US Marine in Iraq: Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2003

Into battle

On March 21, 2003, V Corps swept northwest through the Iraqi desert to a last-minute turn toward Baghdad through the Karbala Gap, while the Marines of I MEF would cross the Euphrates at An Nasiriyah. They would charge up the Tigris River along the classic invasion route that the British used in World War I. The first battle of An Nasiriyah during World War I was a bloody fight between the British and the Turks. The British captured the city, losing 500 dead and killing as many Turks, as well as an untold number of Nasiriyans. Now, history would repeat itself, as the 2d Marine Regiment charged out of the Arabian desert toward this ancient city. Task Force Tarawa would “kick open the door” and the entire 1st Marine Division would cross the Euphrates and race toward the center of Saddam Hussein’s power – Baghdad.

An Nasiriyah was the first Iraqi population center on the road from Kuwait to Baghdad. Its population was primarily Shi’ite Muslims who were not sympathetic to Saddam Hussein and his regime. American war planners hoped that the Iraqis in An Nasiriyah would surrender with little or no resistance.

While hoping for a quick success, the 2d Marine Regiment’s commanders planned for a fight for control of the bridges across the Euphrates River. 1st Battalion had been reinforced with tanks and AMTRACs, and the Timberwolves had planned to seize the eastern bridges regardless of the amount of resistance.

After two long days of traveling across the Iraqi desert in the cramped confines of their hated AMTRAC, Duncan and Johnson were about as miserable as they had ever been. They would rather be back in the Crucible at Parris Island than riding in this hot metal deathtrap. Late on March 22, they had stopped for the night in an open area at the edge of the desert. Small tufts of grass sprinkled the landscape – a sign that water was nearby. They stopped well after sunset, deployed Marines for security, and dug in for the night. Duncan and his squad dug another fighting position out of the soft, gravely sand, and set a watch while the others tried to get some sleep. Johnson drifted off to sleep for what seemed like only a few minutes when the first sergeant woke him. “Mount up,” he told Johnson, and then moved on to another squad. Johnson woke the remaining members of his squad, and they packed up and climbed into C211 with their gear. Rumor had it that today’s trip would be short.

As the night of the 22nd became the morning of the 23rd, the battalion was ahead of schedule. Everyone could see a string of lights on a nearby highway. The Army was moving west with their headlights on as though they were on a weekend maneuver up I-95 in the middle of a rush hour. Capt. Wittnam had told Duncan that they only had to move about 40km (24.8 miles) to their blocking position just south of a town along the Euphrates River.

Johnson and Duncan were both assigned to the 3d Platoon of Capt. Wittnam’s Charlie Company, but since their promotions to corporal, they were separated when they both became assistant squad leaders. It is always very strange for a Marine not to have his buddy at his shoulder, but their new ranks brought new responsibilities, and each worked hard at becoming a good NCO.

Capt. Wittnam had 12 tracks to carry his company, C201–C212. Each squad of the first platoon rode in C201, C202, and C203. Second platoon’s squads were assigned to C205, C206, and C207. Lt. Mike Seely’s 3d Platoon manned C209, C210, and C211. Johnson and his squad rode in C211, while Duncan’s squad had been assigned to C209. Lt. Seely was a hard-charging Marine. His men worshiped him. They often commented that they would follow Lt. Seely and Capt. Wittnam into hell.

Third Platoon was Capt. Wittnam’s “go-to” platoon, so he planned for C209, C210, and C211 to take the lead of the company when they entered An Nasiriyah. Wittnam would follow 3d Platoon in his company command track, C204. The weapons platoon leader would follow Wittnam with the company FiST team and a portion of the mortar section in the mortar track, C208. They would be followed by 1st and 2d platoons while the company first sergeant would take up the rear of the column with the ambulance track, C212, and a couple of HMMWVs.

As Charlie Company mounted up, the night was black and clear. Billions of pinheads of light punctured the blackened night sky. As they waited in the Iraqi desert, Capt. Wittnam went through the plan in his head for the thousandth time.