It's just sickening to me that we're willing to sacrifice brave Marines to death and horrific mutilation, instead of letting loose with our full capabilities.
Posted on 11/06/2004 11:28:50 AM PST by Former Military Chick
The number of dead and wounded from the expected battle to retake insurgent-controlled Fallujah probably will reach levels not seen since Vietnam, a senior surgeon at the Marine camp outside Fallujah said Thursday.
Navy Cmdr. Lach Noyes said the hospital here is preparing to handle 25 severely injured soldiers a day, not counting walking wounded and the dead. The hospital has added two operating rooms, doubled its supplies, added a mortuary and stocked up on blood reserves. Doctors have set up a system of ambulance vehicles that will rush to the camp's gate to receive the dead and wounded so units can return to battle quickly.
The plans underscore the ferocity of the fight the U.S. military expects in Fallujah, a Sunni Muslim city about 35 miles west of Baghdad which has been under insurgent control since April. More than 1,120 U.S. soldiers and Marines have died in Iraq since the war began, more than 860 of those from hostile fire.
The deadliest month was April when fierce fighting killed 126 U.S. troops largely at Fallujah and Ramadi before a cease-fire virtually turned Fallujah over to the insurgents. Even then, the death toll was far below the worst month of Vietnam, April 1969, when the U.S. death toll was 543 at the height of American involvement there.
U.S. forces have been building up outside Fallujah for weeks in preparation for taking the city back, and many here believe the assault is likely to come soon.
Military officials say they expect U.S. troops will encounter not just fighters wielding AK-47s assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, but also heavy concentrations of mines, roadside bombs and possibly car bombs.
"We'll probably just see those in a lot better concentration in the city," said Maj. Jim West, an intelligence officer with 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.
West said he thinks there are some 4,000 to 5,000 fighters between Fallujah and nearby Ramadi, and they may try to draw troops into cramped urban areas in Fallujah that have been booby-trapped.
The toll in human suffering has already been grave.
Staff Sgt. Jason Benedict was on a convoy heading to the Fallujah camp last Saturday when a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle into the truck Benedict and his platoon mates were traveling on. A few minutes later, mortars and rifle fire rained down on the survivors. As he rolled toward the safety of a ditch, Benedict saw one of his friends crawling on all fours, with blood pouring from his face.
"You've got to expect casualties," said Benedict, 28. The fight for Fallujah, he said, "is overdue."
Eight Marines were killed in the bombing. Benedict is now recuperating in the field hospital with burns to his left hand and the side of his head.
In the six weeks Noyes has worked at the Fallujah camp, his team has operated on Marines with eyes gouged by shrapnel and limbs torn by explosion. A rocket strike outside the hospital killed two staff members and left deep pockmarks across the white concrete walls.
Noyes said some bodies have been so badly mangled that they had to be shipped home for DNA identification.
As Noyes was speaking Thursday, two Marines and a female American photojournalist were rushed into the hospital. A roadside bomb had hit their vehicle. The Marines had shrapnel cuts and burns, and the photographer's teeth had been pushed back into her mouth. The bomb was attached to a tank of gasoline, meant to create a fireball that didn't ignite.
Capt. Melissa Kaime, another Navy surgeon at the hospital, said that seeing trauma wounds in medical school is one thing; seeing them come off the battlefield is something altogether different.
"To treat a patient when (his) brain is coming out... ," she said, before her voice trailed off. "There are things that I will never understand. It's beyond my comprehension; a higher power will have to explain why these things have happened."
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.
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LOL! Good one. Hadn't seen that one before now.
you didn't know what BUFF stood for? it's either Big Ugly Fat Fellow or F%^&er which ever you prefer...
Awesome photo! Had to do a double-take to catch the modern Americans in the background. ;)
Actually, I did get what the acronym represents. I was complimenting you on the MOAB pic, which I suppose would be BUM. :o)
Yes it is. The F-111's that I worked on at Edwards chased them during their project. So let's send them both. They are both excellent aicraft. They will help those Marines and that's what is important. Thanks for coming back.
