Troops participating in Operation Shadyville searched 244 houses and netted several suspected insurgent supporters, two IEDs, and 50 AK-47 assault rifles. SAQLAWIYAH, Iraq, July 7, 2005 — Many young men who join the United States Marine Corps during their late teenage years may often fantasize about saving a comrade’s life while fighting a war overseas. Although this 20-year old Bessemer, Ala., native is no longer an adolescent, that dream became reality June 29 when he unearthed an insurgent-made improvised explosive device. “The IED we found was an HE (high explosive) 155mm artillery shell,” explained Cpl. Patrick Jernigan. “I was walking...
