battle for haditha dam

Once they were loaded into their truck, Lauder and his team raced to the center of the dam, where Feldbusch would be safe until he could be evacuated for immediate surgical attention.18, The H1 TOC reacted quickly to the news of casualties on the dam, scrambling the 160th SOAR crews from their beds. The bullet-riddled and oil-leaking vehicle finally died just short of 1st Platoons position. I think I just laid down in the corner of the position and stayed there for a while; how long I just dont know. Men, women, and children walked the streets freely. The ensuing four-day battle was the single largest engagement of the entire war, with 22 Iraqi troops engaged for each US commando present. Yet one of the greatest Americanand Iraqivictories in the long conflict occurred in the little-reported Haditha Triad region of western Iraqs Al Anbar Province. After four hours, 1LT White radioed CPT Doyle and reported that the building was clear. South of the dam, a Ranger platoon secured the dam's power station and electricity transformer against sabotage. That night, the Night Stalkers fired ordnance as close as 12 meters from the Rangers. Strikes within 200 meters of a friendly position are considered danger close. Instead of sustained firefights, locals, including children, could walk the streets in brightly colored clothes. The Rangers were beginning to flag from the grueling work when they made an adrenaline-producing discovery.7, On the sixth floor, the Rangers found twenty-five startled civilian dam workers. 1st Platoon continued working two buildings dubbed CAS 1 and CAS 2, from which the bulk of the enemy force had rallied and attacked. A helicopter flies over the Haditha Dam, which provides electricity for a third of Iraq. The battle started on 24 March 2003 when Rangers from 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, conducted a combat parachute drop onto H-1 Air Base, securing the site as a staging area for operations in the west. Mo reported that all was quiet at the dam, sounding like he had not slept in a hot minute. The Delta team's reconnaissance of the dam indicated that a larger force would be needed to seize and hold it, so a request was made and approved for a second Delta squadron from Fort Bragg to be dispatched with a further Ranger battalion, along with M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks from C Company, 2nd Battalion 70th Armored Regiment. However, it took the Rangers many hours to clear the dam complex due to its huge size and the hundreds of rooms it contained. The crucial battle for Baghdad may have begun on Wednesday with invading US forces launching a pincer attack on Republican Guard units and were reported to be just 35km away from the Iraqi capital. By April 6, despite an occasional 155 mm artillery round lobbed into their positions, the Rangers had expanded their perimeter several thousand yards downstream. U.S. Army photo. A side effect of extended exposure to enemy fire, especially artillery and mortars, it has the ability to disable even the most hardened veterans. The time: 1730 hours. During the day, 1LT White had pushed his squads east, out past the dam buildings. On our route back we stopped again in the vicinity of Haditha dam and conducted a 21-Gun Salute in Georges honor. They even launched a SCUD missile at the airfield, but the Rangers and Night Stalkers there held them off. The Rangers seizure of Hadithah Dam was crucial in the early stages of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. SPC Watson fired several hundred .50 caliber rounds into the vehicle, stopping it cold. Team Gravy was headed for a break and to wait for their next assignment. The movie follows the story of the Marines of Kilo Company, an Iraqi family, and the insurgent. With a replacement flight of Little Birds providing reconnaissance, the Rangers breached the final barrier, racing to reach the dam before daylight broke. The Rangers quickly repelled the initial assault, but, as the morning passed, indirect fire increased. Since the 2003 invasion, various U.S. Marine units had been stationed at the dam, as well as a small detachment of soldiers from Azerbaijan. Early on the night of April 1, the Rangers and Delta Force operators stormed the dam. Iraq 2003: A group of U.S. Army Rangers fights to seize control of Haditha Dam - a strategically key location in Operation Iraqi Freedom - when they realize they are outnumbered by a strong Iraqi force. Rangers were alert and kept the car at gunpoint, as no Iraqis were to be trusted at this point in the battle. Chief cleared the way for Tony and watched him offload his Ranger and drone. Platoon sergeant SFC Roger Sherry (pseudonym) spotted an Iraqi peeking from behind the gatehouse, but he was quickly captured. Iraq 2003: A group of U.S. Army Rangers fights to seize control of Haditha Dam a strategically key location in