IRAQ: Drowned Marines in full gear (Crossing canal )

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | March 27, 2003 | Bill Gertz THE WASHINGTON TIMES

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Two Marines drowned in southern Iraq after attempting to cross a canal without a safety line while wearing heavy gear and rifles, The Washington Times has learned.

The Marines were identified by the Pentagon as Cpl. Evan James, 20, of Hancock, Ill., and Sgt. Bradley Korthaus, 28, of Scott, Iowa. Both were part of a Marine Corps Reserve engineer company in Peoria, Ill.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Ping!

[Professional]

Gertz was on Greta Van Sustern on Fox earlier mentioning this.

[Mystix]

a needless loss.

[A CA Guy]

Very sad. What made them take such a risk?

[Keith in Iowa]

Body of missing Marine from Iowa is recovered

By WILLIAM PETROSKI and COLLEEN KRANTZ
Register Staff Writer
03/27/2003
Davenport, Ia. - A Marine Corps spokesman confirmed late Wednesday that the body of a missing Marine from Davenport had been found.Sgt. Bradley Korthaus, 28, disappeared Monday in the Saddam Canal in southeast Iraq while swimming across the waterway with three other Marines from his Peoria, Ill.-based engineering unit. Two made it across.

Korthaus and Cpl. Evan James of La Harpe, Ill., drowned. Korthaus is the first Iowan to die in Iraq during the current Persian Gulf conflict.

Korthaus' family was notified by the Marine Corps late Wednesday of his death.

A friend said the family was grieving. Relatives declined to say anything further Wednesday night.

Korthaus and the other Marines were trying to set up weapons on the opposite side of the canal to provide cover for a water-purification team, Berg said.

Two emerged on the other side of the canal, but Korthaus and James, 20, were swept under the surface. The body of James, who also drowned, was found Tuesday, but Korthaus remained missing until Wednesday afternoon, Berg said.

Steve Korthaus, a Vietnam War veteran, said Tuesday that his son joined the Marines immediately after graduating from Davenport Assumption High School in 1992.

Earlier Wednesday, Marilyn Korthaus said she was having difficulty keeping hope that her son would be found alive.
"I don't know what to think at this point," she said about 3:30 p.m., just a few hours before learning of his death. "I want to be hopeful, but it's hard because it has been awhile since we have heard anything."A steady stream of friends came to the Korthaus' home Wednesday.
B
radley Korthaus' fiancee, Barbi Schneckloth, said earlier this week that the two had decided to marry as soon as Korthaus returned.

Korthaus and James were combat engineers with Company C, 6th Engineer Support Battalion of the Marine Corps Reserve in Peoria, Ill.

Somewhere near the middle of the Saddam Canal, the water depth dropped to between 10 and 15 feet, and that is where Korthaus and James disappeared, Berg said.

"It's possible there was a strong undercurrent, but we just don't know yet," he said.The men were not under hostile fire, military officials said.

[holyscroller]

Will the major that ordered them in without the lifeline to protect them be charged? What a needless waste of life! His stupidity cost these men their lives.

[photogirl]

I was just reading this, didn't want to bump it to you...
Praying for all of our Troops.

[dandelion]

God bless their hearts; going days without sleep, being shot at, and engaging in all sorts of stressful behavior, it would be easy to make such a tragic mistake.

God bless these boys. Lay your hands upon their hearts and let them know they are home.

[MEG33]

Amen

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Perhaps some kind of inquiry will be held.

[Iris7]

Amen. War is the Devil's playground, and the Devil tempted the Major, and shut off his common sense for a moment. We loose two fine young Marines.

[happygrl]

Yes, he didn't do it by the book.

This was needless.

Prayers for these men and comfort for their families, Dear Lord.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

..God bless their hearts; going days without sleep, being shot at, and engaging in all sorts of stressful behavior, it would be easy to make such a tragic mistake...

You have a good, and kind, heart, Dandelion.