Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Blood Is Thicker... [LCpl Justin Sharratt / Haditha Marines]
War of Wits ^ | March 7, 2007 | Jayme Evans

Posted on 03/07/2007 5:22:57 AM PST by RedRover

Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt is a decorated United States Marine. He fought in the battle for Fallujah, modern urban combat at it's worst, involving house-to-house and hand-to-hand fighting that killed some of Justin's fellow Marines.

But for Justin, Fallujah was only the beginning. Justin's father Darryl wants the world to know that although Justin is home from Iraq, he's still fighting for his life. Justin is charged with three counts of unpremeditated murder during an ambush followed by a ferocious firefight in Haditha, Iraq in November, 2005.

-snip-

Rather than some frenzied killing spree, Sharratt says that the Marines in 3-1 Kilo Company raided 22 homes that day, but only fired their weapons in four instances.

They took 30 prisoners, and found weapons, thousands of dollars in US cash, and Jordanian passports, and he says that the allegations they murdered civilians are patently false.

"The bottom line is," says Sharratt, "what were the Rules of Engagement that day, and did the Marines of 3-1 Kilo Co. follow them faithfully to the best of their ability? That is what this case will hinge on".

-more at the link-

(Excerpt) Read more at warofwits.org ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: defendourmarines; haditha; iraq; wot
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-44 next last
I heartily agree with Jayme Evans' conclusion.

To send young men into combat, only to second-guess their split-second decisions from your living room is not just wrong, it is an egregious betrayal. It's easy to be an armchair quarterback with your butt on the couch, while young men are getting theirs shot or blown off in Iraq. They didn't ask to go there. They went where they were told, to serve their country, and their beloved Corps. What if this was your son on trial for his life?

The prosecution calls Justin Sharratt a murderer. I call him a hero. I would be proud to call him my brother. The grace and composure that the Sharratt family has shown during this ordeal is a lesson for all of us, and I stand tall with them in their support for Justin, regardless of the outcome.

If America had more Darryl and Justin Sharrats, and fewer John Murthas and Ehren Watadas, terrorism wouldn't stand a chance.

To read more about Justin's case, send a message of support to Justin and the Sharratt family, or more importantly, to donate to his defense fund, visit the website set up on Justin's behalf at JustinSharratt.com.

1 posted on 03/07/2007 5:22:59 AM PST by RedRover
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 4woodenboats; aculeus; American Cabalist; AmericanYankee; AndrewWalden; Antoninus; AliVeritas; ...
Ping!

The real story of the Haditha incident is yet to be told.

Time magazine told the Sunni insurgent version. The Washington Post cherry-picked details from the NCIS report to suit their anti-war agenda.

The first Article 32 for a Haditha Marine gets underway in just two weeks and I can only hope the real story of what happened in Haditha will become public.

The truth about Haditha won't change the mind of a single Leftist nitwit. Haditha is their My Lai and they're not letting that go.

But I hope that patriots who support the war will also lend support to the Haditha Marine families. Now is when they need it most.

2 posted on 03/07/2007 5:55:26 AM PST by RedRover (Defend Our Marines!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RedRover
They took 30 prisoners

A massacre doesn't take prisoners.

3 posted on 03/07/2007 6:02:58 AM PST by lilycicero (Support the Haditha Marines.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: RedRover

We know what happened, its just whether the Marine Generals are going to bow to the PC police.

Pray for W and Our Marines


4 posted on 03/07/2007 6:04:40 AM PST by bray (Redeploy to Tehran)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RedRover

Good find. Thanks


5 posted on 03/07/2007 6:05:58 AM PST by pissant (http://www.gohunter08.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bray
If you haven't already, take a look at Lt. Pantano's book, Warlord.

It's sickening that the Corps destroyed the career of an outstanding infantry officer particularly in a time of war.

And no lessons were learned when Pantano was exonerated. The NCIS is still given full reign to cook investigations to fit their pre-ordained conclusions. And the careers of eight Marines have gone up in smoke while a war is still going on!

