SEMPER FI! EMAIL giving MATADOR Combat Report from G3, 2dMarDiv in Iraq

email | May 14, 2005 | Bob Chase, G3, 2ndMarDiv

[SandRat]

Subject: Semper Fi

Combat Report from Col Bob Chase, G3, 2dMarDiv in Iraq Robert Chase wrote:

Date: Sat, 14 May 2005 21:39:50 -0700 (PDT) -

Was talking to Gino and he asked for some details on the MATADOR fight. Figured, by now since many of you might have caught some of the interviews, you'd like to hear, 'the rest of the story..."

Matador is now officially over, supposedly, they were going to fight our way back and destroy us. Guess they missed the turn at the dairy queen. We are back and the final tally was Good Guys 125+ enemy dead, many more wounded, and 39 detainees of some significant value. The bad guys, who talk a real good game 9 Killed (6 in the one Amtrak) and 30 wounded (most will return to duty). Not a bad weeks work.

As we have said, our intent was to make ourselves big by leveraging our firepower and mobility. This area was a real shit hole for AMZ criminals. We knew it, 1st Division knew it, but working it on a regular basis was tough. We kept some recon there and got the timing pretty well, brought up a bridging unit from the Army in Baghdad, then went across in the middle of the night (that was probably the only part that didn't go on sked - the bank gradient was poorly assessed), but we had near and far-side security already in and a blocking position near the Syrian Border.

The enemy figured out after about 4 hours that we were there in force. They came down with about 100 fighters (no, scratch that they were TARGETS) and made the poor decision to take on a battalion in open ground. They withdrew. We went after them into a place called Ubaydi. Many mounted boats and tried to escape N, we pushed Air and the Cobras sunk a bunch of trash-barges that night. Meanwhile, we continued to push west across the river.

Our far-side units started to see pockets of insurgents move to key areas to emplace mines/IEDs. They came out, snipers took them out; their friends came for the bodies; they, joined them on the deck permanently.

The force started getting the tanks and LAVs across later than we had hoped; but when they did, our first casualties came at a high-rise where the enemy had prepared positions; a platoon moved in under fire, 2 Marines, a SSGT and a LCPL were first in the hatch and received a burst of MG fire. As the unit assumed they were dead (no additional fire/no one came out), they lit up the house and dropped it with a couple of 500-pounders. As we moved to recover our Marines (NONE LEFT BEHIND), we discovered that the LCPL, though wounded was still alive (he is serious, but stable). Unfortunately the SSGT had taken a round to the grape and had been killed by the initial burst.

We moved on; portions of the task force moving along known rat-lines and others working intel developed in the cities of Ramana and Karabila. Fighting was sporadic, intense, and one-sided in outcome. We followed individuals into buildings; we leveled the buildings; all night, every night. Marine Air had eyes up and shooters on-station talk about a guardian angel! Each night we re-assessed, looked at the intel and developed the next target sets. We stayed down there until a few days ago; then shifted to a series of caves in the north. The caves were on an escarpment and rumors abound about whether these were, Bin-Laden like caves. Answer no, mostly small caches and some protection from about everything but a hellfire with a laser designator. We exploited some and closed most of them permanently. The enemy propaganda talked a lot about how they were going to kill us as we retreated etc., they showed pictures of devastation in Al Qaim (caused by an intramural fight between the tribes and foreign fighters, no less) and blamed the Americans. Al Jazeera called to speak to me and interviewed me twice on air. Yes, I called the enemy cowards, again, that hid behind women and children in the cities and caused their death by their cowardice. Played well, enemy swore they had captured/killed the enemy commander. Went on again last night to ridicule them for their lies and continued fear of death, told them the destruction of AQ was evidence that, the noble tribes of Iraq also reject those that deface their holy places and dishonor their dead. We'll see if a wanted poster appears tomorrow. Bad news is, they still didn't get pissed off enough to come out and play.

We went back across the river without incident, decided to poke a stick in Ubaydi (where the big fight was), just ONE MORE TIME before we left. NOTHING, they wanted no part of these Marines again. We're all back at base camps and Forward operating Bases, maintaining, cleaning, talking shit, and prepping for the next smackdown!

NBC interviewed me again, last night, good stuff, but they harped on the casualties. I told them it was war; they wanted to know if a whole squad was killed in the track. As I told them a squad's worth of Marines were killed/hurt (6 KIA, 14 WIA) but it was NOT the catastrophic loss of a squad (it was a HQ track). NBC wanted to know how to refer to them, as a squad, company, etc., I told them, pretty bluntly, refer to them for what they will always be: US MARINES! They continued to push (I was starting to become a bit agitated); they wanted to know how we considered this a success with the deaths. I nearly lost it and how would we remember them, would there be a ceremony? You know what happens when I get into this mode thought you might appreciate the answer:

We can never replace a fellow Marine or best friend, but I can attest that he died doing what we all hope to be doing as Marines, they were advancing, leading, and setting the example, they were being MARINES! It may not matter in the grand scheme of things to anyone but us, but we are singularly proud that we have and know Marines that fought and died like these. We remember and memorialize them and keep them alive every single time we put on this uniform -- we are just honored to wear the same eagle, globe, and anchor as these warrior/heroes. We don't make policy, we don't decide on the fight, but we do fight and win. And when we win, it is because every one of these Marines fights with us in spirit, and we will not, we cannot let them down. To we Marines, Semper Fidelis is more than a motto. It was to them, and to us who were privileged to fight with them, a way of life.

