Combat Diary, Lima Company

[RICHARD]

A&E showed a great documentary on a US Marine company and their tour in Iraq tonight..

I had to change the channel a few times- men are not supposed to cry.

No matter what you stand is on our involvement in Iraw is, watch this program
and take a second to think about, pray for and truly admire any person who wears the uniform of the Armed Forces of the United States.

II'll save everyone the trouble and write it myself-

"It's a shame that these young men and women are being sent over seas to die......."

Yes it is.

But I am humbled to see the sacrifice that they made and even more thankful for their service.

The clips of the men that remembered their friends was worth getting thru the two hour program.

It was a very thoughtful film.

These men and women are not ordinary people. It is a crappy job they do.

I wonder what the company that I work for would achieve if their employees were THAT motivated.

The next time your idiot boss asks you do take on a project - remember that there isn't some moron on the other side trying to kill you. Later on, you'll be ticked off on the way home and walk thru your front door, take off your shoes and ?????

I'll make sure I take a second to look at my paycheck tomorrow and before I complain about the amount, I'll think about how easy it is to earn a living without someone shooting a gun at me.

Maybe I don't have it so tough after all....

[Oggyflute]

I think I might have seen this Richard. Is it the one wear the battalion is HQ'd in one of Saddam's palaces? An extremely thought provoking programme. Despite any moral objection or otherwise anyone may have, this will show you what it is truly like to live your life under fire.

[joycenalex]

this batallions' home base is in a small struggling town near columbus, lima is less then 100# away from me. the local paper, almost daily, has/had articles about these soldiers and their families. the word "gratitude" is some times too small when you see the sacrifices being made.

[RICHARD]

the word "gratitude" is some times too small when you see the sacrifices being made.

I am truly embarrassed by their sacrifice.

It's the people left behind that break my heart.

Are we willing to relocate halfway around the world and take the chance to lose our life in the process?

These people went and never questioned the reason.

We are a nation of spineless, sissies that hide behind a 200 year old piece of parchment...

The brightest, the best and the people who believe in why the are in the US
Armed Forces -they people we send into harm's way, while we bellyache at home, about the government and everything that is wrong with it.


Heroes?

No.

they are Gods that walk among us-people who have looked at death in the eye.

Me?

I don't even think about walking among them.


They are special.

[joycenalex]

[QUOTE=RICHARD...a 200 year old piece of parchment...

indeed, one of the best dreams of humankind is on that parchment, and in the hearts of the lima company. amazing dreams that can come true, but sometimes that cost is staggeringly high.

[lizbud]

Heroes?

No.

they are Gods that walk among us-people who have looked at death in the eye.

Me?

I don't even think about walking among them.


They are special.

Gods? No Richard, they are all too human , as are we all.

Photos Indicate Civilians Slain Execution-Style
An official involved in an investigation of Camp Pendleton Marines' actions in an Iraqi town cites `a total breakdown in morality.'

By Tony Perry and Julian E. Barnes
Times Staff Writers
Published May 27, 2006


WASHINGTON — Photographs taken by a Marine intelligence team have convinced investigators that a Marine unit killed as many as 24 unarmed Iraqis, some of them "execution-style," in the insurgent stronghold of Haditha after a roadside bomb killed an American in November, officials close to the investigation said Friday.

The pictures are said to show wounds to the upper bodies of the victims, who included several women and six children. Some were shot in the head and some in the back, congressional and defense officials said.

One government official said the pictures showed that infantry Marines from Camp Pendleton "suffered a total breakdown in morality and leadership, with tragic results."

The case may be the most serious incident of alleged war crimes in Iraq by U.S. troops. Marine officers have long been worried that Iraq's deadly insurgency could prompt such a reaction by combat teams.

An investigation by an Army general into the Nov. 19 incident is to be delivered soon to the top operational commander in Iraq. A separate criminal investigation is also underway and could lead to charges ranging from dereliction of duty to murder.

Both investigations are centered on a dozen Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. The battalion was on its third deployment to Iraq when the killings occurred.

Most of the fatal shots appear to have been fired by only a few of the Marines, possibly a four-man "fire team" led by a sergeant, said officials with knowledge of the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The same sergeant is suspected of filing a false report downplaying the number of Iraqis killed, saying they were killed by an insurgent's bomb and that Marines entered the Iraqis' homes in search of gunmen firing at them. All aspects of his account are contradicted by pictures, statements by Marines to investigators and an inspection of the houses involved, officials said.

Other Marines may face criminal charges for failing to stop the killings or for failing to make accurate reports.

