almost Thanksgiving?
When the Marines went into Fallujah. I was already there. Task Force Wolfpack comprised of tanks , light armored vehicles, Bradley fighting vehicles, river patrol boats, and a company of infantry Marines rolledup the main road West of Fallujah all the way to the bridges leading into the city. We rolled in the night before under a sky thick with clouds and exchanged mortar fire. We were excited but when that first jet dropped bomb exlpoded a little too close we were afraid. That night we took up positions all along the main road. I eneded up at a small cow and chicken farm used to support the shiekh of Fallujah and huis neighbors in their palaces in a neighberhood across the Euphrates from the city. Some Marines were staged in palatial estates of immense wealth. I sent the first two nights on top of a large chicken coop. It rained both nights. all night. :\
I climbed up the first night without any real idea of where I was at. I couldn't see anythingi n the rain. But when the sun began to come up I saw the river in front of me just a short way off and then I looked around. the river cut sharply around us on a little penninsula and behind me..there was Fallujah. the bridges were only maybe 3/4 of a mile. I saw the bridge where they hanged up those American contractors after they had burned them all those months ago. The tanks and armored vehicles were pushed right up to the river's edge and when the sun came up the insurgents started shooting across the river and the vehicles shot back. I climbed down off the roof.
It would be a whole day before the actual assault on the city itself began so we were on our own. the mortar fire was tremendous, but we managed to avoid any serious injuries.
A couple days in they moved us up briefly to an actual house that had been partly destroyed by mortar fire.
We guarded our section of the road and also took charge of a four month old (or so ) orphaned puppy that one of our guys found wandering around the house, scared out of its mind. Her name is Lucy.
After just a day or so they moved us back to the Company's Command Center in a compound of mansions. It was more secure from the mortar fire that continues to fall on us. not so much now that the city is taken. We've lost some guys to injuries, some serious, but no fatalities of yet from my unit.
We've been patrolling and trying to clear things up on our side of the river up to the city. it's been very busy. I'm back on base with a couple of others that have to stop by the hospital. I may have fractured my foot when we were sweeping some houses. we were chasing some guys that had been taking pot shots from around the perimeter of the compound and we were going through some empty houses. I stepped out of one and into a ditch and rolled on my foot.
not such a heroic way to end up.
But I'm safe and other than a foot that is in some amount of pain I am well. I'll try to write more and send some photos when I can. I don't know how much time I have on this machine so thank you everybody who left messages of support or emailed and whatnot.
I hope you are all doing well.
holy criminy. is it really almost Thanksgiving?
VIEW 18 of 18 COMMENTS
datsun:
Hope you're well. Thanks for sending me your address. Anything you need over there? No request too mundane or bizarre. Get that foot healed (though we wouldn't say no to you having to come back stateside). Kisses! 
phoebus:
How's your foot doing?