Posted on 03/10/2020 10:17:38 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Gunnery Sgt. Diego D. Pongo died Sunday along with Capt. Moises A. Navas from Maryland, also 34, died in a joint Iraqi-U.S. helicopter assault on a suspected ISIS-occupied cave complex in the Makhmur Mountains of northern Iraq.
They were assigned to the Second Marine Raider Battalion.
The mission began with several dozen Iraqi counterterrorism forces, along with approximately a dozen special forces Marines, traveling by helicopter to the area where intelligence showed 15 to 20 ISIS fighters had hidden.
As they got close to the target, they encountered stiff resistance from ISIS fighters largely equipped with small arms. The firefight that ensued was at “close range,” according to Caggins. The two Marines were killed and three other Americans and one coalition member were wounded, essentially taking out the fighting capability of half the team led by the Marines.
After the initial firefight, a team of Army Delta Force special operations troops were sent to recover the bodies of the two Americans, according to a U.S. official.
Their effort became a six-hour mission in which the Delta troops encountered more opposition, killing four ISIS fighters.
Pongo served eight years as a Marine Raider, completing tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Tortorici said. In 2013, he earned a Bronze Star Medal for “heroic actions against the enemy” during Operation Enduring Freedom.
He also earned a Purple Heart and two Navy and Marine Corps commendation medals, among many other awards, according to the U.S. Marines.
Navas, who was born in Panama before moving to Maryland, also enlisted in 2004. He earned many awards as well, including the Purple Heart. He left behind a wife, daughter, three sons, a brother and his parents.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
RIP.
I thought ISIS had been “wiped off the map”
Are we sure these aren’t Iranian or Russian backed fighters?
I thought ISIS was kaput.
How many more????? Get us the H3LL out of there!
Thank you for finding this.
Terrible loss.
CharleysPride - you make a great point.
No surprise if the media deliberately used the term “ISIS” to make Trump look bad. Will wait to see if they really were. RIP for these Patriots and God Bless their families.
DAMN....that’s what B-52’s are for...plant a blockbuster right down their throats and NONE of our military are harmed!!!....wake up!!
I’m supposed to care about Iraq because __________________.
Over there problems for over there people. They need to stay over there.
It sounds like our guys walked into a trap.
And, apparently the “several dozen Iraqi counterterrorism forces” had essentially zero fighting capability...
I’m guessing terrorists are being recruited with the label “Isis” attached in order to portray Trump as “wrong” etc.
The caliphate is kaput, but the fighters weren't all exterminated.
Many of them got a free bus ride to Idlib.
Enough already. Why did this fine young man die?
God Bless these Marines. Semper Fi and Rest In Peace.
RIP.
He sounds like a Basilone type marine.
Breaks my heart to see these guys die.
Bring them home.
RIP Marines...
There is little to write here that would describe just how good these Marines were. They were the best of the best to be Raiders in MARSOC.
Remember them when you consider your choices for politicians.
Also remember them when you consider how you feel towards communist democrats.
Because we stayed there 17 years, 11 months and 28 days too long. We should have gotten out of there withing months.
Us Infidels were totally clueless about the obligation of fundamental Muslims for the last 1400 years, and we still have trouble facing up to it, and addressing it. - Tom
Carpet bomb the place with MOAB’s. I’m sick of this BS.
I guess it’s because after Vietnam the US doesn’t want to appear as a cut and run country.
NO the powers that be are not....President Trump needs real soldiers around him....not prima donnas......
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.