American Heroes

by Oliver North

  The tactic took Zarqawi and his "mujahadeen" by surprise. In heavy contact on 8 and 9 May, seventy-five terrorists were killed and more than two dozen were captured in gunfights on both sides of the river. Intelligence officers subsequently showed us documents, travel credentials, and passports from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, Chechnya, and Jordan. There were also some identity papers from Iraq, but not many.

  The terrain in which these battles were fought was surreal. Close to the river, the Marines encountered lush vegetation and numerous civilians in small agricultural communities. But as soon as we moved more than a kilometer from the water, the landscape looked like the moon. Not a blade of grass grew on the high bluffs overlooking the river. Movement through the desert churned up plumes of fine dust behind every column.

  Before entering a village, a Psychological Operations detachment using loudspeakers announced to the occupants in Arabic that the settlement was surrounded and that civilians should assemble at a certain place. For the enemy, there was a different message: "If you are opponents of the democratic government, lay down your arms or come out and fight like men. If you want paradise, come out and fight. Don't be a coward and hide behind women."

  Each time we stopped for more than a few hours, we went on the air to report for FOX News and for FOX News Radio via our satellite equipment powered from an armored vehicle or Humvee. On 10 May, Zarqawi's propaganda mill attempted to refute reports of his losses and the collapse of his sanctuary.

  In communiqués posted on radical Islamic Web sites, Al Qaeda asserted, "Do not believe the lies. We report to you, our brothers in the unification, that our mujahadeen in Al Qaim are well, enjoying victory or martyrdom for the way of Allah. The Americans are unable to count their losses due to the large number."

  The inside of the armored assault vehicle turned orange and filled with thick, black smoke. The vehicle leapt into the air, violently throwing us about. Everyone was flung upward. I came down hard on my right side.

  In the front of the troop compartment all I could see was a wall of fire and the silhouettes of still figures within the flames. The Marines in front most certainly were killed by the blast.

  The rest of the troop compartment was immediately engulfed in flames. Smoke filled the cabin and billowed out, rolling into the afternoon air. As if we were in a foundry, the intense heat was immediately upon us.

  I knew we had to get out.

  — 1st Lt. Paul L. Croom II

  Apparently the accusation about "hiding behind women" hit home because the Al Qaeda organization also claimed that "the crusader's media lies when they accuse our mujahadeen of taking shelter behind other human beings." The posting concluded with a promise to deliver "hell with boiling volcanoes to the enemies of Allah." On 11 May, the "boiling volcanoes" part of this message seemed to come true for 3rd Bn, 2nd Marines.

  We had halted outside a small hamlet, waiting for the villagers to assemble so the structures could be searched. As one of the armored assault vehicles, carrying almost half of 1st Platoon, "L" Company, 3rd Bn, 25th Marines, moved into position on the cordon, it rolled over a massive IED planted in the dirt road beside the village school.

  There was a huge explosion beneath the twenty-three-ton vehicle, and it was instantly enveloped in flames from its ruptured fuel tanks. Six of the twenty men in the vehicle were killed by the blast. But for the fourteen wounded Marines inside, including Lt. Paul Croom and combat cameraman Aaron Mankin, survival meant escaping from the fiery cauldron.

  Within seconds, ammunition inside the vehicle—small arms, 40-mm grenades, and anti-tank rockets—began "cooking off" in the intense heat, sending deadly projectiles ricocheting in all directions. As the Marines inside the vehicle struggled to escape the flames, their comrades raced to save them. One of them, Sgt Dennis Woullard, had been blown out a forward hatch by the explosion. He and other Marines, disregarding the immense danger, raced to save their injured comrades. In a matter of minutes U.S. Army H-60 cas-evac helicopters were landing on the school soccer field to evacuate the wounded. Sgt Woullard's citation for the Silver Star describes the kind of courage that was commonplace that terrible day.