OH THE MOAB PIC LOL, I didn't make that I found that... I was looking for a pic of the MOAB and found that in my search engine LOL, figured I would share :)
Why did the USAF scrap the F-111's? I looked at them and they performed outstandinging combat! what gives?
You know what the letters BUFF stand for so you are a Great guy. God Bless You.
I'm and Airplane fool, I love them...
agreed ! Bring in the Bombers and LEVEL IT !!!
And prayers to all the families of the brave.
Yes they did. They were a great aircraft. From a maintenance stand point they were a mess though. Sometimes and I hate to say this, Pork Barrel politics enters into things. Also some newer aircraft preform a larger part of the mission in one package. Some aircraft like the BUFF, KC-135, C47, C130, Navy A-6 live on for more than a normal lifetime even though newer aircraft come out. In a lot of our minds and hearts they start to become legendary. The Navy and the Air Force today even look at having the same aircraft but they do modify them for the specific mission and the Navy has to get them aboard the carriers, so landing gear have to be different. The F-18 of today is here and I'm glad about that. In the seventies it flew against the YF-16 as the YF-17. It was an excellent aircraft but the Air Force wanted a single engine aircraft. Luckily for us the Navy modified the landing gear for carrier landings and put it into service. Today it has progressed to the F-18 E/F model and served very well. I know this has gotten long winded but this is all in a general sense from what I saw from the maintenance stand point.
It's just sickening to me that we're willing to sacrifice brave Marines to death and horrific mutilation, instead of letting loose with our full capabilities.
They are not gonna level the city. It is unfortunate, but will not happen. Two reasons that I can see. First, leveling the city would show insurgents they should just hole up in every major city to interfere. There are enough of those crazy um islamoterrorfacists to do that in every city.
Secondly, they are taught we fear urban combat.
Taking them out by good old fashioned hunting them down and doing it personal would be a much stronger message. Slit throats and other knife kills send a "we are not afraid of you or urban combat" message. In fact "it gives us latitude to get nasty with it, we like it".
These marines have been forced to sit back while we the president played nice politics and seen their brothers die and get maimed... its personal. I have every confidence the entire world is about to tremble before the US Marine Corp-
Regards
Imcluding the ones being held at gunpoint?
In a perfect and ordered world, no..
But in preference to accomplishing the mission at minimum loss of Marines, yes.
I respect your observation. I admit to feeling a little ashamed of my desire to deliver Dresden to at least one lunatic Islamanazi city.. (But not much)
I will grant you that I wouldn't want to be the one responsible for making that decision....but wouldn't criticize the officer that did... Our compliance with the "conventions" hasn't humanized the enemy. He has used that knowledge against us..
These animals have made a practice of slaughtering captives, or using them as hostage to protect their own sorry asses.. This needs to be shown as a "pre 9/11" strategy.
The ultimate safety of hostages in the hands of these lunatics is slim to none if we are to learn from their past behavior... I suspect that when they see the end approaching, they would likely kill their hostages.
Your question initiated a lot of self questioning....and I don't really like the consequences of any of my answers -- but will admit to a bias of THEM dying rather than US..
I would like to think that I would be concerned enough for the "hostages" that I would take unnecessary loses to prevent harm to them....but I frankly am not certain of how I would react to the several scenarios that these Officers and kids will face..
I will admit to being slightly softened by your question...and reminded that we can't allow ourselves to be pulled down to their barbaric level --- but will also admit to a desire to terrorize and destroy the bastards on a LARGE SCALE to introduce "unconditional surrender" to their vocabulary..
Semper Fi
Bottom line: I'm not the sort who will shoot anyone and everyone in Fallujah. Heck, God was willing to spare Sodom & Gomorrah for the sake of ten righteous people. And the bad guys are brutalizing the (many) innocents in Fallujah.
BTW...consider ye this: where do you think our actionable intelligence was coming from? Would you cheerfully reward the guy dropping a dime on the tangos with the same fate as the terrorist?
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