14 US Marines killed in Iraq

MSNBC/Imus in the Morning

[leadpenny]

Roadside bomb in western Iraq.

[F16Fighter]

"Any and all who read that within your post can make a readily quick assessment that writing to you pointing out clearly obvious facts readily available to anyone (with a serious intellect) is simply a waste of time."

Huh?? Say WHAT??

[SevenMinusOne]

Again, you childishly posted "have we even got any kills in the past 3 months" -

Nuff said -

Changing a fools position is wasted time - (but you wouldn't recognize that)

[arasina]

So, have we? Big ones, eh? Did I miss something? Has the Iraqi 'military' been kicked out of the nest yet to fly on its own? Twenty of Ohio's Marines dead in two days. They're not allowed to effectively fight, DevSix, or this wouldn't be happening.

[section9]

With all due respect, arasina, we don't know that. We do know that the enemy placed an IED in just the right spot and got two squads in an amphibious vehicle. Some captain needs to answer for that. The fact is, the enemy got smart and lucky and scored a hit. You have to give "credit" where "credit" is due. Underestimating an enemy will get good Marines and G.I.'s killed.

That being said, I have every reason to believe that the officers and, especially, the noncoms in that battalion are in the process of using their own considerable smarts to turn luck in our direction.

Believe me, I am very sure it will not be a good thing to be a Qaedist in Haditha over the next few days.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[wingman1]

We ARE making progress in the WOT - including Iraq. Consider we have liberated 50 million people from tyranny. Free elections have been held in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Iraq's economy is growing at a good pace - despite being smack in the middle of a war zone.

Anyone who thought we weren't going to take casualties during this operation was/is deluded.

This thread is about 14 Marines who were killed. Reading through the thread, I am reminded of the ebb and flow of morale, both at home and on the battlefield.

On the battlefield morale is high whenever a unit inflicts enemy casualties. Morale slips just as quickly when a unit takes casualties of its own. It is my opinion that is the reason you asked in the post I originally responded to as to the nature of "kills" we were inflicting on the Iraqi terrorists. Going back to the first Gulf War, General Schwartzkoph explained that the US Armed Forces were not going to get into the "body count" game.

As for your question about Saddam, he is going to trial very soon and will have his trial on Iraqi TV. I can't think of a better way to raise Iraqi morale than for them to see their former ruler recive justice at the hands of the Iraqi judiciary.

I do agree with you on the matter of illegal immigrants.

As for the war on terror, we were never promised that it would take a short time - rather I understood that this war "would be unlike any we have ever fought" and that it would take a long time to win.

[FreeReign]

So, have we? Big ones, eh? Did I miss something? Has the Iraqi 'military' been kicked out of the nest yet to fly on its own?

For someone who asks a lot of basic questions....

Twenty of Ohio's Marines dead in two days. They're not allowed to effectively fight, DevSix, or this wouldn't be happening.

...you seem so sure that the blood of these twenty Marines are on the hands of their commanders.

[SevenMinusOne]

That being said, I have every reason to believe that the officers and, especially, the noncoms in that battalion are in the process of using their own considerable smarts to turn luck in our direction.

Believe me, I am very sure it will not be a good thing to be a Qaedist in Haditha over the next few days.

Exactly right -

[mdittmar]

Their story is known to all of you. It is the story of the American man at arms. My estimate of him was formed on the battlefields many, many years ago, and has never changed. I regarded him then, as I regard him now, as one of the world's noblest figures; not only as one of the finest military characters, but also as one of the most stainless.

His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen. In his youth and strength, his love and loyalty, he gave all that mortality can give. He needs no eulogy from me, or from any other man. He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy's breast.

In 20 campaigns, on a hundred battlefields, around a thousand campfires, I have witnessed that enduring fortitude, that patriotic self-abnegation, and that invincible determinatlon which have carved his statue in the hearts of his people.

From one end of the world to the other, he has drained deep the chalice of courage. As I listened to those songs in memory's eye I could see those staggering columns of the First World War, bending under soggy packs on many a weary march from dripping dusk to drizzling dawn, slogging ankle deep through mire of shell-pocked roads; to form grimly for the attack, blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective, and for many, to the judgment seat of God.

I do not know the dignity of their birth, but I do know the glory of their death. They died unquestioning, uncomplaining, with faith in their hearts, and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory.

Duty, Honor, Country
Douglas MacArthur, General of the Army
Farewell Address to the US Military Academy at West Point
May 12, 1962

(click to listen)

[Just A Nobody]

Hey Ohio - I know how you feel. I believe you arrived late. Please read the beginning of the thread. It started out as an honor to our fallen heroes. Many are sick about this loss. Others decided to crash the thread and make it a referendum on the administration. My heart breaks for the families of these brave soldiers. Thanks for caring.
Ex-Ohioan

[Miss Behave]

"Dear Lord...

Rest in peace, brave Leathernecks, and may God comfort your families and colleagues."

Amen, Coop. My heart broke when I heard the news.

[mrobison]

My son, a U. S. Marine, is headed for Iraq in February. Though I know this was the right thing to do, I fear for him. It is a singular and sobering experience to constantly pray that God will spare your son's life.

