Posted on 09/16/2007 4:13:36 AM PDT by RedRover
The ambush site
First images recorded by the Scan Eagle at Haditha: 0759 / November 19, 2005
Larger image below, click to enlarge...
At about 0715 on November 19, 2005 a four-vehicle convoy from 3rd Squad, 3rd Plt., Kilo Co., 3/1 was ambushed on Route Chestnut in Haditha, Iraq.
The pictures of the ambush site were taken approximately forty-five minutes later and show where the vehicles came to rest after an improvised explosive device destroyed the last vehicle in the convoy, killing LCpl Terrazas and wounding LCpls Guzman and Crossan.
The picture above shows the crater in the asphalt surfaced roadway where the IED had been buried and then covered over with fresh asphalt. The remainder of the convoy is out of the frame to the left (west) of the image.
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Larger image below, click to enlarge...
Underlined in red, Vehicle 2 (upper right) and Vehicle 3, in the halted convoy looking west.
The destroyed HUMVEE is out of the frame at bottom of image. The wreckage came to rest about 40 meters (120 feet) behind (east) of Vehicle 3. The HUMVEEs remained where they had stopped after the IED blast until Wuterich’s squad cleared houses in the ambush area.
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Larger image below, click to enlarge...
Another view of the destroyed HUMVEE.
From SSgt. Frank Wuterich's statement at his Article 32 hearing:
“Vehicle one turned left on Route Chestnut. Vehicle two turned left on Route Chestnut. My vehicle turned left on Route Chestnut. Vehicle four turned left on Route Chestnut. We were halfway home. Vehicle dispersion was normal- 30-40 m as per BN SOP. As 1 made the turn on Chestnut, I decided to cross the two lane road and drive on the left side of the median. This was a decision, I'm sure, that saved the lives of the Marines in my vehicle. Vehicle four was not so lucky. An explosion louder than anything I have ever heard rocked the entire convoy. I remained calm. 1 continued to drive west as my A driver started to scream, "The fourth vehicle got hit!" I made my way back to the other side of Chestnut and stopped my HMMWV. Clear skies suddenly turned brown, black and grey as shrapnel from a HMMWV came plummeting down in front of me from hundreds of feet in the air.”
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Larger image below, click to enlarge...
The white car and bodies of dead Iraqi military-age males.
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Direction of Marines’ rifle fire toward white car.
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Above: Wuterich HUMVEE on right. White car is on left. Wuterich, Salinas and Dela Cruz shot to their left from about 20 meters (60 feet) away.
From SSgt. Frank Wuterich's statement at his Article 32 hearing:
"I remember encountering no vehicle traffic or foot traffic that morning leading up to the IED detonation. The white, four door sedan was parked on the side of the road within 100m of the IED attack, and within the security parameters of our convoy. I heard yelling mostly from the west where Cpl De La Cruz was shouting in broken Arabic and using expletives to the military aged males who occupied the white car. His weapon was at the ready, as it should have been. They were not complying and in fact were starting to run in the opposite direction to the south away from where Cpl Dela Cruz was approaching them. I took a knee in the road and fired. Engaging was the only choice. The threat had to be neutralized. Vehicle Borne IEDs were a serious threat and would have incapacitated our squad making us combat ineffective. I don't remember anyone else firing at the same time I was, although at a squad debrief later on I learned that Cpl Dela Cruz had engaged the men at the car at the same time as I did and Cpl Salinas reported that he had opened fire, as well. After I watched the military aged males fall to the ground, Cpl De La Cruz advanced on them and I saw him fire at the bodies as they lay before I turned to make my way to the casualties. That is when I started hearing small arms fire from the south."
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This is part one of a three-part series. See below for links to parts two and three.
They have never before been seen by the public.
The images are presented in chronological order using the time/date stamps created by the Scan Eye recording system as the video was being made.
The video we obtained was prepared for the upcoming Article 32 hearing of Captain Lucas McConnell, formerly the company commander of Kilo Co., 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines at Haditha in 2005. McConnell was relieved of command in April, 2006 for alleged dereliction of duty following allegations of murder by members of his infantry company during the day-long battle in Haditha that left 24 Iraqis and one Marine dead, and 11 Marines wounded.
