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THE CONFLICT IN IRAQ: PROFILED COMMANDER SLAIN
Los Angeles Times ^ | 5/12/07 | Tony Perry

Posted on 05/12/2007 1:56:29 PM PDT by jamese777

Maj. Douglas Zembiec, a Marine Corps officer profiled in the Los Angeles Times magazine in 2004, was killed while leading a raid on insurgents in Baghdad, officials reported Friday.

Details of his death on Thursday were sketchy.

In an age when many prefer military personnel to be diffident and reluctant to engage in violence, Zembiec was proudly a throwback.

"One of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy," he once said.

Zembiec, 34, received a Bronze Star with a V for valor for leading an infantry company in repeated assaults against insurgents in the Sunni Triangle city of Fallouja in 2004.

Bloodied by shrapnel, Zembiec led his troops in combat so close that the two sides were hurling grenades from 20 feet apart. He later was part of low-profile missions in Afghanistan to thwart the resurging Taliban.

Zembiec seemed to revel in the experience of combat. In the magazine article, he was quoted as calling a firefight in Fallouja "the greatest day of my life."

"I never felt so alive, so exhilarated, so purposeful," he said the day after a battle in which two of his troops were killed and 18 wounded. "There is nothing equal to combat and there is no greater honor than to lead men into combat."

Zembiec was widely admired among Marines.

"We can dispute the politics of any war — Iraq, Afghanistan or any others," said Bing West, author of two books about combat Marines in Iraq, "but we cannot dispute our need for warriors. Doug was our guardian."

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: fallen; iraq; semperfi
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1 posted on 05/12/2007 1:56:30 PM PDT by jamese777
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To: jamese777

Semper Fi’ and god bless Major.

Jarhead


2 posted on 05/12/2007 1:58:50 PM PDT by Buffettfan (VIVA LA MIGRA! - LONG LIVE THE MINUTEMEN!)
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To: jamese777
Prayers for Pam and Fallyn. May Fallyn come to learn and appreciate how great a man her natural father was.

HF

3 posted on 05/12/2007 2:01:02 PM PDT by holden
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To: jamese777
"We can dispute the politics of any war — Iraq, Afghanistan or any others," said Bing West

SInce war should not be political, this is not strictly true.

4 posted on 05/12/2007 2:03:14 PM PDT by SteveMcKing
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To: jamese777

May this Gentleman rest in peace, and I pray his family will find solace knowing he died a hero. God bless them all.


5 posted on 05/12/2007 2:04:08 PM PDT by geezerwheezer (get up boys, we're burnin' daylight!!!)
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To: jamese777; freema; Just A Nobody

Maj. Douglas Zembiec, true warrior and one of America’s finest.

May God Bless him and his family.


6 posted on 05/12/2007 2:04:09 PM PDT by jazusamo (http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm)
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To: jamese777
"In the magazine article, he was quoted as calling a firefight in Fallouja "the greatest day of my life."

"I never felt so alive, so exhilarated, so purposeful," he said the day after a battle in which two of his troops were killed and 18 wounded. "There is nothing equal to combat and there is no greater honor than to lead men into combat."

He sounds like someone who knows exactly what he's doing.

7 posted on 05/12/2007 2:09:09 PM PDT by elfman2 (An army of amateurs doing the media's job.)
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To: jamese777
Someone who really made a difference. You will be missed.


8 posted on 05/12/2007 2:09:11 PM PDT by Bahbah (Regev, Goldwasser & Shalit, we are praying for you.)
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To: jamese777
May God rest his soul and give comfort and strength to his loved ones.

And thank you, Major Zembiec for your noble service and sacrifice to our country. Godspeed.

9 posted on 05/12/2007 2:19:16 PM PDT by Allegra (Hey! Quiet Down Out There!)
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To: jamese777

God Bless him and may he rest in peace.


10 posted on 05/12/2007 2:20:35 PM PDT by elhombrelibre (Al Qaeda knows Iraq's strategic value, yet the Democrats work day and night for our defeat there.)
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To: jamese777

http://www.cabarfeidh.com/VDay.wav


11 posted on 05/12/2007 2:24:29 PM PDT by WestTexasWend (NO OIL FOR APPEASERS)
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To: RaceBannon; rmlew; Clemenza; Yehuda; firebrand; nutmeg

ping


12 posted on 05/12/2007 3:27:50 PM PDT by Cacique (quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat ( Islamia Delenda Est ))
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To: jamese777

A good man, a good Marine lost. Very sad.


13 posted on 05/12/2007 5:05:41 PM PDT by snippy_about_it (Fall in --> The FReeper Foxhole. America's History. America's Soul. WWPD (what would Patton do))
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To: jamese777

Condolences to Major Douglas Zembiec’s family and friends. America’s finest.


14 posted on 05/12/2007 7:35:19 PM PDT by PGalt
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To: elfman2

reminded me of the Winston Churchill quote, “There is nothing so exhilarating as being shot at and missed!”


15 posted on 05/12/2007 7:41:31 PM PDT by Dick Vomer (liberals suck....... but it depends on what your definition of the word "suck" is.,)
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To: jamese777; StarCMC

A true hero.

Ping.


16 posted on 05/12/2007 7:44:28 PM PDT by Radix ( "You can take the wisdom of this world, and give it to the ones who think it all ends here.")
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To: jamese777
"One of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy," he once said.

America has lost a true patriot!

17 posted on 05/12/2007 7:45:18 PM PDT by airborne (Duncan Hunter is the only real choice for honest to goodness conservatives!)
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To: Radix
Prayers for his family ~ a true hero. May he rest in peace.

 

The Mansions of the Lord
Click the picture for music

Click to hear "Mansions of the Lord"

To fallen soldiers let us sing
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
To the Mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding, no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
Just divine embrace, eternal light
To the Mansions of the Lord.

Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard though the angels sleep
Through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord.

 


18 posted on 05/12/2007 9:25:00 PM PDT by StarCMC (Honor military recruiters in all 50 states ~ May 19, 2007 ~ http://gatheringofeagles.org/?p=257)
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To: StarCMC

HeroBracelets.org is looking to locate someone within Major Zembiec’s unit. A patron has offered to send HeroBracelets to his unit in Major Zembiec’s name. Anyone who can help us contact those in his unit, please email us at info@herobracelets.org

Thank you
Chris Greta
Director HeroBracelets.org


19 posted on 05/16/2007 3:58:13 PM PDT by HeroBracelets.org
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To: HeroBracelets.org; RaceBannon

Ping to see if you can help.


20 posted on 05/16/2007 4:01:44 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (Just say no to Brady bunch Republicans.)
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