[Just A Nobody]

To: arasina
You are not new on FR. Why don't you sign up for the "Daily Terrorist Round-Up" or "Operation Phantom Fury" so you know what is going on everyday and see what a great job our honorable military is doing.
168 posted on 08/03/2005 6:16:58 AM PDT by Justanobody (I - LOVE - my attitude problem!)

I posted this to you 12 hours ago. Did you go read either one of these threads?

No one has given a response ...

Do the research. Many have been trying to tell you the facts all day. Read the threads I posted. It gives the kill/capture numbers EVERY DAY!

[Just A Nobody]

Please thank your son for his service from this grateful American. He will be added to my prayer list. God Bless you and your family and may He grant you peace and assurance during this difficult time.

[John Lenin]

Instead of talking about a pullout we need to be talking about getting more troops in Iraq. The Germans and French have been on the sidelines for too long, we prop them up financially we should demand they put some boots on the ground or start making an issue of the trade imbalance. This administration is terrible on handling the media, half the problems W has is because he allows media stories to go uncontested.

[TomasUSMC]

First off, the current war in Iraq (and GWOT) is nothing like Vietnam - (just suggesting that shows you have a lack of intellectually honesty behind our views OR you are unwilling to be intellectually honest...for whatever reasons).

---

Ever heard of Cambodia and Laos? Syria and Iran? All four were or are presently used as sanctuaries by our enemies. In Vietnam as in Iraq we are not using our Air Force over the areas were the enemy is gathering - then it was N. Vietnam now its Syria and Iran.

Then we were worried about destroying religious buildings, the battle of Hue comes to mind, today the same thing, we don't let anyone touch a Mosque unless the shoot at us from there.

IN Vietnam we had a war of attrition, today we have an average of 66 dead a month, but because our military is much smaller and we don't have a draft the attrition on our military is greater.

There are truly many things the same in Iraq today as there were in Nam a third of a century ago.

Some of the differences are troublesome also. For example, the United States had not one but TWO superpowers to worry about, which where openly supporting N. Vietnam. Even with these worries, we still bombed parts of N.V. Laos and Cambodia, sometimes. Today no superpower supports Iran or Syria and yet our President does nothing to these two enemy sanctuaries.

So there you have it. Nam = Iraq. Unless we stop this kinder gentler compassionate war fighting, we are destined to repeat the lessons of Vietnam instead of repeating the Victory of WW2. Tagline:

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Haditha lies along their main infiltration route from Syria into Baghdad central along the Euphrates River...Haditha has always been the world's armpit.

So, nobody should care much if we turned Haditha into a 5,000 acre flambe'.

[TomasUSMC]

using a platoon of Marines to mess with US civilian workers at one of the bases. At gun point. With dogs.

---

So you are saying that your misconduct rose to such an extent, your trouble making stunk up the place sooo bad that we needed to pull a platoon out of the war effort to deal with your little sorry cry baby butt. They should have thrown you in the brig and let you rot, but hey its a kinder gentler compassionate war.

You were aiding the enemy then by causing all that crap and you are attacking the Marines even now, when the Marines have just lost 20 men in two days. You'll do anything for that paycheck won't you. Well as long as you continue to attack the Marines, IN A TIME OF WAR, your worthless.

[SevenMinusOne]

instead of repeating the Victory of WW2.

Please - You are complaining about loss of American lives in Iraq.....yet in WWII we had over 400,000 KIA! - There were many aspects in retrospect of WWII concerning the loss of life (American life) that we would not tolerate today (most of that for the better) - American forces are infinitely more lethal, effective and responsive than were our forces in either WWII or Nam

To suggest we can fight the current GWOT (including Iraq) in the same manner as WWII (or worried about how we fought in Nam) is just ridiculous (and a flawed concept of trying to always fight the last war)

There are truly many things the same in Iraq today as there were in Nam a third of a century ago.

One could say this about each and every war ever fought on earth (that there are some similarities between each of them....that in and of itself is meaningless).

So there you have it. Nam = Iraq.

Simply absurd. When did we ever control 85% of all of Vietnam? - When did we ever have soldiers who could effectively be based in 90% of all of Vietnam? - When did all of Vietnam hold a National election and it's vast majority of citizens dully elect and new Gov't which supported our United States efforts? When did we move on Hanoi and capture that city? - This list could go on and on and on -

There is no comparison whatsoever between Iraq and Nam (outside of learning from successful tactics at fighting a guerrilla type enemy - though even the enemy of today is much much different in all accounts)

[Embraer2004]

I totally agree with your comment. It is easy to say "pray for the family and loved ones" but that is no consolation to us who have brothers, sisters, husbands, wives fighting in Iraq. My heart dies everyday when I read the press releases from MNF (Multinational Forces) saying that we have lost more brave Americans in this conflict. I have supported President Bush all along but now I want our boys and girls back home. This situation in Iraq will never improve. Thse people have been fighting with each other since the advent of civilization in the Mesopotamia. If they want a Shiite theocracy, so be it. Let the Shiite run over all the Sunnis who are the real troublemakers here and bring our boys back now. President Bush is sinking very quickly in the latest polls and it is because we all are having Iraqi fatigue and the best way to deal with it is to bring back our heroes and use them to protect our borders...honestly, I don't give a rat's ass what happens to Iraq, let their own protect each other.

[injin]

where is their Air?

not enough close air over there

close air should be ripping up the ambushers every time .

Where is it ?