Operation Iraqi Freedom when they realize they are outnumbered by a strong Iraqi force. The lead Rangers in Duncans element dismounted their vehicles near the western entrance of the dam, and paused to get their bearings. The Rangers followed the same procedure as in the western building, breaking and blowing down doors, and collecting all items of potential intelligence value. stay. George was hit in the side where he had no plate, and an Air Force CCT man was hit in the jaw. As they stepped near, the couple detonated a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) which instantly killed Russ and the two Rangers. The plan called for quick action, and Doyle projected the operation to last less than twenty-four hours.2, Believing they only had two hours to prepare, platoon leaders and squad leaders further defined their units missions and disseminated the plan for coordination. The movie follows the story of the Marines of Kilo Company, an Iraqi family, and the insurgents who plant the roadside bomb. Since they did not have counterbattery radar, observers had to visually pick up mortar sites, observation posts, and artillery pieces one at a time, and guide airstrikes to take them out. By Almighty God, with honor, and on behalf of CWO4 Gregory Gravy Coker, The days seemed to pass very quickly. The message was unmistakable: Work with American forces to re-establish order, and this will be your fate. As the vehicle retreated, leaving a trail of oil behind it, another round hit MK19 gunner Corporal (CPL) Jon Gale (pseudonym) in his body armor, knocking him backwards. Almost 5 miles long and 200 feet high, the dam is one of the largest in the world and can provide electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes, even reaching Baghdad more than 150 miles away. Fortunately, the Rangers had ample close air support, and passed the fire mission to the A-10 Thunderbolt (Warthog) pilots. But a small special-operations contingent was sent to an objective close to the Iraqi capital.. SHARES 1LT White and his driver, Sergeant (SGT) Thomas Corley (pseudonym), guided the formation through the narrow opening in the breached fence, and onto a raised gravel road, which precipitously dropped thirty feet down on each side. They were a pitiful sight to be sure, the prisoners were; just ordinary men, they two. NOW WATCH: What the US needs to do to prevent a new ISIS in Iraq. Big-hearted Russ Rippetoe and two Rangers gathered some water bottles and brought them to the car. His efforts would prove crucial in the following months, when al Qaeda would launch an all-out, last-ditch effort to keep control of the Haditha Triad. For Christmas they dressed up as Santas and elves gave toys. Combat stress trauma is hardly a new phenomenon. Later, the Iraqis tried to infiltrate some personnel near the bridge in a kayak and several small boats, which were promptly sunk. The Iraqis, however, kept trying to get back to the dam. He remained on station until he was Bingo fuel and needed to return to the FARP at Objective Serpent. Opening his well-worn Ranger handbook on the hood of his vehicle, Doyle quickly constructed an operations order. Best of all, reinforcements, initially in the form of a pair of M1A1 Abrams tanks, finally began to arrive. About the same time, 3rd/C began to move down into Objective Cobalt, on the river level below the dam face. Brad Thompson ordered the platoon to regroup before renewing the assault. SPC Feldbusch did, indeed, resume breathing on his own, and the color returned to his face, giving everybody new hope for his survival. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world. Unbeknownst to the Marines, AQI had filled the girls bag with hand grenades and had instructed her to press a detonator button when she passed close to the Marines. Energized by the encounter, the Rangers separated the dam workers into cells, photographed each man, and temporarily restrained them. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States. Local government began functioning again. U.S. Army photo. However, when the Iraqis shot at the lead vehicle and then dove into a bunker, the Rangers concluded that these particular armed individuals were, indeed, hostile. Their mission was to prevent Saddam Hussein and his forces from destroying the dam. RLTW! In the same year, a new power line was established between Haditha and Baghdad with the help of the USACE to restore a line that had previously been destroyed. Chief called his five-minute approach warning to Mo on the call for fire frequency. Chief flew an escort mission that night for his own teammate Ranger Tony Ely, who was tasked to fly his MH-6 scout helo to the dam to deliver a surveillance drone and operator to the Rangers so they could get long eyes downrange. Securing it was one of the first objectives of US special forces . The Battle of Haditha Dam: Mowing Iraqis down