  The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Dennis Woullard Jr., Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps (Reserve), for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as Radio Chief, 1st Section, 3rd Platoon, Company A, 4th Assault Amphibian Bn, RCT-2, 2nd Marine Division, II MEF (Forward) from 8 to 11 May 2005. On 8 May 2005, in Al Ubaydi, Iraq, Sgt Woullard volunteered to assist an infantry squad conduct clearing operations during Operation MATADOR. After clearing several residences without incident, and during a breach of a front door, his team was immediately attacked with heavy machine gun and RPG fire from within. Every member of the team was wounded. Despite his wounds, Sgt Woullard evacuated two Marines from the residence, and then joined in an assault to recover the remaining trapped Marine. Sgt Woullard repeatedly exposed himself to heavy fire and assaulted into the house. He rescued the trapped Marine, shielding him with his body as he carried him to an Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) where he administered first aid until en route to the battalion. On 11 May 2005, near the Syrian border, Sgt Woullard's AAV was attacked with an IED that killed or injured all the Marines on board. Although again wounded and disoriented from the explosion, Sgt Woullard struggled to the rear of the vehicle and opened the personnel hatch. With complete disregard for his own safety and exposed to the intense heat and exploding ammunition, he repeatedly returned to the burning vehicle to evacuate the severely wounded Marines. By his superior leadership, unrelenting determination, and total dedication to duty, Sgt Woullard reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

  When Operation Matador ended on 14 May, more than 125 Al Qaeda terrorists were dead and 39 of Zarqawi's key lieutenants had been captured. Tons of enemy weapons, ordnance, and documents were retrieved along with six VBIEDs designed to be used in suicide attacks.

  The operation had cost the lives of nine Marines. Another forty were wounded. Eight of those killed were from "Lima" Company 3rd Bn, 25th Marines. In 168 hours of day and night combat, the company's 1st platoon suffered 60 percent casualties.

  In all the warfare I have experienced, the horrific explosion beneath the AAV on 11 May 05 is the most gruesome combat loss I have ever witnessed. The bravery of those who rescued their fellow Marines that terrible day is unforgettable.

  Abu Musab al Zarqawi once again escaped the noose, probably by fleeing into Syria. But Operation Matador shut down the "main Al Qaeda invasion route into Al Anbar," as Lt. Col. Tim Mundy put it. The loss of long-established sanctuaries, bomb factories, and staging areas severely hurt Al Qaeda. The terror organization was rendered incapable of disrupting the constitutional referendum in October or the elections for a permanent government in December of 2005.

  Unable to confront the "American infidels" head-on, Zarqawi reoriented his attacks to concentrate on "softer targets"—unarmed civilians. Though we didn't know it at the time, the turnaround in Al Anbar had begun.

  RAMADI: IED CENTRAL

  A gunfight after an IED attack in Ramadi

  In October 2005, five months after Operation Matador, British Explosive Ordnance specialists, tipped off by a local citizen in Basra, set out to disarm what they expected to be a "run of the mill" IED. What they discovered confirmed what intelligence sources had been telling them for weeks—that Tehran was shipping technologically advanced detonators into Iraq and teaching Shiite terror groups how to make deadlier warheads.

  Immediate action during an IED attack on a Marine patrol in Ramadi

  When the British Explosive Ordnance team disassembled the weapon, they found Iranian-built circuitry in the detonators. Of greater concern was the unique construction of the deadly device. Explosives, scraped
out of an Iraqi artillery shell, had been packed into a common metal pipe less than four inches in diameter. A hole in the sealed end of the pipe allowed for the placement of an electric blasting cap, which in turn was connected to an electronic detonator controlled by an infrared sensor.

  But this was no simple "pipe bomb." The "business end" of the device was a concave copper disc, designed to form a semi-molten slug that would hurtle out of the tube at supersonic speed. Properly constructed and placed, this "explosively formed projectile"—or EFP—could penetrate the armor on the flanks of a British Challenger or American Abrams tank. Nine months later, Iranian-supported Hezbollah fighters used these devices with deadly effect against Israeli armor in southern Lebanon.