This presentation is intended to refute allegations made in Time magazine and other media outlets which claimed the Marines massacred the Iraqi civilians in a fit of rage following the death of LCpl Miguel “T.J.” Terrazas, one of Kilo Company’s Marines. The cable television network CNN also obtained a copy of this video presentation but for reason best known to its producers elected to disregard most of the exculpatory images contained in it.
[NOTE: Video images with enhancement boxes were altered by selecting the area and brightening it with a Photoshop tool for clarity.
The rectangular white box on each image is the camera target area, designated by the Scan Eagle operator.]
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Nat Helms is a Contributing Editor to Defend Our Marines. He is a Vietnam vet, journalist, combat reporter, and, most recently, author of My Men Are My Heroes: The Brad Kasal Story (Meredith Books, 2007).
Part one: The ambush site: 0759
Part two: Insurgents regroup: 0814 - 0910
Part three: The last battle: 0913 – 1544
Good morning, glory. Are you gonna get a new mouse ; )
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I see, said the blind man. A three part post!
Incredible! And THANK you for the time you took to create this detailed account.
Truth to tell, Nat isn't in favor of the war in Iraq. He's not even particularly fond of President Bush. He probably isn't far in his personal beliefs about the war from most CNN reporters.
But the major difference is that Nat seperates a "bad war" from the servicemen and women who are sent to fight, and lynched by the media. Pity they are so few like him around--and no one, that I can see, in the MSM.
Outstanding, Red. Much easier to see the distances, locations, etc. Did the video show the 1st Vehicle in the convoy? According to Frank Wuterich’s statement, the following people fired on the taxi:
Salinas - Vehicle 1
Dela Cruz - Vehicle 2
Wuterich - Vehicle 3
Is the vehicle that you highlight, showing the distance between the taxi and humvee, actually Dela Cruz’s vehicle? According to the vehicle placement in the convoy, Dela Cruz’s vehicle should have been closer to the taxi than Wuterich’s vehicle. It would be interesting to see where Salinas vehicle 1 stopped.
Well what do you think of the video clips?
The Scan Eagle video is only one of three surveillance videos shot that day. Once everything has been released, we'll have an even surer sense of everything that happened in Haditha.
The images posted here are of much lower quality than the original. Still, particularly in wide angle shots, it is hard to make out details.
Lastly, red markings on the images (arrows, circles, etc.) were created by Nat--they are not in the original.
Making sense of the convoy pictures was especially laborious. I feel pretty confident we got it right but when Nat checks in later, we'll go over it all again.
I don't think there is an image of the entire convoy that shows more than a lot of blobs. Again, the operator in real-time would have had a much better view of the scene than we can duplicate with stills online.
This case has fallen apart.
Pray for W and Our Marines.
Based on the location of the bodies and the direction of fire, it is quite obvious that the 5 “schoolboys” were attempting to flee the area. They were headed toward structures to provide cover and away from the Marines. If you compare the scan eage screenshots with the infamous photo from the WaPo this backs up Wuterich’s account.
Please tell me that this video was used in Wuterich’s hearing.
Wasn’t someone saying they shot these guys at point blank range?
Murtha is to blame for making it open season on the Marines. Anything that anyone in the media said went by totally unchallenged.
Glad that jumped out at you. I thought exactly the same thing.
Please tell me that this video was used in Wuterich’s hearing.
Can't say for sure. The defense did have it so, if it wasn't used, it would have been because the IO had already seen it.
Murtha must be held accountable.
“It’s incredibly sad that the media in America lack a basic sense of decency and patriotism.”
I disagree with that statement, most vehemently. It is NOT sad, it IS outrageous. NONE who play the game of betrayer do so for any innocent or accidental reason. They are betrayers!
NEVER forget
NEVER forgive
NEVER allow them to escape with a simple “sorry about that”.
NO MERCY.
Ad Triarios Redisse!
Semper Fi
You, of course, are correct on all counts, Grimmy.
Amen to that. The Evil Porker is NOT going to get away with what he did to the accused, to our war effort, and to the pride of our nation, the Marine Corps.
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