***Operation Iraqi Freedom - Situation Room - Day 25 - LIVE THREAD***

Everywhere! | 13 APR 03 - Palm Sunday | An.American.Expatriate

[Catspaw]

PRISONERS OF WAR
March 24:
Apache pilots, captured after helicopter downed during a mission:
-Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ronald D. Young, Jr., 26, of Lithia Springs, Ga.
-Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 David S. Williams, 30, of Orlando, Fla.

March 23:
Members of the 507th Maintenance Company stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, captured after Iraqi forces ambushed an Army supply convoy around Nasiriyah:
-Army Spc. Edgar Hernandez, 21, of Mission, Texas,
507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.
-Army Spc. Joseph Hudson, 23, of Alamogordo, N.M.,
507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.
-Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson, 30, of Fort Bliss, Texas,
507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.
-Army Pfc. Patrick Miller, 23, of Park City, Kan.,
507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.
-Army Sgt. James Riley, 31, of Pennsauken, N.J.,
507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.

DUTY STATUS WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN
March 23:
-Army Sgt. Edward J. Anguiano, 24, of Brownsville, Texas.
Missing after his convoy was ambushed in Iraq. Assigned to the 3rd Combat Support Battalion out of Fort Stewart, Ga.
-Marine Sgt. Brendon Reiss, 23, of Casper, Wyo.
Last seen when his unit was engaged in combat operations in the vicinity of Nasiriyah. Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

Marines missing after being engaged in operations in the outskirts of Nasiriyah in Iraq:
-Marine Pfc. Tamario D. Burkett, 21, of Buffalo, N.Y.
Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
-Marine Cpl. Kemaphoom A. Chanawongse, 22, of Waterford, Conn.
Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
-Marine Lance Cpl. Donald J. Cline, Jr., 21, of Washoe, Nev.
Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
-Marine Pvt. Jonathan L. Gifford, 30, of Decatur, Ill.
Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
-Marine Pvt. Nolen R. Hutchings, 19, of Boiling Springs, S.C.
Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

[Timeout]

We know some of them (maybe all) were found in Samarra...on the road to Tikrit. There were signs in Baghdad they had been held there, but then were moved north.

Bob Franken, CNN, just reported from an airbase south of Baghdad, where he SAW them being loaded on a transport headed for hospital in Kuwait!

Yippeee! Cheers to our troops! Thank you, Lord.

[Jackie-O]

Sammara, northwest of B-dad

[melodie]

OH...it is a beautiful day here in Texas!!!

[Catspaw]

And you know that CNN will will hold that tape until all of their families are notified.

If I were a family member of one of the rescued POWs, I'd want to see the face of my relative ASAP. Until then, I might not believe it.

[Consort]

FOX said that all families were notified, the 7 families of the recovered POWs and the families of still missing service members.

[MEG33]

Some purists from military questioned the hero status we were using .I explained they are all my heroes though I know above and beyond is the standard.

[The Wizard]

now don't you all come down on me, but heros?

The POW's are special, but doesn't hero imply some special action or activity that "saved" or otherwise affected in a positive way the condition of others

[Jackie-O]

I had a feeling that they were moving them north as each city was falling. Iraqi leaders were probably keeping them as sheilds. I thought they would be found in Tikrit.

[Catspaw]

They survived being held by the Iraqis. THAT'S what makes them heros in my book.

[Jackie-O]

Morning Mel! Isn't this a glorious Sunday???

[Catspaw]

Given that they survived weeks in captivity at the hands of the Iraqis (see pictures of those torture chambers?), they're definitely heros in my book. Ditto for Pfc. Lynch. The rescuers hold a status higher than heros.

[melodie]

were the pow's retrieved by the unit that Rick Leventhall is with? Any word from him ?

[melodie]

It SURE is Jackie!!

[not-an-ostrich]

This arguement is easy to squelch. All our forces are heros.

[Timeout]

OK, "hero" is a relative term.

Generally, as you imply, "hero" is reserved for those who have acted above-and-beyond in saving others or applying extra effor against the enemy.

I'm using the term loosely here....
"those who will get their own parade when they come home." :)

As I said, real loose definition.

[Catspaw]

No word from Leventhal. I'm just very thankful that Bob Franken was on the ground at the air base and could eyeball them for us.

[GOPyouth]

Wolf Blitzer asking Franks what his hunch is regarding Hussein.
Franks: My boss doesn't allow me to have hunches.

[Timeout]

Rick's with Army unit....this was Marines.

CNN reports the Marines were driving the road to Tikrit when an Iraqi citizen came up to them and told them they were going to "meet up with some Americans soon".

[GOPyouth]

Rick was interviewing boys from Camp Pendleton last night. That's a Marine base.