Of the dead Iraqis, 19 were in three to four houses that Marines stormed, officials said. Five others were killed near a vehicle.

The intelligence team took the pictures shortly after the shooting stopped. Such teams are typically assigned to collect information on insurgents after firefights or other military engagements.

Investigators and top officers of the Camp Pendleton-based 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, which oversees Marine infantry, aviation and support units in Iraq, have viewed the pictures.

The incident began when a roadside bomb attached to a large propane canister exploded as Marines passed through Haditha, a town on the Euphrates River. Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas, who was driving a Humvee, was killed and two other Marines were wounded.

Marines quickly determined that the bomb was a "line-of-sight" explosive that would have required someone to detonate it. Marines and Iraqi forces searched houses and other structures in the narrow, dusty streets. Jets dropped 500-pound bombs and a drone aircraft circled overhead.

Time magazine, in a report published in March, quoted witnesses, including a 9-year-old girl, Eman Waleed, who said that she saw Marines kill her grandparents and that other adults in the house died shielding her and her 8-year-old brother, Abdul Rahman.

An elder in Haditha later went to Marine officials at the battalion's headquarters to complain of wanton killings.

The Marines involved in the incident initially reported that they had become embroiled in a firefight with insurgents after the explosion. However, evidence that later emerged contradicted that version.

"There wasn't a gunfight, there were no pockmarked walls," a congressional aide said.

"The wounds indicated execution-style" shootings, said a Defense Department official who had been briefed on the contents of the photos.

The Marine Corps backed off its initial explanation, and the investigations were launched after Time published its account.

Some lawmakers are asking the Marine Corps why an investigation wasn't launched earlier if the intelligence team's pictures contradicted the squad's account. The pictures from the intelligence team would probably have been given to the battalion intelligence officer, and they should have raised questions immediately, one congressional aide said.

The intelligence teams typically comprise Marine Corps reservists, often police officers or other law enforcement officials in civilian life who travel with active-duty battalions or regiments.

Such questions were put to Marine Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee during a series of individual briefings over the last week. One focus of the administrative investigation by Army Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell is to find out how high up the Marine Corps chain of command the misreporting went.

Military officials say they believe the delay in beginning the investigation was a result of the squad's initial efforts to cover up what happened. Military and congressional sources said there was no indication that the members of the intelligence team did anything improper or delayed reporting their findings.

"They are the guys that probably provided the conclusive, demonstrative evidence that what happened wasn't as others had described," a congressional staffer said.

The Marine Corps apologized to the families of several of those killed and made payments to compensate them for their losses. The families have denied permission to have the bodies exhumed for investigation.

Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), a retired Marine colonel, said there was clearly an attempt to cover up the incident by those involved. But he said he did not think the Marine command was slow in investigating.

"There is no question that the Marines involved, those doing the shooting, they were busy in lying about it and covering it up — there is no question about it," Kline said. "But I am confident, as soon as the command learned there might be some truth to this, they started to pursue it vigorously. I don't have any reason now to think there was any foot dragging."

As Marines moved across the desert into Iraq on March 19, 2003, each Marine received a signed statement from then-Maj. Gen. James N. Mattis, commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, exhorting his troops to fight vigorously but to treat noncombatants with "decency … chivalry and soldierly compassion."

"Engage your brain before you engage your weapon," he said.

As detailed in Bing West's book "The March Up: Taking Baghdad With the 1st Marine Division," Brig. Gen. John Kelly, assistant division commander, was concerned about instances of seemingly random firing by Marines, most of them untested in combat. Kelly is now the Marine Corps' congressional liaison and has helped Hagee deliver briefings to legislators on the investigations into the Nov. 19 incident.

Hagee left for Iraq on Thursday to sternly remind Marines that harming noncombatants violates Marine policy and numerous laws governing warfare. He plans to give the same message to troops at Camp Pendleton and other Marine bases when he returns.

Haditha has been a particularly difficult area for the Marines. Officers have said they lack enough troops to do an adequate job of developing intelligence and then confronting insurgents.

A documentary shown this week on the A&E Network detailed the frustrations of a company of Marine reservists who had 23 members killed and 36 wounded during a deployment last year in Haditha.

One Marine sergeant, in an interview after his unit had returned to Columbus, Ohio, remembered a raid in which he burst into a home and came close to killing two women and a teenage boy out of rage for the deaths of fellow Marines.

Sgt. Guy Zierk, interviewed in the documentary, "Combat Diary: The Marines of Lima Company," said he knew at that point that he had been in Iraq too long.

