Marines receive welcome surprise in ''enemy'' town

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | April 9, 2003 | By DENNIS O'BRIEN,

[11th_VA]

AMARAH, Iraq -- The Marines of Charlie Company did not sleep well Monday night. The next day's mission was their most serious yet -- a probable tank battle with an Iraqi armored division in this city on the Tigris River. That night and the next morning, many Marines talked openly about the possibility of dying.

At dawn Tuesday, the company rolled out, a vanguard of a task force planning to attack the Iraqi tanks. But not much goes according to plan these days, and that's not always such a bad thing.

When the convoy approached this alleged enemy stronghold, the company was hit, all right -- by an army of jubilant children that mobbed the Marines like they were rock stars.

``Mis-tah! Mis-tah! Bush good!'' they shouted at the stunned Marines.

Charlie Company spent the next four hours wading through swarms of children asking for candy and men offering cigarettes -- hardly what the Marines had prepared themselves for in the hours leading up to the assignment.

``This place is a zoo,'' company commander Greg Grunwald said as he tried to make his way through the crowd after they realized he was the leader.

After a little research, Grunwald discovered what had happened.

``There is no enemy,'' Grunwald said. ``The general got shot yesterday and they quit.''

American airstrikes on the tank division outside town had killed or wounded its general and persuaded the soldiers to desert. About the same time, the townspeople apparently had thrown out the ruling Baath party officials.

That left the task force facing a welcoming party instead of a firefight. As the people of Amarah clamored around the light armored reconnaissance vehicles, laughter filled the air.

Among the throng was one boy who knew a bit of English, and how to use it. ``What's your name?'' he would say over and over. His payoff was having a disproportionate number of packs of Big Red and Dentyne gum thrown his way.

Many of the smaller children were nudged out of the way by bigger kids, but the patient ones were rewarded with M&Ms.

Some of the adults offered smokes to the Marines. Others asked for whiskey -- of which there is none, much to the Marines' chagrin.

For the first couple of hours, women and girls hid in the background. But once it was clear that Charlie Company meant no harm, little girls began jockeying for position among the boys and men. Their mothers and older sisters hung back near the doors to their houses, but they waved enthusiastically as the Marines moved through town.

The corpsmen of Charlie Company had come to Amarah expecting to patch up battle wounds, but instead they wound up treating Iraqi residents for conditions such as chicken pox and asthma.

In all, it was a touching scene for many of these tough-guy Marines.

``I was talking to all the little dudes, just teasing them and stuff and laughing,'' said Lance Cpl. Brian Norman, 19, of Troy, Mont. ``There was this cute little girl back there -- she couldn't have been more than 6 or 7. I just waved to her and she got pushed to the front of the crowd, and the next thing you know she's all talking to me in Arabic. I was surprised they let me talk to her.''

For days, some in Charlie Company had been lamenting the lack of combat action. But after Tuesday's surprise ``engagement,'' most of the Marines seemed relieved.

``It was like the kind of liberation scene they show in war movies,'' said Lance Cpl. David Ploughe, 21, of Cloverdale, Ind. ``Stuff like this makes me glad we're here.''

Staff writer Dennis O'Brien is with Task Force Tarawa in Iraq. He has been with the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based Marines since they left the coast of North Carolina in mid-January. You can reach him at dobrien@pilotonline.com

[Beck_isright]

"Just a friendly reminder to Charlie Sheen, Susan Sarandon, Jeaneane Garafolo and Michael Moore...none of this is being done in your name."

I have to second this nomination as post of the day. BUMP!!!!

V

[TheSpottedOwl]

I had my 8 yr old girl scoot up a chair to read this. This and the pictures I've shown my kids should help them confront brainwashed classmates(notably Sierra cause even the teacher can't stand her cause she knows everything. hehe, freep her).

God bless the Iraqi people!!!

[CheneyChick]

For the first couple of hours, women and girls hid in the background.

They probably had been told that the Americans were coming to rape their women..... Sad. Isn't that what the traitor soldier who threw the grenades said?