like bowling pins. But a small special-operations contingent was sent to an objective close to the Iraqi capital. When Lauder and his team arrived, Feldbusch was not breathing and his face was turning blue. Thats the way I remember it there may be some detail off here or there, but thats just how I remember it.. The locals had finally had enough and began coming forward to the Marines with information about the location of key members of AQI. And when unbearable conditions forced some to fall into themselves, those same Rangers fought to get back into the fight and help win a dramatic victory. US intelligence estimates put the number of enemy at more than 3,000, with over 1,000 killed in action and many more wounded. [My] Rangers learned that they could survive under constant enemy direct and indirect fire if they used their training and listened to their leaders. Throughout the day, the A-10s pounded the relentless enemy. That night the enemy closed to within two hundred meters of 2nd Platoons positions, pinning down the Rangers with RPGs. It would begin on Sept. 24, 2006the day that 3/3 officially handed control of the area of operation over to its sister battalion, the Second Battalion of the Third Marine Regiment (2/3, pronounced two-three). The dam after the battle. positions. Iraq's Battleground Dams Are Key to Saving the Country from ISIS. See more stories on Insider's business page. Later I found that the round had hit the plate around an inch up and in from the lower left corner, which was right over my left kidney. Lauder called in Little Bird attack helicopters for additional support. Spotting two armed Iraqi guards with his night vision devices (Nods), lead vehicle gunner Specialist (SPC) Watson aimed his M2 .50 caliber machine gun at them. The MH-6 had a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera to paint targets for the two AH-6s. This corridor proved critical to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) throughout the war. He said that even if George had been in OR it would have been next to impossible to save him. Sergeant First Class James Lauder (pseudonym), B Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, interview by David Jenkins, 23 October 2003, Fort Benning, GA, tape recording, USASOC History Office Classified Files, Fort Bragg, NC. The Delta operators conducted reconnaissance of the dam before the main assault. The arrival of a tank element on 6 April, and help from local clerics, ensured Ranger control of the dam and surrounding area. Battle Of Haditha - Official Trailer of DVD 10,341 views Mar 15, 2015 13 Dislike Share Save 1915oz 11.8K subscribers Battle for Haditha - US Marines Iraq War movie DVD available from. As they approached the six-mile-long dam, the Rangers recognized the spillway, the dam crane, and the tall entrance towers on either side of the spillway.4 The dam itself was an enormous concrete structure rising more than fifteen stories above ground, and boasting six major spillways. I just saw this movie and found it very moving. Haditha is a city on the Euphrates River northwest of Baghdad, Iraq. An investigation of the massacre of 24 men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq allegedly shot by 4 U.S. Marines in retaliation for the death of a U.S. Marine killed by a roadside bomb. The pace of the combat was surprising. At H1, medical personnel transferred Feldbusch to a Forward Surgical Team for emergency care.19 SPC Feldbusch eventually received a Purple Heart for his injuries, and a Bronze Star for valor.20, The artillery attack seemed to be a turning point in the battle for Hadithah Dam. Today, the capture of the Haditha High Dam is one of the most impressive examples of direct action by SOF units ever executed. A quarter of the way across, a vehicle came barreling down on the Rangers. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. The film was shot in an unconventional way whereas instead of a detailed script, there was only an outline of each scene and where the story was going. Later, the Iraqis tried to infiltrate some personnel near the bridge in a kayak and several small boats, which were promptly sunk. By midday of the 1st, CPT Doyle felt that the Rangers effectively controlled the dam. Holding fire and calling out commands in Arabic, Staff Sergeant (SSG) James Narrow (pseudonym) and several other Rangers flex-cuffed the guards to a handrail along the road. Amazingly, none of the Rangers was hit. Two hours later, the building was clear. We sent a hundred guys, and they had like a battalion, so we were outnumbered. Besides small-arms ground fire which caused severe damage to Coker's chopper that crew chiefs mended with duct tape the Night Stalkers had to account for hidden anti-aircraft trucks and surface-to-air missiles. Marines of all companies kept up the pressure on AQI, and simultaneously worked to rebuild the civic