  By the time Mal James, Greg Johnson, and I joined Roger Turner's 3rd Bn, 7th Marines, in Ramadi to cover the December elections, the provincial capital was described in the U.S. media as an Al Qaeda stronghold. Though Al Qaeda wasn't yet using explosively formed projectiles, they had perfected the art of using IEDs as a defensive weapon and suicide bombs as an offensive measure against coalition troops. For the Iraqi civilians who didn't toe the Zarqawi line, they had an even simpler tactic: murder.

  While Al Qaeda focused on deterring voter turnout through intimidation and horrific atrocities, the soldiers and Marines in Ramadi devoted themselves to making the city safe enough to even hold elections. Part of the effort involved keeping roads and streets open. This required constant patrols through IED-infested neighborhoods.

  In the past, a U.S. military patrol or convoy through the heart of Ramadi would almost inevitably have resulted in several hours of "gunfight footage." But now the challenge was to negotiate IEDs placed by Al Qaeda bomb makers to inflict maximum casualties on the Americans.

  When we went on operations, my cameraman, producer, and I tried to stay dispersed and ride in separate vehicles. On one occasion as Mal and I were accompanying a QRF responding to a unit in contact, an IED detonated beside the Humvee in which Mal James was riding. His reaction describes what happened:

  In a split second, the Humvee filled with dust and smoke, and there was this incredible "thud," and I could feel the air compress inside the vehicle. As soon as you realize what's happened, you have this great fear . . . is there going to be a fireball come through the vehicle?

  That was my great worry, of being engulfed by a fireball. And then we suddenly stopped, and everybody got out . . . . (It seems the most unnatural thing in the world to do—you've just been attacked—to actually get out; that's what the Marines do.) They got out, and they took those zealots on. In seconds, the scene was locked down, secured. Then, minutes later, we were back in the vehicle screaming down the road. We hadn't even gotten to the battle; we'd been attacked, survived, and moved on.

  As fast as terrorists placed IEDs, the Marines of 3rd Bn, 7th Marines, and the soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th ID, set out to disarm them. The danger the Marines and soldiers faced on these daily operations is reflected in the Silver Star citation awarded to Cpl Jeremy Stagner, who drove an ambulance for an EOD team.

  The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Jeremy L. Stagner, Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as casualty evacuation driver, Company L, 3rd Bn, 7th Marines, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Marine Division, II-MEF (Forward), in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 1 November 2005. While he was cordoning an IED, Cpl Stagner witnessed an explosion caused by a second IED that destroyed an EOD vehicle. Almost immediately, he saw a Marine emerge from the vehicle covered in flames, and obviously in extreme pain. Completely disoriented, the Marine attempted to put the flames out by flailing his arms wildly. As his attempts progressively failed, he began to run in circles and cut sharply in different directions, trying to create enough wind force to extinguish the fire. Without hesitation, while he was under enemy small arms and RPG fire, Cpl Stagner grabbed a fire extinguisher, ran forty meters over open terrain to the burning Marine, and extinguished the fire. Despite secondary explosions from hand grenades and C-4 in the vehicle, as well as continued exposure to enemy fire, he moved the Marine to the casualty-evacuation vehicle. Cpl Stagner then located a corpsman and, exposing himself to the enemy a third time, provided suppressive fire to cover the corpsman's sprint to the casualty. His heroic actions were instrumental in preventing the loss of additional lives. By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Cpl Stagner reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

  Detecting and disarming IEDs, hunting down Al Qaeda terrorists, and securing elections weren't the only missions in Ramadi. COL John Gronski's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th ID, also had the task of recruiting a new police force.

  In the aftermath of the unexpectedly large election turnout on 15 December, the coalition launched a major effort to rebuild the Iraqi police force in Al Anbar province. Abu Musab al Zarqawi, having failed to keep people from going to the polls, pledged to stop the police recruiting drive. Mike McLaughlin, a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel on the 2nd Brigade Combat Team staff, was given the task of setting up the process for selecting the new applicants.

