Free Republic

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jerome H. Murkerson, an Adger, Ala. native and staff non-commissioned officer-in-charge of the Camp Blue Diamond quick reaction force, hands a stuffed animal to an Iraqi child, April 3, 2005. The Marines handed out stuffed animals and soccer balls to Iraqi children to foster good relations with the citizens of the town. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Stephen D'Alessio

A U.S. military medical evacuation helicopter flies over Baghdad, Iraq, near to sunset Monday, April 4, 2005. Earlier Monday, a suicide bomber blew up a tractor in the second attack in three days near the infamous Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad.(AP Photo / Jim MacMillan)

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Senior Technician Chief Petty Officer Robert Snider (left) gives instructions to EOD Technicians Petty Officer 1st Class Jeremy Porter and Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Harck as they prepare to enter the waters of the Persian Gulf from an H-3 Sea King helicopter during an underwater mine operations phase of Exercise Arabian Gauntlet 2005 on March 23, 2005. Arabian Gauntlet is a multi-lateral surface, air and mine countermeasure exercise designed to practice maritime security operations with coalition partners and allies in the region. DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class John Parker, U.S. Navy. (Released)

Marine Reserve unit prepares for return home; welcomes replacements HIT, Iraq, March 20, 2005 — Charlie Company no longer occupies one of the most mortared outposts in Iraq. Our days at Forward Operations Base (FOB) Hit — pronounced “fob heat” — are over. The last of the company reached Al Asad airbase, our staging area for our flight out early on Tuesday. Later Tuesday we turned in all but 60 of our 210-round combat load of bullets and it was a good feeling. During Operation River Blitz I had more than 800 rounds for my rifle, though a mostly cowed...

U.S. Army 42nd Infantry Division, Task Force Liberty CPL John Lastella of Staten Island, New York practices for an Easter concert with his unit's band at Forward Operating Base Danger in Tikrit, Iraq, Saturday, March 19, 2005. This weekend marks the second anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. (AP Photo/Sasa Kralj)