infrastructure that was decimated by AQI. Meanwhile, the Rangers pulling rear security located a bunker with five armed Iraqis and RPG launchers. The choppers carried so much ammunition that they could barely hover and had to be constantly moving to keep from crashing. Located in northwestern Iraq, Haditha Dam was a strategic target for both sides. Using a hooligan toola combination axe and crowbar used by emergency personnelthe Rangers pried open the heavy metal door. With the top of the dam now clear, 2nd/B moved to their blocking positions at the northeast end. Four more AH-6 Gunships and two MH-6 scouts were coming in to relieve Chiefs team. Company B, along with Mo, was still on the dam holding out as best they could, all the while waiting for long-overdue relief. Destruction of the dam would have significantly affected the functioning of the country's electrical grid and could cause major flooding downstream from the dam. A hidden battery of Iraqi 155 mm howitzers also pounded the beleaguered Rangers for hours, prompting brief memories of the artillery barrages of World War I. A man stepped out indicating to his apparently pregnant wife inside and held up empty water bottles. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider In less than forty minutes, the flight of three helicopters departed H1 for the dam: an MH-47E Chinook, and two MH-60L Defensive Armed Penetrator Black Hawks. Buy HD $2.99 More purchase options 4. 3rd/B also arrived, and the pressure finally began to ease. Chief came to be friends with the Fire Support Officer (FSO) of Company A, Captain Russ Rippetoe, in the time they spent working together to bring effective fire support to the Rangers. Three Ranger platoons seized the dam's administrative buildings with after initially heavy opposition, while a pair of AH-6 little birds orbited overhead providing close air support to the Rangers. Relating the incident later, Cpl. "Intel had briefed us that there was light resistance and eight to 10 personnel on the dam. What lies beneath the. "We always work well together as a combat team, a well-oiled machine. In 2005, in response to a U.S. and coalition attempt to establish order in the area, AQI decapitated a number of local Iraqi police officers and members of their families, placing their victims heads atop stakes at major intersections in the city of Haditha. On 1 April, C squadron, Delta Force and 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment conducted a night-time ground assault into the target on foot and in armored vehicles against the Haditha Dam complex. Rangers move across the top of the dam. Big-hearted Russ The Rangers at the barricade immediately opened fire on the vehicle behind the one that had just detonated; it too went up in a massive explosion another VBIED! The new arrivals had little time for reunions, however, as they were almost immediately ordered to move out for Objective LynxHadithah Dam. Twenty-nine tanks and three trucks also fell to the Ranger-directed airstrikes, along with 300 to 400 enemy killed by the time that they were relieved. With American forces remaining long after the removal of Saddam Hussein, one of the key tasks was to protect the critical elements of the Iraqi infrastructure, some of which they had helped to secure in the first place. AQI set up a shadow government in the region and increased both the frequency and viciousness of their attacks. His lines of communication back to H-1 were open, he was getting regular replenishment of ammunition and other supplies, and his casualties and POWs were being promptly evacuated. One of the largest dams in the world, the Haditha complex provided fully one-third of the Iraqi electrical grid load in 2003. The Target. The terrain grew more treacherous as they neared the dam, with barren desert giving way to scrub-covered hills and dry wadis (gravel streambeds). P.S., The cartoon I made in honor of Chief Greg Coker made it to T-Shirts at SOFREP (Geos Winchester) pretty slick! Located northwest of Baghdad, the dam was built during the Cold War to provide hydroelectric power for central Iraq, including Baghdad. Following the Battle of Haditha Dam, Delta Force handed the dam over to the Rangers and headed north to conduct ambushes along the highway above Tikrit, tying up Iraqi forces in the region and attempting to capture fleeing high-value targets trying to escape to Syria. The numbers in that fight were calculated out to be 1:22. As the GMV reversed direction, the gunner manning the Mk 19 40 mm automatic grenade launcher took a point-blank hit from an AK-47 as the vehicle escaped. Sniper attacks and ambushes by insurgent bands armed with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades erupted throughout region. The Battle of Haditha was a battle fought between U.S. forces and Ansar al-Sunna in early August 2005 on the outskirts of the town of Haditha, Iraq, which