[KSCITYBOY]

Great post. I wish someone would buy a full page ad in the HY Times and show a picture of these kids - Then list those who didn't want to save them.

[BamaGirl]

Others asked for whiskey

I'm confused. Aren't Muslims supposed to shun alcohol?

[BamaGirl]

Ok, posting photos of bubba and hitlery should be considered harrassment...

I agree. That's mean. I got scared.

[Plutarch]

“I really do believe we will be greeted as liberators”, US vice-president Dick Cheney said on March 16, three days before US-led military forces began their invasion of Iraq.

The Left snickered over that one, didn't they?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Just a friendly reminder to Charlie Sheen, Susan Sarandon, Jeaneane Garafolo and Michael Moore...none of this is being done in your name."---Guillermo

Mon Apr 7, 3:48 PM ET

Iraqis dance while listening to loud speakers from a U.S. Marines Civil Affairs team vehicle, attached to Britain's 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment, in the village of Ad Dayr, north of the city of Basra in southern Iraq (news - web sites), April 7, 2003. British and U.S. troops walked unopposed almost to the center of Basra for the first time on Monday, with Britain's Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon saying that British forces had moved to the heart of the city and were there to stay. REUTERS/POOL/Chris Ison

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Just a friendly reminder to Charlie Sheen, Susan Sarandon, Jeaneane Garafolo and Michael Moore...none of this is being done in your name."---Guillermo

Mon Apr 7, 2:27 PM ET

Khuder Al-Emeri, 43, center, working for the U.S. Marines 24th Expeditionary Unit as an interpreter, is reunited with local villagers after 12 years, Monday, April 7, 2003, in Qal'at Sukkar village, some 62 miles north of Nasariyah, Iraq (news - web sites). Khuder led an uprising in his village during the last Gulf War (news - web sites) and fled to the United States in fear of reprisal from Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime. He now returns in hopes of rebuilding his village. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

[Grand Old Partisan]

Not all Iraqis are Moslems. And for that matter, many of the 9/11 terrorists drank alcohol.

[lawgirl]

OH that is a wonderful photo. I hope he can return home and be happy.

[stands2reason]

Sad to say, the Mr. and I have a picture very similar to that one (our first together, at least without one of us wearing an Easter Bunny suit(long story)) in front of a similar gold curtain, except he wore a Batman t-shirt and I was (and still am) much better looking than Hillary. The Batman t-shirt had (thankfully) made its way into the rag bag many years ago....still have the picture, though.

[egarvue]

I agree, but just a note - as far as we can tell, Charlie Sheen is pro-USA, as evidenced by some good comments he made on a Dallas morning radio show last week. His dad Martin Sheen, is the big Hollywood a-hole leading the media charge against our troops with the "Not in our name" insanity.

[Vigilanteman]

I'm confused. Aren't Muslims supposed to shun alcohol?

I once had the privelege of spending three hours in an airport lounge in Bahrain waiting for the connecting flight home. It has all the usual trappings of any infidel lounge-- snacks, juice, soft drinks and beer. You wouldn't believe the number of Saudis (conspicious by their flowing robes) who quaffed Heiniken after Heiniken, whilst the lesser Muslims seemed to prefer lowly Budweiser.

Bahrain is considered sort of a Las Vegas type oasis of decadence in that part of the world, but the natives are generally friendly.

[egarvue]

I agree with all of you, but just a note - as far as we can tell, Charlie Sheen is pro-USA, as evidenced by some good comments he made on a Dallas morning radio show last week. His dad Martin Sheen, is the big Hollywood a-hole leading the media charge against our troops with the "Not in our name" insanity.

[stands2reason]

"Sierra"? Oh, man...

[Timesink]

Ah, quagmire.

[Lady In Blue]

Here's another real good read.Did you see it?

[Luis Gonzalez]

There is a small town, just west of Havana, that (God willing) will welcome my father back just like this someday...soon.

[EternalVigilance]

Another great story from Free Iraq! Thank you!