6 posted on 03/07/2007 6:47:21 AM PST by RedRover (Defend Our Marines!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: lilycicero

No, it doesn't. And it undermines the bullmurtha about Marines being under so much pressure that they snapped.


7 posted on 03/07/2007 6:51:58 AM PST by RedRover (Defend Our Marines!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: RedRover

If I remember correctly, there were more Marines active in Haditha, that day, than just this one convoy that was hit with an IED. So does the prisoner, cash info refer to the whole area, not just this one portion of a neighborhood that was engaged? Either way, Haditha was a hotbed of terrorists, that's why their was an operation underway to clean up the area.

Your reference to My Lai - Last time I checked Google, there were 160,000 hits connecting My Lai to Haditha. I'm sure plenty of these hits were for articles saying they weren't comparable. But what a shame to even have them compared.

It seems like a simple case of a. where they following ROE's for the situation at the time, and b. was their an intentional coverup? The rest is politics.


8 posted on 03/07/2007 7:51:52 AM PST by Girlene
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Girlene; verbosevet

I wondered the same thing, Girl. We'll have to get more details from verbosevet when he signs in.


9 posted on 03/07/2007 8:01:21 AM PST by RedRover (Defend Our Marines!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: RedRover; Girlene
Been kinda busy today. Darryl wasn't totally clear, but what I understood was that once they took fire, they dismounted and went house-to-house probably any houses they assumed they were being fired at from.

I don't hink it was the whole neighborhood, but perhaps an intersection

Raiding 20 houses and only discharging weapons 4 times, sounds like a methodical operation to me...

10 posted on 03/07/2007 8:18:42 AM PST by verbosevet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: RedRover

bump for later donation


11 posted on 03/07/2007 8:20:23 AM PST by Leatherneck_MT (Duncan Hunter in 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RedRover

Good post, Red.

I would urge people to contribute to the defense funds for Justin Sharratt and the other Haditha Marines. No matter how large or small, that contribution will be appreciated by the families.

These men have put their lives on the line for all of us and deserve to be represented by the very best in their defense.


12 posted on 03/07/2007 8:21:15 AM PST by jazusamo (http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jazusamo
My check is on it's way..

Thanks, you guys, Darryl really needs the support right now.

13 posted on 03/07/2007 8:26:58 AM PST by verbosevet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Leatherneck_MT

Great, Leatherneck! At the very least, these Marines should have the best defense possible. The forces arrayed against them are formidable and with fairly unlimited resources.


14 posted on 03/07/2007 8:33:59 AM PST by RedRover (Defend Our Marines!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: jazusamo

BTTT, jaz!


15 posted on 03/07/2007 8:37:29 AM PST by RedRover (Defend Our Marines!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: RedRover

"Great, Leatherneck! At the very least, these Marines should have the best defense possible. The forces arrayed against them are formidable and with fairly unlimited resources."

That's the very reason that I feel the Government shouldn't be providing attorneys for the accused if they can't afford it. They should allow the accused to name his attorney and let the government pick up the tab for the cost of it.


16 posted on 03/07/2007 10:01:58 AM PST by Leatherneck_MT (Duncan Hunter in 2008)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: RedRover

Thanks for the ping.


17 posted on 03/07/2007 2:36:02 PM PST by Marine_Uncle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: RedRover

Links don't work : (


18 posted on 03/07/2007 5:51:13 PM PST by freema (Marine FRiend, 1stCuz2xRemoved, Mom, Aunt, Sister, Friend, Wife, Daughter, Niece)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freema
The page must have been moved.

Here's a new link to the article on War of Wits.

19 posted on 03/07/2007 6:07:40 PM PST by RedRover (Defend Our Marines!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: freema; All
Sorry, I screwed up that time.

Here's the link to the article on War of Wits.

20 posted on 03/07/2007 6:10:23 PM PST by RedRover (Defend Our Marines!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-44 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson