Posted on 04/05/2003 5:08:21 AM PST by Mama_Bear
Unfortunately, one of the first things I learned hit home.
In the article below, the very first name is from this small town.
8 Bodies Found in Raid Were U.S. Soldiers
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - Eight of the bodies found during the rescue of an American POW in Iraq this week were members of her ambushed Army maintenance unit, the Pentagon announced Saturday.
The eight soldiers were with Pfc. Jessica Lynch when their unit, the 507th Maintenance Company, was ambushed near Nasiriyah on March 23.
The U.S. commandos who freed Lynch from a hospital in Nasiriyah this week also found 11 bodies, nine of which were believed to be those of Americans. The nine bodies had been returned to a forensics center at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for identification and investigation of how they died.
The Pentagon issued a statement early Saturday morning saying the status of the eight soldiers had been changed from missing to killed.
The soldiers were:
Sgt. George E. Buggs, 31, of Barnwell, S.C.
Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, 38, of Cleveland.
Pvt. Ruben Estrella-Soto, 18, of El Paso, Texas.
Spc. James M. Kiehl, 22, of Comfort, Texas.
Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, of Amarillo, Texas.
Pfc. Lori Ann Piestewa, 23, of Tuba City, Ariz.
Pvt. Brandon U. Sloan, 19, of Cleveland.
Sgt. Donald R. Walters, 33, of Kansas City, Mo. All were members of the 507th Maintenance, an army unit based at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Five members of the unit remain listed as prisoners of war. Shortly after the unit's ambush, the five were shown on Iraqi state-run television being questioned by their captors.
Iraqi television also showed footage of at least five bodies. After viewing that footage, Pentagon officials accused Iraq of executing prisoners of war.
There was no immediate word from the Pentagon Saturday on whether the soldiers were killed in the ambush or afterward.
04/05/03 01:00 EST
================================================== Pausing this morning to pray for these fallen, and for their families and friends and communities...
SpookBrat hailed me to the narrative, after I'd heard it on television, and the article speaks of two of the men having accepted Christ; one earlier and one just before the battle.
Yes, Spooky - blessed assurance indeed, able to rest in His arms.
Always reassuring to see friendly folks flying the friendly skies!
57 degrees as I post this, headin' for ~76 today . . .
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I'm on the road for a few days, but, to my great delight, I'm still wired.
Freepo ergo sum.
CNN live interview with Martin Savidge on Sunday, 30 March 2003:
Martin Savidge of CNN, embedded with the 1st Marine battalion, 1st Marine Division, was talking with 4 young Marines near his foxhole this morning live on CNN. He had been telling the story of how well the Marines had been looking out for and taking care of him since the war started. He went on to tell about the many hardships the Marines had endured since the war began and how they all look after one another.
He turned to the four and said he had cleared it with their commanders and they could use his video phone to call home. None of these Marines had been able to talk with their families for many weeks. The 19 year old Marine next to him asked Martin if he would allow his platoon sergeant to use his call to call his pregnant wife back home whom he had not been able to talk to in over a month. A stunned Savidge, who was visibly moved by the request, nodded his head - yes.
The young Marine ran off to get the sergeant. Savidge recovered after a few seconds and turned back to the three young Marines still sitting with him. He asked which one of them would like to call home first? The Marine closest to him responded with out a moments hesitation, “Sir, if it is all the same to you we would like to call the parents of a buddy of ours. Lance Cpl Brian Buesing of Cedar Key, Florida, who was killed on the 23rd of March near Nasiriya. We would like to see how his folks are doing and let them know their son died bravely.”
At that Martin Savidge totally broke down and was unable to speak. All he could get out before signing off was, “Where do they get young men like this?”
Nice to be home with family...Mom's cat, Pig, is my little charmer...took Barkley the dog for a walk yesterday, we'll do that again in a little while.
Watching the war...we're rolling.
Life is so beautiful, terrible, wonderful, horrible...magnificent.
That was beautifully apparent the two times in recent years I returned to Parris Island.
I know it firsthand; the recipient of it.
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