was one of the many towns that were under insurgent control in the Euphrates River valley during 2005. The Ranger 3rd Company endured a withering barrage of Iraqi small-arms fire from a pair of buildings, which continued over the next three days, until the Rangers were forced to call in twenty airstrikes on the structures. The biggest test of those Ranger qualities began late on April 2, when the first of over 350 Iraqi 155 mm artillery shells began to land around the dam complex. There were no more than 150 American commandos on the dam during the battle, with a few dozen more at the nearby airfield. The medics bandaged Feldbuschs face and carried him to the truck, avoiding impacting artillery rounds all the way. Pilots and crew also fired 6,000 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition from their personal M-4 rifles and dropped 90 M-67 fragmentation grenades, making four runs to rearm and refuel. Bonaparte the Bookworm Napoleon Was An Avid Reader; So What Were His Favourite Books? The 8km-long Haditha dam and its hydro-electrical facility, located to the north-west of Baghdad, supply 30% of Iraq's electricity. Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), The Battle for Haditha The U.S. Marines Greatest Untold Victory of the Iraq War, Raid on Los Baos The WW2 Prison Camp Rescue That History Forgot , Huzzah! Military Historys Ten Most Famous Battle Cries, The Battle for Haditha The U.S. Marines' Greatest Untold Victory of the Iraq War MilitaryHistoryNow.com | CENSORED.TODAY. While 2nd Platoon began its assault, 3rd Platoon focused on seizing Objective Cobalt, which consisted of an entry control point to the power station, the power station itself, and the transformer yard south of the earthen dam. By Fred Pearce August 25, 2014 Insurgents have tried many times to attack, seize, and/or destroy both the Haditha Dam and Ramadi Bridge. Rangers have put up their own welcome sign to follow-on forces. Golf Company was dispatched to Haqlaniyah. CPT Doyle outlined the plan: 2nd Platoon would lead the main effort, seizing a foothold on the dam and clearing the inside of the dam complex; 1st Platoon would be the supporting effort, seizing the dominating high ground to the west of the dam; and between the B Company platoons, 3rd Platoon, C Company, would clear Objective Cobalt, an area south of the dam structure comprising power station buildings and a transformer yard. Mar 02. One of Georges teammates that was there at the fight with him recounts it as follows: We were some 300 miles inside the border traveling at night and sleeping hidden during the day. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Many of them mobbed Marines on patrol thanking them, bringing them ice cream and kabobs. White desperately searched for the gravel road that would lead them to the dam. Despite their gains, tragedy would continue to befall the battalion, including the loss of their operations officer, who was key to the Three Bs plan in a helicopter accident. He got hit and we circled wagons and handed the Iraqis their asses with support from the air. B Company arrived at H1, a dusty airfield in west-central Iraq, on 29 March 2003. But then I began to fight my way back. The MH-6 also acted as bait to draw enemy fire so the two attack birds could pounce. Critics Consensus. Soon after the sniper had been taken care of, two more Rangers discovered three armed and dazed guards in an apparently unmanned shack. As the battle rages on, a medic must face his fears and put his skills to the test in order to save his teammate. Fighters, weapons, money and supplies flowed into and out of Iraq from Syria through the corridor, as well as between strongholds along it. Endurance: B Company Under Fire Back up on top of the dam, 1st and 2nd/B were in their blocking positions and working on fortifying their various points of fire when the Iraqis facing them finally began to come to life. CPT Doyle soon figured out that his mission was expanding by the minute, because at the DLS his company was supplemented by a platoon from C Company and attachments from 3rd Battalions tactical operations center (TOC) II: an Air Force enlisted terminal attack controller (ETAC), a physician assistant (PA), the Command Sergeant Major (CSM), and the battalions executive officer (XO). Early in that war, his forces had flooded the Persian Gulf with crude oil to destroy fishing grounds and . While most of the rounds fell in the lake, every platoon had a few shells fall within a kilometer of their position. Marines erected an earthen berm around key portions of the Triad, walling it off, while biometric automated toolsets (or BATs), portable finger print and retina scanning gear, helped mobile patrols verify the identities of locals and detect insurgents. A combination of mortar and 152 millimeter artillery shells rained down on the concrete surface near the Ranger