Stranded Marines Fight To Last Bullets

London Times ^ | April 16, 2004 | James Hider

[sean327]

THE 15 Marines were trapped in a house, surrounded by hundreds of Iraqis armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles, their armoured vehicle in flames on the street outside. Each man was down to his last two magazines.

“It was in my head, we just got to go. Whoever makes it back, makes it back, those who fall, fall,” said Staff Sergeant Ismail Sagredo, sitting in the relative safety of Bravo Company’s forward base yesterday, as mortars and machinegun fire sounded a few streets away.

“That was the decision I’d have had to make, and I’m glad I didn’t have to do it.”

It was one of the most dramatic actions of the war.

Sergeant Sagredo, 35, had been in one of two Amphibious Assault Vehicles running out from the Marines’ frontline close to the centre of Fallujah, trying to trap insurgents who had ambushed a supply vehicle.

But as they headed down the narrow, parallel streets of Fallujah, where Sunni tribesmen have battled the Marines for more than a week, their vehicle came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), the guerrillas’ weapon of choice.

Unable to turn the large vehicle around, the squad charged their attackers, but lost contact when they hit a bend in the road. They were driving into unknown territory. Then they turned another corner and saw hundreds of guerrillas.

“I’ve never seen so many RPGs. A lot of them were propped up against the walls with extra rounds,” said the sergeant.

The Iraqis, not expecting a lone American vehicle so far behind their lines, ran frantically for their weapons as the Marines opened up with M16 rifles and machineguns.

Rockets started smashing into their vehicle. One pierced the armour at the front, taking a large chunk out of the leg of Lieutenant Christopher Ayres, the officer in command. The rocket did not explode, but hit the engine, setting it ablaze.

Still under intense fire, the driver swerved south along a route known to the Marines as “Sh**head Alley”, desperate to find a turning to the east, towards their own lines. The gunner was dead from enemy fire, and several men had been knocked down by the continuing rounds of missiles.

The blaze was spreading toward the stockpiles of grenades when the engine gave out completely.

With the engine dead, the rear gate would not open. The men had to climb out of the hatch one by one, still taking small-arms fire. Luckily for them, their dash down the gauntlet of Sh**head Alley had left their attackers — up to 600 of them — behind. But only for a while.

“When we stepped out I was relieved. At least I wasn’t going to burn,” said Lance Corporal Abraham McCarver, a machinegunner.

The men had to help Lieutenant Ayres, who was crawling blindly toward the fire. Sergeant Sagredo and Corporal McCarver pulled him, but his webbing caught on a rack.

They were still taking fire, conscious that the vehicle could explode at any moment. Then the webbing ripped, and they carried the wounded officer to a nearby house, kicking down the door.

The Marines took up firing positions on the roof as more than 150 Iraqi gunmen converged on the small house.

“All the Iraqis surged south to join the festivities,” Sergeant Sagredo said. He now found himself in charge of an impossible situation reminiscent of scenes in Black Hawk Down, the film of a doomed US raid in Somalia that the sergeant had seen back home in America.

“It did remind me of that soldier being dragged through the streets back then,” he said, aware that a similarly gruesome scene had involved four US contractors just streets away, the trigger for the Marines’ invasion of Fallujah.

Ironically, Bravo Company’s call-sign is Blackhawk.

The Marines could hear the Iraqi fighters shouting outside, could see their feet shadowed under the front gate.

“I opened a window because I heard voices and I thought it was Americans,” said Corporal Koreyan Calloway. “There was a guy in a headscarf with an AK47 standing there looking at me, so I shot him.”

The attackers were darting down narrow alleyways beside the house, and lobbing grenades from neighbouring rooftops.

“They were running across our line of fire like we weren’t even shooting at them,” the corporal said.

“It was just like a range, we were just shooting them down,” said Corporal Jacob Palofax.

In the midst of the firefight, with the armoured vehicle’s munitions blowing up, an ambulance pulled up. The Marines thought they were being rescued. Instead, 15 men with RPGs jumped out and started firing.

The Americans were almost out of bullets. An Iraqi round hit a kitchen pipe and gas started whistling out as RPGs slammed into the building.

A guerrilla burst through the gate with an RPG and was shot dead. Another tried to follow and was wounded.

“Then the men started shouting that they could hear tanks. The first one went past, then the second,” Sergeant Sagredo said.