  He established a screening center at a closed glass plant, immediately across the Euphrates Canal from the Marine base at "Hurricane Point" on the outskirts of Ramadi. After numerous meetings with the governor and local sheiks, the drive kicked off on 2 January. For three days all went well, with roughly 250 potential recruits screened and processed each day. But early on the morning of the 5th, one of the sheiks whom McLaughlin had befriended warned that Al Qaeda suicide bombers were planning to attack the recruiting center.

  McLaughlin rushed to the glass factory and found a large crowd of several hundred young Iraqi males already jammed into the courtyard of the screening center. In order to warn his U.S. and Iraqi "screeners" of the danger without starting a panic among the recruits, he waded into the crowd. That's when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device beneath his robe, killing and wounding more than thirty civilians and Iraqi and U.S. soldiers. A lethal piece of shrapnel from the bomb struck LTC McLaughlin in the head. This excerpt from the narrative accompanying his Silver Star citation describes what happened next:

  One of his soldiers, SPC Gibson, himself wounded in the shoulder by shrapnel, immediately checked LTC McLaughlin for wounds, who in turn, in an act of extreme selflessness, stated that he was OK, but to concentrate on saving the lives of his men. LTC McLaughlin succumbed shortly thereafter to his wounds. Throughout the period, LTC McLaughlin displayed extraordinary personal courage, selfless service, and dedication to duty. He was a charismatic leader who always led from the front, and was the consummate professional, fully committed in word and deed to empowering the Iraqi people to pursue political and economic progress and to end the insurgency in Al Anbar province. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 28th ID, and the United States Army.

  Mike McLaughlin didn't die in vain. In the months ahead, the police force that he played a key role in recruiting would help drive Abu Musab al Zarqawi and his Al Qaeda organization out of Ramadi. But no one could see that in the days after his death.

  THE AWAKENING

  "The sons of Al Anbar from Fallujah to Al Qaim have risen up to fight the terrorists."

  — Governor Maamoun Rashid, Ramadi, Iraq

  "The brave Sons of Anbar have awakened to the need to defend our country. With the help of your country we will defeat the terrorists here."

  — Sheikh Abdul Sattar Baziya, Ramadi, Iraq

  When cameraman Mal James, Producer Andrew Stenner, and I joined Lt. Col. Bill Jurney's 1st Bn, 6th Marines, and COL Sean MacFarland's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, in Ramadi in December 2006, the press was descri
bing the situation as hopeless. Though the Iraqi people had pulled off a successful election a year earlier, the country's first democratically elected government had failed to bring political reconciliation, stability, or economic recovery.

  On 22 February, Sunni suicide bombers destroyed the golden-domed al Askari Mosque in Samarra, a revered Shia shrine. Within days, Moqtada al Sadr's Iranian-supported Mahdi Army and a dozen or more other Shiite militias were on a Sunni-killing spree.

  Then, on 8 June, a unit of the U.S. Special Operations Command tracked down Abu Musab al Zarqawi in an isolated safe house five miles north of Baquba. A precision air strike killed the Jordanian as he tried to escape. But the death of the founder of Al Qaeda in Iraq didn't stop the sectarian slaughter.

  By August, when thermometers along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers climbed to 130 degrees, the beheaded bodies of dozens of Iraqis were being found daily—amid growing carnage from suicide bombers. In the weeks leading up to the U.S. Congressional elections, there was a near total breakdown of law and order in the Iraqi capital and the words "civil war" were appearing regularly in the U.S. media.

  On 5 November, two days before the U.S. election, Saddam Hussein was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to hang. The verdict had no discernible impact at the ballot box. Opponents of the Bush administration's Iraq policy routed Republicans at the polls and promised to "end the war immediately" after being sworn in.