Free Republic

FALLUJAH, Iraq (Sept. 8, 2005) -- Whether made of artillery shells or triple-stacked anti-tank mines, insurgent-made improvised explosive devices continue being a leading cause of casualties throughout the country – including innocent civilians. The members of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, North Carolina-based Marines and Sailors who are conducting counterinsurgency operations in western Iraq’s turbulent Al Anbar province, have themselves suffered four losses at the hands of these terrorist devices. On the desert battlefield’s frontlines, young men like Lance Cpl. Robert A. Belaire work to ensure that no more of their fellow warriors perish at the hands of a roadside...