Not sure that will get on the tube. Unfortunate, because I think we should all be such Marines when our time comes.

S/F, Bob [Chase]

[SandRat]

The story was recieved at work this morning.

As Paul Harvey used to say, "Now, for the rest of the story!" The above is a narrative from the G-3 of the 2dMarDiv in Iraq. They are the unit that went into the western part of the country recently and rooted out the insurgents. It shows how good our guys are, both in training, capability and attitude, and just how much tunnel vision the news media truly is.

I enjoyed it because we don't EVER hear this kind of point blank reporting from ABC, NBC, CBS, or CNN!! This was written ten days ago.

[Calpernia]

Combat Report from Col Bob Chase, G3, 2dMarDiv in Iraq Robert Chase

[SandRat]

MARINE CORPS PING!!!

[raivyn]

Thank you so much for posting this!

[Sacajaweau]

Thanks

[68 grunt]

... I told them it was war; they wanted to know if a whole squad was killed in the track. As I told them a squad's worth of Marines were killed/hurt (6 KIA, 14 WIA) but it was NOT the catastrophic loss of a squad (it was a HQ track). NBC wanted to know how to refer to them, as a squad, company, etc., I told them, pretty bluntly, refer to them for what they will always be: US MARINES!

The good colonel is wrong. The squad killed in the track were hard charging grunts, and the good colonel was fullashit that it was an HQ track.

[marine86297]

Jarhead Bump!!

[kellynla]

MARINE BUMP

[beltfed308]

Thanks for the post!

G-d bless our brave soldiers and keep them safe.

[smoothsailing]

A good solid read.Thanks for posting Sandrat.

Thanks for the ping,Calpernia.Our guys deserve all the positive press in the world. The MSM could care less,so Thank God we can find out the truth without having to depend on leftist media BS.

[tankrlm]

Well done Marines...Semper Fi.

[Route101]

...We followed individuals into buildings; we leveled the buildings; all night, every night....that's how to deal with terrorists!...I doubt that will end up on the the nightly socialist news at CBS, NBC or ABC. The only attitude that will fix this world cancer is: kill now and kill often. God bless and thanks for this report.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for sharing this...perhaps this is the last of the battles of any size.

[Spktyr]

I'm not sure the colonel was wrong.. These days, the HQ tracks actually go into action instead of hanging back; someone finally figured out that 1) it improves morale if everyone fights, 2) a track that hangs back or sits in a rear area pretty much identifies itself as a command track and thus a priority target for the enemy, and 3) our C&C gear is now small enough that it can be used in a combat track on the move. These days, you're as likely as not to find colonels, captains, and majors serving as gunners or track commanders in combat tracks when it hits the fan, switching off with someone else when unit command requires it.

No disrespect intended; just pointing out that these days the fact that the track that got blown up was an HQ track doesn't mean that the occupants weren't also hard charging troops. I don't know if this is the case in the Army, but when we went to an all-volunteer force, the Marines went to the "everybody fights" rule as quickly as technology would allow.


Thanks for your service, BTW.

[68 grunt]

I know the sole remaining squadmate. It was his squad and he freaked when we (my vet pals) shared that story with him. I'm afraid he's gonna get into the LtCol's face. I hope not.

[Spktyr]

[shrug] You are better informed than I. Perhaps the LtC made a mistake. I suspect that the colonel will be more than happy to correct the error.

Still, HQ/command tracks *are* heading into combat actions these days, so it's entirely probable - as I understand it was equally unlikely during your time of service.

[cherokee1]

Don't have time to look it up but maybe someone else can. An Officer survived the track blast. Ollie North interviewed him shortly after it happened. The guy was burned but still mobile and in good enough shape to talk to Ollie on FOX. Ollie was very close by and his account will be good as anybody's.

[68 grunt]

... Perhaps the LtC made a mistake.

Which is why I called him 'the good colonel'.

There's not really any change between my day and today. HQ folks would have to go on any op with the company. If tracks were used they had one, but most of the time we were choppered or trucked in, then on our feet, HQ and grunts. I also completely agree that a track is a track is a track and can be carrying anything. In this case it was a squad track. Here is one quote from him pertaining to Operation Matador, "Thats when I knew that Our Corps is still strong and our boys are the same devil's that everyone talks about.. I have never been so proud.. They had a damn 14.5 or .7 (65 cal) or whatever is was shooting through the freakin concrete floor and walls at us.. My boys still went back in.."

I'm hesitate to share anymore on this public forum, but I know the unit and squad, and I know who the actual survivors were, which wasn't the Lance Corporal of whom the colonel refers.

[Gucho]

Bump - Thanks for ping.

[righttackle44]

God bless you, son. Stay safe. We pray for you and
all the guys daily.

(I have not served. My byline honors my son and all U.S. Marines.)