Free Republic

FALLUJAH — It is hard to imagine someone never hearing of this city or of the house-to-house fighting that has taken place here since the war began. U.S. military officials called it “the heaviest urban combat since the battle of Hue City in Vietnam,” nearly 40 years ago. During the early winter months of 2004, Fallujah was at the center of a joint U.S. military and Iraqi offensive against insurgents led by Marines of I Marine Expeditionary Force. Prior to the offensive operation inside the city limits on Nov. 7, there hadn’t been a U.S. military presence since April 2004....

1st Tank Bn. Marine leads spirituallySubmitted by: I Marine Expeditionary ForceStory Identification #: 200493025456Story by Sgt. Robert E. Jones Sr. CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq -- (Sept. 30, 2004) -- Exhausted after returning from a convoy with 1st Tank Battalion, Staff Sgt. Lamar J. Byrd kneels down in front of a metal cushioned fold-up chair in the Camp Fallujah chapel. He lowers his head and clenches his hands together. Out of a humble heart, he opens his mouth to utter a compassionate prayer of thanksgiving. “Heavenly father, I thank you for…,”said Byrd, a.k.a. Minister Byrd. Walking further into the chapel, greetings...

Photo Essay: Leaders head to trenchesSubmitted by: 1st Force Service Support GroupStory Identification #: 200482510530Story by Staff Sgt. Bill Lisbon CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Aug. 25, 2004) -- Several senior military leaders recently visited Marines, sailors and soldiers of the 1st Force Service Support Group here, while touring Marine bases throughout Iraq. The visits allowed leaders to see firsthand the conditions their men and women face daily, personally thank them for their service and gather knowledge which will assist them in making decisions that affect the troops. Approximately 30,000 troops with the I Marine Expeditionary Force are deployed throughout Iraq...

Marines, sailors help unearth evidence of Saddam's crimesSubmitted by: 1st Force Service Support GroupStory Identification #: 20048132579Story by Lance Cpl. Samuel Bard Valliere AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq (Aug. 13, 2004) -- Marines in Iraq assisted the Kuwaiti government uncover several mass graves during July to locate the bodies of 87 people missing since the Gulf War. The digs were supported by Task Force Justice, a I Marine Expeditionary Force team that helps gather evidence of war crimes committed by Saddam Hussein by unearthing remains of those killed during his regime. For one of the recoveries July 15-19, the Justice...

 Marine Prepositioning Force sets the table for OIF IISubmitted by: MCLB AlbanyStory Identification Number: 200432517146Story by Staff Sgt. Timothy C. Hodge BLOUNT ISLAND COMMAND JACKSONVILLE, Fl (March 25, 2004) -- SHUAIBA PORT, Kuwait - The overall concept of the Maritime Prepositioning Force revolves around one thing - the rapid deployment of equipment and supplies to decrease the time it takes to insert Marines into a contingency or combat environment. The Marines, Sailors, government workers, and civilian contractors that comprise Blount Island Command have teamed up with I Marine Expeditionary Force to do exactly that. Earlier this month, the Technical...

U.S. Marines advance unopposed through NE Baghdad BAGHDAD, April 9 (Reuters) - Thousands of U.S. Marines moved block by block through Saddam City, a huge urban sprawl in northeast Baghdad, early on Wednesday, continuing to sqeeze out Iraqi resistance in the capital. Reuters correspondent Sean Maguire, travelling with a unit of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, said troops met very little resistance, getting a largely warm reception as they swept the low-income residential district. Saddam City is home to two to three million Iraqis, mainly from the Shi'ite Muslim majority, who have traditionally been marginalised by the Sunni ruling elite,...