Wounded U.S. Troops Detail Fallujah Fight

AP on Yahoo ^ | 11/15/04 | Tony Czuczka - AP

[NormsRevenge]

LANDSTUHL, Germany - Fallujah's masked fighters have been fighting house to house, firing from rooftops and mosques with a seemingly unending supply of firepower, wounded U.S. servicemen said Monday, recounting tough urban combat in the Iraqi insurgent stronghold.

"They were ready to fight to the death," Lance Cpl. Travis Schafer, a rifleman with a Marine battalion, told a news conference at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, where he was being treated for a shrapnel wound in his right hand. A rocket-propelled grenade had exploded 15 yards to his right in a deserted marketplace.

"It's house-to-house fighting," he said. "Rooftop-to-rooftop."

About 70 wounded soldiers have been arriving daily at the military hospital in Germany since the week-old offensive in Fallujah began — about twice the normal number of casualties from Iraq (news - web sites).

The troops said the insurgents appeared well-organized and heavily armed.

"They had their own little plan of what they were going to do, a pretty set idea of where they were going to fight," said U.S. Army Spc. Kris Clinkscales, 22, of San Antonio, Texas, his right arm in a sling with shrapnel wounds.

Schafer, of Puyallup, Wash., was surprised by the fighters' firepower.

"It seemed like they have a pretty unlimited amount of RPGs and mortars. They seemed to fling those about wildly," he said.

Schafer, with the 1st Marine Regiment, said his unit had only pushed 400 yards into the city before it took heavy fire from small arms, mortars and RPGs.

"They were locking on us with RPGs and mortars from buildings all around us," the 20-year-old said. "Even from mosques they were firing — from all over the place."

Lance Cpl. Ryan Chapman with the 1st Marine Regiment, had an ugly scar over his left eye — a reminder of his encounter with a sniper.

As his unit came under sustained fire, Chapman had been tracking a sniper with the telescopic sight of his wire-guided missile launcher. But he was hit first, with bullet striking his forehead just below the edge of his helmet.

Chapman, 22, of Lawrence, Kansas, acknowledged he had been lucky, but he said he was eager to get back into action.

"It's nothing too serious. It cracked my skull, but I think it looks worse than it is," he said. "I want to go back — my buddies are out there."

He was among 419 patients admitted to Landstuhl in the last week, 233 of whom had combat-related injuries, according to doctors. The most common wounds have been from bullets or blast injuries from rocket-propelled grenades.

While most the recent casualties in Landstuhl are from Fallujah, officials do not have a precise breakdown.

Another 46 wounded troops from Iraq were en route to the hospital Monday, Landstuhl spokeswoman Marie Shaw said.

The offensive in Fallujah has killed at least 38 American troops and six Iraqi soldiers. The number of U.S. troops wounded is now 275, although more than 60 have returned to duty. U.S. officials estimated more than 1,200 insurgents have been killed.

No estimate of civilian casualties has been given.

[NormsRevenge]

A US Marine of the 1st division walks through the deserted western part of Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites), Monday, Nov. 15, 2004. U.S. ground forces were trying to corner the remaining resistance in the city. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

[NormsRevenge]

God bless our brave troops.

U.S. Marines Lance Cpl. Ryan Chapman, from Lawrence, Kansas, a machine gunner of the 1st Battalion 3rd Marine Regiment, listens to a question during a news conference at the Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, southern Germany, Monday, Nov. 15, 2004. He was injured in Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites), and is now under medical treatment in this military hospital. It's nothing too serious _ it cracked my skull but I think it looks worse than it is, he told reporters. I want to go back _ my buddies are out there. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle)

[pissant]

I like the fact that these men want to go back and finish the fight. True American heros.

[NormsRevenge]

Doctor Todd Hess (LtoR), Specialist Kris Clinkscales (22) from San Antonio, Texas, and Lance Corporal Travis Schafer (20) from Puyallup, Washington, attend a news conference at the Regional Medical Centre, the United States' main European military hospital, in the south western German city of Landstuhl November 15, 2004. U.S. Soldiers, chiefly from the U.S. Army and Marines, wounded in Iraq (news - web sites) have been arriving for treatment since the Falluja offensive. REUTERS/Alex Grimm

[lormand]

""It's nothing too serious. It cracked my skull, but I think it looks worse than it is," he said. "I want to go back — my buddies are out there.""

This guy typifies the Spirit of America!

[amadeus]

Libs will just NEVER understand this sort of commitment and love of God and Country.

God Bless our troops.

[2Jedismom]

Here's more about this guy!

http://ljworld.com/section/friendsneighbors/storypr/174820

[TheCrusader]

This (AP) article left out the fact that we also captured about 400 insurgents, I like to keep things in perspective. I read that we also captured the leader of a terrorist group called "Mohammed's Army". I'm extremely proud of our Marines and soldiers fighting in that God-forsaken hell hole.

[PigRigger]

Chapman, 22, of Lawrence, Kansas, acknowledged he had been lucky, but he said he was eager to get back into action. "It's nothing too serious. It cracked my skull, but I think it looks worse than it is," he said. "I want to go back — my buddies are out there."

In the end, they fight for each other. God Bless all of them.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks! :-)

U.S. Marines of the 1st Division rest outside a house in the western part of Fallujah, Iraq (news - web sites), Monday, Nov. 15, 2004. U.S. ground forces were trying to corner the remaining resistance in the city. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

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U.S. Army soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment assemble outside Falluja awaiting further orders Nov. 10, 2004. U.S. warplanes, artillery and mortars struck areas across Falluja on Monday as groups of diehard insurgents held out to the last in the weeklong battle. Picture taken November 10, 2004. Photo by Reuters (Handout)

[Drawsing]

"It's nothing too serious. It cracked my skull but I think it looks worse than it is," he told reporters. "I want to go back. My buddies are out there."

"Let's roll!" Todd Beamer

"My only regret is that I have but one life to lose for my country" Nathan Hale

Words of heroes. Feel free to add to the list....no movie lines please, only the real thing.

[NormsRevenge]

A little thread linking is in order, Thanks!

Allawi Announces Arrest of Militant Group

[AmericanInTokyo]

Quote of the day:

""It's nothing too serious. It cracked my skull, but I think it looks worse than it is," he said. "I want to go back — my buddies are out there." "

[AmericanInTokyo]

I'll take one single "Let's Roll" , over 1,000 meaningless, crap-stained "Allah Ahkbar's", anyday!

[Ax]

Gee, isn't that what Lt.(jg) John F. Kerry said?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"It seemed like they have a pretty unlimited amount of RPGs and mortars. They seemed to fling those about wildly," he said.

Not since we touched off their underground armory.

[NormsRevenge]

Meanwhile,, up country..

The Roach Motel Vacancy sign is flashing. Time to just moveon and do a little cleanup on aisle Mozul, perhaps? ;-)

An Iraqi insurgent points his rifle towards a blazing oil storage tank near the northern city of Mosul November 15, 2004. REUTERS/str

Iraqi man walks to view a blazing oil storage tank near the northern city of Mosul November 15, 2004, after it came under attack. REUTERS

[AmericanInTokyo]

Thanks. And thanks to the inspiration of this thread and the Fallujah operation, I have changed my tagline today.

[NormsRevenge]

Excellent!

Fallujah GI : A US marine from the 3/5 Lima company carries his "GI Joe Action Man" doll as he walks past the destruction in the restive city of Fallujah. (AFP/Patrick Baz)