[Edwina's Secretary]

We are a nation of spineless, sissies that hide behind a 200 year old piece of parchment...

The brightest, the best and the people who believe in why the are in the US
Armed Forces -they people we send into harm's way, while we bellyache at home, about the government and everything that is wrong with it.

I disagree RICHARD. No one is a spineless sissy because they do not choose to take up weapons against others for good reason or bad. They do not hide behind the constitution.

They do the job they have agreed to do...and that is admirable in any context. And a horrible job it is. But to suggest none of them question or complain....please do not confuse reality with a tv show as you so often warn us!

[Lady's Human]

We question, bitch and complain. BUT we do it in private, where the media's ears won't hear it. Outside of closed doors, the game face is on. It's part of discipline.

If anyone does complain in the open, it normally doesn't happen again.

[RICHARD]

please do not confuse reality with a tv show as you so often warn us!

Watching too much Colbert again?

If you have a chance look up the A&E website and check out who "THOSE PEOPLE" are that shot the video in that documentary were.


It wasn't a news crew, or a documentary crew.

It was culled from all the video shot by the soldiers themselves.

Only the interviews with the soldiers themselves were shot by a film crew.

There were no jokes or "funny" crap written by a behind the scenes bunch of writers for a talking head.


LB,

Yes they are human like the rest of us.
Only gods, and a man with a gun, has the ability to determine when your life ends.

I really like it when a newswervice prints out fish wrap before the whole story can be investigated.

Hmmm seem like reality new reporting, eh?

[Edwina's Secretary]

If you have a chance look up the A&E website and check out who "THOSE PEOPLE" are that shot the video in that documentary were.

... let's see you diagram THAT sentence!!!!

and a man with a gun, has the ability to determine when your life ends.

It is far more likely to be a man with a bomb... or homemade incendiary devise....but why start confusing reality with creative writing????

[KatyCaneB]

Richard-
As a wife of a Marine who is currently serving in Iraq I really appreciate your thoughts and feelings.

The thread was a little long and hard to follow, but from what I can gather I think it takes all kinds of jobs (military and civilan) to keep this country rich and running. However, to pick a job that defends the country you live in is very honorable. Most people would never take a low paying job (and trust the salary is nothing to be excited about ) that could threaten your life and that takes you away from your family for months (sometimes years). It's not fun and it IS a sacrifice. I really miss my husband right now and would give ANYTHING to have him home. I have not seen him in 7 months. Those men should be honored.


lizbud- Wow that was long . My husband works in intelligence in the Marine Corps. Although he can't tell me most of the things that go down over there please realize two things:
1. The media blows EVERYTHING up! I'm not trying to take away from the tragedy that happened, but please understand that the news is so beyond over-exaguration that I can't even watch it anymore. I used to bring up the things I heard on the news to my husband and he can't help but laugh sometimes. He always says 'take what they say and cut if in half and then maybe you are close to the truth'.
2. Like your article said. Yes, they've been over there for too long. These guys (hubby included) work 16 hours a day and havn't had a day off yet. They're exhausted and pushed beyond the max. Understand they are dealing with death daily and sometimes it involves their closest friends. They are going to make mistakes.

Just my 2 cents.

[RICHARD]

let's see you diagram THAT sentence!!!!

LOL,

I couldn't diagram any sentence to spare my life, I am one on those people.

It is far more likely to be a man with a bomb... or homemade incendiary devise....but why start confusing reality with creative writing????

In creative writing, Clancy tossed a Japanese airliner into the White House.
Terrorist idiots couldn't think of anyhing original.

And I think you mean Improvised Explosive Device.- NO quality control at home!

[Lady's Human]

The charges against the Marines are charges, not convictions. As with any other accusations, until the dust settles from the court process, I'm withholding judgement.

Military courts are a little different than a civilian court. The "jury" is made up of NCOs and officers who have VERY stringent rules to follow. If the marines are guilty, then they will be dealt with. If they are innocent, however, due to the rush to judgement in the press and in Congress, their careers are over. In cases like this it is almost a guarantee they will be found guilty of SOMETHING, so I would want to read the findings of the court martial. Unfortunately, there probably won't be an executive summary of the proceedings available.

[joycenalex]

today is memorial day 2006, most of lima company is home. some are with family and friends, others are alone, some are still in service, and a few are present, only in memories. their memorial days will be forever be different then ours. thank you lima company

[RICHARD]

IUD's are probably more dangerous than IED's!