THUNDER RUN: The 5th Anniversary of the armored strike to capture Baghdad...

one man's opinion... | ken5050

[ken5050]

It's just a few days past the fifth anniversary of one of the most magnificent accomplishments of combat arms ever in the history of the US military. Yet I could not find one mention of it anywheres in the media, focused as they were on the antics of Hillary, Obama, and the rest of the Dems failing in their attempts to pose one semi-intelligent question to Gen. Petreus, or shedding crocodile tears over the 4000+ American heroes who have made the supremee sacrifice in Iraq. I have excerpted for you below a few paragraphs from the great book by David Zucchino, as well as a link to a Freeper Foxhole thread from a few years back. So, please, read and remember just what our troops have accomplished.

[ken5050]

"We have set the conditions to create the collapse of the Iraqi regime. This is the last big battle tomorrow, gentlemen. They said it would take five divisions to win this war, but there's no question that we can really do it ourselves tomorrow. We've got to seal the deal now."

Colonel David Perkins, Commander, Second Brigade, 16:30 hrs, Sunday, April 6, 2003

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In one of the boldest gambles in modern military history, just three battalions and fewer than a thousand men launched a violent thrust of tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles into the heart of a city of 5 million people and, in three bloody days of combat, ended the Iraqi war. Thunder Run is the story of the surprise assault on Baghdad - one of the most decisive battles in American combat history - by the Spartan Brigade, the Second Brigade of the Third Infantry Division (Mechanized).

From the dust cover/introduction to "Thunder Run", by David Zucchino, Atlantic Monthly Press, published 2004

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The first Thunder Run, April 5th, went straight north up Highway 8, then made a sharp left hand sweep into the airport. Some of you may remember Baghdad Bob, Saddam's comical propaganda minister, denying reports that US troops were at the airport while the split screen showed embedded US reporters within the brigade broadcating from in front of the main airport terminal. Two days later, April 7th, sensing that the entire regime was rotten, and ready to topple, Col. Perkins launched the second Thunder Run, again right up Highway 8, but this time sweeping right, up to the gates of the Republican Palace and Saddam's HQ, what is now known as the Green Zone. And they decided to spend the night there, in effect daring the Iraqis to evict them. The war was, for all practical purposes, over.

For those who are curious, the term "thunder run" evolved during the Vietnam war, when the US army had several isolated firebases ( Thunder One, Thunder Two, etc) in the midst of enemy territory, and the high speed, heavily armored missions to both supply them and keep the roads open became know as "Thunder Runs."

Here's the link to the Freeper Foxhole thread. It tells the story of the two raids in much greater detail, and has some wonderful pics and maps. Well worth the read.

And lastly, if anyone reading this thread has the time, can you research what has become of Col Perkins? Has he received his first star? What is his current command? As long as our country keeps producing military leaders like Col. Perkins and Gen. Petreus, we can be confident in our ultimate victory.

[ken5050]

FYI..list ping please...thanks

[Tallguy]

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=8838

Apparently Col. Perkins was nominated for his star back in ‘05.

[LS]

Ken, what many people don't realize is that this completely re-wrote tank doctrine, which up to that time held as holy write that tanks could not enter urban areas without heavy infantry support; that tanks could "take ground but not hold it." Moreover, this doctrine---as is much of our best military doctrine was written on the move by, essentially, colonels. Yes, they got it approved, but it was the initiative of the lower officers, not the top brass!

This never would have happened in any other military in the world.

[SandRat]

Just thought you should know.

Thanks ken5050.

[ken5050]

Ah, thanks..any more recent info?

[ken5050]

Good point..the one caveat thought, is that much of the terriroty covered on the Thunder runs was fairly open..wide spaced..big roads, plazas, etc..room to maneuver..Not comparable to the experience of the IDF tanks in the close quarters of Ghaza..

[Tallguy]

He’s still active & still a BGEN serving in Germany in command of a training type unit. Probably due for promotion, or if not, retirement.

[Ben Hecks]

Thank you for the post. Being able to ride with the 2nd Brigade into downtown Baghdad via Fox News was an amazing experience. Col Perkins and his men pulled off an amazing feat.

[Dilbert56]

Remember Gen. Barry McCaffrey’s prediction that taking Baghdad street-to-street would cost us 2-3,000 KIA. The Thunder Run prevented that from happening. The book of the same name describes just how tenuous the hold on the newly-occupied positions was.

[bert]

Greg Kelly was on Foxand Friends looking at his reports. He was truly great in his reporting.

It was reported he was carrying a Marine Corps reserve card and that he is now a Lt Col in the reserves