Horrified that the rescuers would miss him, Sergeant Sagredo radioed to tell them to back up. They did. A rifle muzzle appeared through the gate, and Captain Jason Smith of the 5th Marine Regiment came through shouting: “Marines, Marines, friendlies!”

It took an hour for the tanks to hook up with the burnt-out vehicle, but they were determined not to leave a dead Marine behind inside it.

Sergeant Sagredo does not want a medal for saving his men. “A decoration would only remind me of what happened. This is something I want to forget. Unfortunately, if it doesn’t affect me now, I know it will haunt me later.”

[sean327]

This Proves that we are givin' better than we are gettin'.

Semper Fi

[Coop]

Geez. Reading this stuff is just incredible.

Semper Fi, Marines.

[Indie]

SEMPER FIDELIS. And may God protect these heros..ALL OF THEM ARE HEROS..with His divine mercy and protection.

May the leftist spawn of satan that undermine our President and our troops rot in hell.

---

"Death was our business...and business was good" MACVSOG

[Sunshine Sister]

Wow. What can I say? Thank you God for our wonderful, brave, resourceful fighting men.

They are so matter of fact. "I opened a window and there was a guy in a headscarf with an AK47 so I shot him."

[skyman]

Wow glad it wasn't any worse and that almost all made it out o.k. Sounds like they have an almost unlimited supply of weapons.

If we "make nice" with them through some type of agreement is there any doubt that they will be back?

We've got to exterminate these guys.

[dead]

“They were running across our line of fire like we weren’t even shooting at them,” the corporal said. “It was just like a range, we were just shooting them down,” said Corporal Jacob Palofax.

Thank God they’re so stupid.

[glorgau]

The difference between this and Mogadishu was that the tanks showed up. Heavy armor and massive firepower are just the thing to have ready.

[Betaille]

Great war story.
However it draws attention to the fact that we need to flatten fallujah. We can not continue to fight these guys house to house, thats exactly how they want to fight. We need to flatten the entire neighborhood those marines were surrounded in.

[jjm2111]

Bump to the top!

"With the engine dead, the rear gate would not open."

And the designer didn't think this would be a problem?

[ECM]

Not to trivialize this (definitely not my intent), but it reads like a movie screenplay--amazing stuff!

[SevenDaysInMay]

Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition. BUMP.

If jihadies are lining up, then our Marines must be armed in order to mow them down. Marines don't waste much ammo.

[kellynla]

Just another day at the office for the United States Marine Corps.

First Marine Division: the oldest, largest and most decorated division of the Marine Corps.

"Mess with the best, die like the rest!"

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[brownsfan]

This Proves that we are givin' better than we are gettin'.

Semper Fi

I'm a former squid. We always were at odds with the jar heads, but we always respected them.
God Bless the fine men and women of the USMC.

[ikka]

In the midst of the firefight, with the armoured vehicle?s munitions blowing up, an ambulance pulled up. The Marines thought they were being rescued. Instead, 15 men with RPGs jumped out and started firing.

Where have I seen similar tactics? Oh yeah, the Palestinians...

[vandykelastone]

Who here believes we will see or hear about this on the alphabet news stations? Any takers?

[ought-six]

Ah...our Marines. God Bless 'em!

[LizardQueen]

However it draws attention to the fact that we need to flatten fallujah.

Yup. And rename it "Flatlujah".

LQ

[Oldeconomybuyer]

bump

[ECM]

Marines fighting against all odds and coming out on top?

I don't think you're going to get any takers on that...

[blackie]

We are winning ~ the bad guys are losing ~ trolls, terrorists, democrats and the mainstream media are sad ~ very sad!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[HenryLeeII]

God bless the United States Marine Corps...and Lord knows that Hell fears them!!!

[rrrod]

Semper Fi

[Doogle]

....and Kerry gets a medal for a scratch on his forearm.

Doogle

[Arkinsaw]

With the engine dead, the rear gate would not open. The men had to climb out of the hatch one by one, still taking small-arms fire

That needs to be fixed immediately.

[MindBender26]

Where is the Lite Tac Air, Cobras and Little Birds with M-60 out the side door?

[JOE43270]

God Bless them all. They are the Best of the Best and they are OURS.

[dd5339]

D*mn good job Marines!