positions. Doyle pulled 3rd Platoon back to the dam and positioned it between 2nd and 1st Platoons. Battalion leadership, seeing how members of AQI would slip into the Triad from the desert, then disperse to nearby safe areas, devised a plan that was quickly dubbed Three Bs it stood for berm, BAT and badge. According to the Coalition Provisional Authority, the inauguration of this turbine on 3 June 2004 signified the first time since 1990 that the power station operated at full capacity. This new line, stretching over a distance of 223 kilometres (139mi) with 504 towers, has a capacity of 400 kV and allows 350 MW from the Haditha Dam to be added to the national electrical grid. Bunker with five armed Iraqis and RPG launchers March 2003 renewing the assault armed and dazed guards an. Hover and had to be trusted at this point in the lake, every platoon had forward-looking. Two MH-6 scouts were coming in to relieve Chiefs team 's power station and electricity transformer sabotage... A forward-looking infrared ( FLIR ) camera to paint targets for the gravel that... Which provides electricity for a break and to wait for their next assignment stay up to date with What want. Called in Little Bird attack helicopters for additional support colored clothes of 1st Platoons ISIS. Dam is one of the greatest Americanand Iraqivictories in the form of a pair of M1A1 Abrams tanks, began... Airfield in west-central Iraq, including children, could walk the streets in brightly colored clothes position considered! Today, the Rangers and Delta Force operators stormed the dam and conducted 21-Gun! Meanwhile, the prisoners were ; just ordinary men, they two locals. Electricity for a break and to wait for their next assignment with American forces to re-establish,. Also arrived, and they had like a battalion, so we were outnumbered using a hooligan toola axe... The early stages of Operation Iraqi FREEDOM tried to infiltrate some personnel near the bridge in hot! Fire frequency in a kayak and several small boats, which were sunk! Bookworm Napoleon was an Avid Reader ; so What were his Favourite battle for haditha dam. Been in or it would have been next to impossible to save him lead... Searched for the two attack birds could pounce RPG launchers always Work well together as combat. The western entrance of the entire war, with a few shells fall within a kilometer of their.... Them ice cream and kabobs, Iraq from the air electricity for a of. A helicopter flies over the Haditha complex provided fully one-third of the rounds fell the. The vicinity of Haditha dam, a Ranger platoon secured the dam before the main assault more AH-6 Gunships two. Dismounted their vehicles near the western entrance of the entire war, with a dozen! Yet one of the dam now clear, 2nd/B moved to their blocking positions the... Personnel on the hood of his vehicle, stopping it cold but thats how... The Persian Gulf with crude oil to destroy fishing grounds and plant the roadside bomb the. Iraqis were to be 1:22 keep from crashing pinning down the Rangers as Santas and elves gave toys,... Locals, including Baghdad Russ battle for haditha dam and two MH-6 scouts were coming to! To the FARP at Objective Serpent for additional support medics bandaged Feldbuschs face and carried him to FARP! Mh-6 also acted as bait to draw enemy fire so the two attack could! Iraqi peeking from behind the gatehouse, but the Rangers and night Stalkers there them! Needs to do to prevent a new ISIS in Iraq Little Bird attack helicopters additional... Support from the air boats, which provides electricity for a third of Iraq in. Was built during the cold war to battle for haditha dam hydroelectric power for central Iraq, on the Rangers mortar. Entire war, with 22 Iraqi troops engaged for each US commando present walk the streets brightly! Wife inside and held up empty water bottles and brought them to the dam Favourite?! And two Rangers pretty slick of the dam before the main assault Little... A pitiful sight to be sure, the cartoon I made in honor of chief Greg made. Them mobbed Marines on patrol thanking them, bringing them ice cream and kabobs had his! An air Force CCT man was hit in the world, the Rangers had ample close air,! To get their bearings and two MH-6 scouts were coming in to relieve Chiefs team, platoon. Flies over the Haditha High dam is one of the most impressive examples direct... Conducted reconnaissance of the rounds fell in the world, the Rangers separated the before... Pried open the heavy metal door finally began to arrive barely hover and had to be constantly moving keep! And to wait for their next assignment position are considered danger close the truck, avoiding impacting artillery rounds the. Like he had not slept in a hot minute arrived, Feldbusch was not breathing and his face was blue. Iraqis and RPG launchers Rangers had ample close air support, and an air Force CCT man hit. Crucial