Cpl. Dunham Saves Troops Lives in Karabilah

On April 14th, 2004, Cpl. Jason Dunham and his patrol were on their way to assist another group of Marines when they found a suspicious convoy of Iraqi vehicles in a Karabilah, Iraq alleyway. Upon inspection, an Iraqi insurgent jumped out of one of the vehicles and attacked Cpl. Dunham, and the two wrestled as other Marines came to assist. But only Cpl. Dunham noticed the hand grenade that rolled loose from the Iraqi’s hand, and quickly placed his helmet and body over it to protect the other troops.

Cpl. Dunham died from shrapnel wounds in his face and neck, but his patrol was unharmed. Because of his brave actions, Cpl. Dunham has been recommended for the Medal of Honor, which hasn’t been given to anyone since two Delta Force soldiers gave their lives protecting a downed Blackhawk in Somalia.

Battle for Fallujah

After days of planning, D-Day for the Battle for Fallujah was November 7th, 2004, at 1900 hours. First, U.S. forces seized a hospital and two bridges on a peninsula across the Euphrates River, preventing escape. Then, on November 8th, a major air and artillery strike began, providing cover for ground forces to move in to the northern edge of the city. The forces formed six corridors and headed south through Fallujah, slowly securing the city. They breached train tracks, secured buildings, and made it two miles into the city by 10 am on November 9th. Once they reached the southern edge of the city, forces combed back the way they came, uncovering weapons caches, enemy bases, and locations of insurgents. On November 16th, 2004, U.S. military officials announced that Fallujah had been secured, but at the cost of the lives of 50 troops and several hundred wounded.

Intense Fighting in Najaf

Beginning on April 8th, 2004 and continuing until a cease-fire was declared on June 4th, more than 5,000 troops from the Army’s 1st Armored Division experienced the most intense urban combat operation since the beginning of the invasion. The troops were sent to Najaf to quell a Shiite uprising that threatened to disturb the transition of the Iraqi government, as well as subdue its leader, radical cleric Moqtada Sadr. By the end, 1,500 insurgents were dead, but at the cost of 19 U.S. soldiers’ lives. The U.S. declared itself victorious, but Sadr is still at large and considered to be one of Iraq’s most popular figures.

Strykers Come Up Victorious in Mosul

In early August 2004, a group of 30-40 insurgents armed with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and AK-47s ran attacks against the Fort Lewis based Stryker brigade while on duty in Mosul. The insurgents, wearing all black, attempted to ambush the troops as they drove through the town. U.S. and Iraqi forces managed to kill around a dozen rebels, while fortunately not sustaining any losses themselves. Soldiers who were there say rebels were surprised at how well the U.S. and Iraqi forces worked together as a team.

Operation Spear

On June 17th, 2005, Corporal Jared C. Althouse led his fellow Marines and sailors from 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, and Iraqi Security Forces into Karabilah to carry out a counter-insurgency operation. As a part of Operation Spear, the objective was to neutralize enemy forces and destroy any insurgent strongholds. While most of Karabilah’s residents fled the town, the troops of RCT-2 met resistance from insurgents in different sections of the city, but were able to complete the mission with the cooperation of the other troops.

Bayonet Charge in Al Amarah

After running out of ammunition during a particularly long engagement in early July 2004, SCOTS soldiers launched a bayonet charge on Iraqi militiamen on the Route Six highway near Al Amarah, 150 miles from Basra. While surrounded by the insurgents, the Royal Regiment was reinforced by the Warriors, who provided cover while infantrymen leapt into trench after trench defeating rebels with bayonets. Most of the rebels were squashed, but some die-hards wouldn’t give up, prompting a Challenger II tank to come in and destroy their bunker.

The 1,050 Yard Snipe

Sgt. Herbert B. Hanc, chief scout sniper of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, successfully sniped two insurgents from 1,050 yards away on November 11th, 2004, the longest confirmed kill in Iraq so far. The insurgents were firing mortars at the Marines’ compound near Ar Ramadi when Sgt. Hanc was ordered to engage them while the troops set up their own mortars. Hanc managed to take down two rebels before a U.S. mortar landed directly on the insurgents’ mortar position. He was then able to calculate his distance by comparing the insurgent’s coordinates against his own.

Strike on Samarra

100 insurgents were killed after U.S. forces stormed the town of Samarra, a rebel-held stronghold about 80 miles north of Baghdad on the Sunni Arab belt. The assault began after midnight on February 10th, 2004 with air strikes and artillery barrages, followed by troops, tanks, and armored vehicles on the ground. It was believed that the 3,500-strong force took the insurgents by surprise, as they were busy unloading weapons from a boat at the time of the attack. Iraqi police were placed in control of the city center for the second time, after insurgents returned to take over the city after being chased away three weeks prior.

Insurgents in Qaim

In an offensive on May 10th, 2005, 1000 troops crossed the Euphrates River into the northern Jazira Desert, where they were met by insurgents including two suicide bombers. The insurgents were said to have been in uniform and were better trained than opposition in other areas. The battle took place in Qaim, about 10 miles east of the Syrian border, and led to the capture of 10 insurgents while no Marines were killed.