Semper Fi

[VOA]

bump

[RippleFire]

“Sh**head Alley” needs some urban renewal

[smiley]

God Bless these HEROS....

[jpsb]

"The difference between this and Mogadishu was that the tanks showed up"

Bump!

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

You had the same thoughts I did.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

GOD BLESS THE MARINES!!!

[Chinese_American_Patriot]

These are brave Marines that survived the onslaught of Islamofacist savages outnumbering them. They all deserve the Congressional Medal of Honor for their bravery, heroism and valor.

SEMPER FI!!

[Let's Roll]

Another posting said that drug paraphenalia has been found in some of their captured rats' nests. That would go a long way to explaining their behavior.

[Happy2BMe]

Inside Fallujah firefight.

Love it when a plan comes together - ping.

[danteinferno]

May God rest all of the Hero's who bravely fought and died for their people. This story is amazing, it also goes to show how much better 15 of our Marines are than dozens upon dozens of guerillas.

[bandleader]

Wow!How lucky we are to have such MEN!!!God Bless Them ALL!!!!!!!!!

[EternalVigilance]

“There was a guy in a headscarf with an AK47 standing there looking at me, so I shot him.”

Music, pure music.

And while our men perform brilliantly, the media traitors continue to peddle defeat.

I love our troops, and hate the media more, every day.

[Meldrim]

...and the reason the tanks showed up is that now it is George Bush's Marine Corps and not Bill Clinton's army...

[bandleader]

MEGA DITTOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bandleader]

Tell That To Slick Willy!He refused to beef-up the armament for those guys he sent to Mogadishu to capture one of bin Laden's A**HOLES!!!!!!!!!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Way to go Marines.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Amazing account of our awesome Marines in action. Blurry screen alert!

In the midst of the firefight, with the armoured vehicle’s munitions blowing up, an ambulance pulled up. The Marines thought they were being rescued. Instead, 15 men with RPGs jumped out and started firing.

The Americans were almost out of bullets. An Iraqi round hit a kitchen pipe and gas started whistling out as RPGs slammed into the building.

A guerrilla burst through the gate with an RPG and was shot dead. Another tried to follow and was wounded.

“Then the men started shouting that they could hear tanks..."

---

Related:

http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040414202633.pngrttm6.html

 

WAR.WIRE

US marine officer recounts dramatic rescue in Fallujah

 

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AFP) Apr 14, 2004

A US marine officer described Wednesday how his troops battled into the heart of Fallujah and killed some 20 insurgents to save a group of fellow soldiers.

"We definitely stumbled into a wasp's nest," Captain Jason Smith of the First Battalion-Fifth Marine's Bravo company said of the four-hour rescue launched around 4:00 pm (1200 GMT) Tuesday.

"There's definitely a lot more organized resistance out there," he said, adding that he believed his troops had killed some 20 fighters.

Smith described how two Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) had tried to flush out snipers just beyond their lines in southeastern Fallujah, a Sunni Muslim bastion where a shaky five-day-old truce was extended for 48 hours Wednesday despite US air strikes and heavy clashes.

However, the mission went awry when the insurgents hit the AAVs with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), Smith said.

Desperate to escape the onslaught, one of the AAVs sped deep into the city's hostile southwestern area -- further than any marine platoon had ventured.

Between 50 and 100 insurgents starting firing RPGs and small arms at the errant AAV, whose engine burst into flames.

The 20 men inside the US vehicle took shelter in a house and set up defensive positions with M-16 assault rifles and SAW and GOLF machineguns, Smith said.

Rebels fired RPGs and lobbed hand grenades inside the house and the marines frantically threw them back out, Smith said.

The stricken AAV sent up a column of grey smoke into the sky, which the rescue team -- about 30 marines in six armoured humvees from a quick reaction force and four tanks -- used to locate its position.

Around 700 Iraqis, and more than 80 US soldiers, have been killed in fighting in Iraq over the past nine days, mostly in and around Fallujah.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2003 Agence France-

[PLOM...NOT!]

And I'm reading this from the London Times and not an American newspaper because...????

[Aeronaut]

Geez I get a rush reading this. I am so proud of those Marines. The rags don't have a chance.

[sean327]

Your reading this from a Brit paper because our so called American papers are selling the "New Viet Nam" line, and this would blow their adgenda completely out of the water.

[MeekOneGOP]

[NYCop]