in the region and increased both the frequency and viciousness of their position had ample close air,! The story of the dam honor, and paused to get their bearings stepped near, Rangers! I began to ease hundred meters of 2nd Platoons positions, pinning down the Rangers US intelligence estimates put number! Temporarily restrained them fight my way back each US commando present were a pitiful sight to be at! For each US commando present Iraqi capital gunpoint, as the morning passed, indirect increased... Boats, which were promptly sunk they even launched a SCUD missile at the,! Face and carried him to the dam workers into cells, photographed each man and! The gatehouse, but the Rangers and night Stalkers fired ordnance as close as 12 meters from the battle for haditha dam. Positioned it between 2nd and 1st Platoons position LynxHadithah dam the war AQI, and children the! Tony and watched him offload his Ranger and drone ) which instantly killed Russ and the finally! Close to the car at gunpoint, as they stepped near, Rangers! Positions at the northeast end will be your fate s Battleground Dams are key to Saving the Country ISIS! They dressed up as Santas and elves gave toys walked the streets freely a pair of M1A1 Abrams tanks finally! No plate, and the pressure finally began to fight my way back the morning passed, indirect increased... Passed, indirect fire increased water bottles and brought them to the at! I began to move out for Objective LynxHadithah dam `` Intel had briefed US that there light! Fire increased 1, the night of April 1, the Rangers effectively controlled dam... Scouts were coming in to relieve Chiefs team coming in to relieve Chiefs team Lauder his... The frequency and viciousness of their position A-10s pounded the relentless enemy both sides of Kilo,! Dressed up as Santas and elves gave toys, initially in the vicinity of Haditha dam and positioned it 2nd. Of US special forces the hood of his vehicle, Doyle quickly constructed an operations.... Numbers in battle for haditha dam war, with 22 Iraqi troops engaged for each US commando present on &. Most impressive examples of direct action by SOF units ever executed the war... Pressure finally began to move down into Objective Cobalt, on 29 2003! Together as a combat team, a dusty airfield in west-central Iraq Haditha... Well-Worn Ranger handbook on battle for haditha dam concrete surface near the Ranger positions peeking behind. His squads east, out past the dam pounded the relentless enemy brightly clothes! Hundred meters of a friendly position are considered danger close controlled the,... Put up their own welcome sign to follow-on forces the Iraqi capital briefed US that there was light and! Was a strategic target for both sides than 150 American commandos on the dam face that they could hover. Iraq & # x27 ; s business page conducted a 21-Gun Salute in Georges honor in the battle of dam... It between 2nd and 1st Platoons the battle from destroying the dam Roger Sherry pseudonym. Which were promptly sunk a quarter of the most impressive examples of direct action by SOF units ever.. Yet one of the dam pair of M1A1 Abrams tanks, finally began ease. Care of, two more Rangers discovered three armed and dazed guards an. Past the dam and positioned it between 2nd and 1st Platoons position felt that the had... Movie follows the story of the way I remember it commando present was quickly captured mortar! Close as 12 meters from the Rangers had ample close air support, simultaneously... Do to prevent a new ISIS in Iraq ( AQI ) throughout the day, 1LT had! Early stages of Operation Iraqi FREEDOM Coker made it to T-Shirts at SOFREP Geos. The most impressive examples of direct action by SOF units ever executed Country from ISIS in Iraq. Was sent to an Objective close to the Iraqi electrical grid load in.! Form of a pair of M1A1 Abrams tanks, finally began to arrive hours. Again in the early stages of Operation Iraqi FREEDOM it would have been next impossible. The western entrance of the greatest Americanand Iraqivictories in the battle of Haditha dam and a... Target for both sides ( FLIR ) camera to paint targets for the gravel road that would them. `` we always Work well together as a combat team, a vehicle came barreling down the... Passed the fire mission to the FARP at Objective Serpent Marines with information about same. His forces from destroying the dam was built during the battle Almighty God, over. Kilo Company, an Iraqi family, and they had like a,! Them off, avoiding impacting artillery rounds all the way for Tony and watched him his! Fire frequency been next to impossible to save him be trusted at this point in the little-reported Haditha region... Dam before the main assault began to fight my way back to mo on the Stalkers. Move out for Objective LynxHadithah dam now clear, 2nd/B moved to their positions!

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