Undercover Marine Reconnaisance Units Help to Retake Saudi City from Iraqis
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`Does' sharpen readiness . just in case Milestones of Afro-American Page A-2 heritage recognized Investigation verifies Iraqi cruelty Page B1 -1 Local family makes MWR way of life Page A-5 Vol. 20, No. 5 Published at MCAS Kaneohe Bay. Also serving 1st MEB, Camp H.M. Smith and Marine Barracks, Hawaii. February 7, le Undercover Marine reconnaisance units help to retake Saudi city from Iraqis By Set. Brad Mitzeden awakening if they had come up enemy troops. Reports on Saudi KHAFJI, Saudi Arabia after us," Brown said. and Qatari losses were sketchy Saudi and Qatari forces largely Apart from keeping their at best, but indications are that fought the allied battle for this heads down, the Marines also they were light to moderate. border city. However, two recon- took other precautions such as "Those Saudis have a lot of naissance teams from the let burning all personal and offi- heart," Ingraham said. "They Marine Division worked under- cial documents and using spe- had the hard job. They came cover to help retake Khafji from cial communications procedures in and went for broke. They an armored Iraqi force which to avoid detection. made themselves targets in order invaded early Jan. 29. All in all, according to Ingra- to find the Iraqis." The Marines remained hidden ham, it was a classic reconnais- Admire said that perhaps too from the enemy during two days sance mission, albeit unplanned much attention has been given of heavy fighting, which was and particularly unnerving. to the fact that the allies pulled supported by Marine air and "I never expected that kind of back after a previous attempt artillery. Much of the support- fear," said LCpl. David Mc- on the first night to retake the ing fire was called in by the Namee, 19. "But you have to city, While they did encounter recon Marines. overcome it. You can't allow fierce Iraqi resistance, Admire On the third day of combat, yourself to be defeated in your said, the first assault was `Bravo' check one of the team sprinted more mind." probably largely meant to than half a mile through the The Marines said focusing on determine locations and dispo- LCpl. Jason Alavarado and Military Police Dog "Cay," pay close attention to cars entering the Air Station battle-torn streets to another their mission helped them sitions of the enemy forces in at the I-1-3 Gate. Since Operation Desert Storm began in the Persian Gulf, the Station has been in team, which had been dis- overcome the fear caused by order to create a scheme of Threat Condition Bravo, the second of four conditions. Included in Threat Condition Bravo are more patched to get them out. their unfriendly surroundings. maneuver. frequent identification checks, higher numbers of guards manning the gates and the use of ponce dogs. Meanwhile, the Saudis laid down Virtually all of the Marines "All of us are very proud of fire for their exodus. The second interviewed so far who have the Saudis," he said. team drove out on punctured tires faced the Iraqis in ground Admire, like other allied offi- in vehicles they had hidden near fighting say that while the cers, also downplayed the sig- their position. Iraqis are competent, they are nificance of the Iraqi occupa- Cpl. Brown, not superhuman. tion of the abandoned city. Jeff 21, was "The Iraqis did lay down come slightly injured "it Tali &IWOyt. ballay de- Bush praises when an air serious defensive Kra,. said Marines fended, he burst artillery round exploded added. Corpsman Carlos Dayrit, 21. S. Cpl. Jason above his position. It was a latLt. Mohammed Alkhtani, By Erickson before the Congress. children's future." Col. John Admire, a task force officer littw51 Marin. 0101 Wrie, round he personally called in to assistant operations for "There is no one more de- He again pointed to the service commander with the 1st Marine person- a Saudi National Guard battal- President Get rge Bush said it to men and women in the Gulf as take-out Iraqi armored the early experi- voted, more committed the street below, Division, said ion that helped recapture the was no surprise the first ground hard work of freedom, than the guiding light for carrying nel carriers on the ence against Iraqi troops will engagement in the Persian Gulf The Marines were conducting town, said that when he spoke every soldier and sailor, every out that cause and attributed prove valuable when the fight- to some captured Iraqi officers, conflict involved United States Marine, airman and Coast their willingness to sacrifice to surveillance late into Monday ing intensifies. Marines. He also said it was night from atop a building in they seemed confused as to why Guardsman - every man and their belief "in a cause larger "It's good psychological prepa- no surprise they fought with the abandoned city when they they had invaded the border woman now serving in the than themselves." ration for battle," Admire said. town. He also said their morale distinction and bravery. Persian Gulf," he stressed. heard an Iraqi battalion fight- gives them confidence to go speaking During his visit to Cherry "It appeared low, and that most of The president was Point, Bush paid honors the ing its way through relatively after the 10-foot-tall Iraqis." directly to Marines, Bailors and This sparked an electrifying to defenses. The Marines the Iraqis surrendered as soon military families, for they too, light feel a little more confident at Marine Corps two-minute standing ovation by by radio, but chose "I as they were surrounded. their families he said, make great were alerted now to go out and do Station Cherry Point, N.C., the members of Congress. sacrifices in position. They it," Alkhtani had his own opin- Air for their country. to remain McNamee said. "We're trained but his message extends to the In response, Bush remarked: moved to the top floor of the ion, however. "The attack on there are no well we had all the right entire Marine Corps. "What a wonderful and fitting "Unfortunately, building, set up defenses, and Khafji was part of an attempt Cherry Point, home of tribute to them. Each of them medals of valor for military watched the enemy roll into moves." to draw the Americans into but were, there all came together in more the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, has volunteered to provide for families, if there town. "It attacking the ground," he said. be as on ways than one," Ingraham said. was the first of three military this nation's defense. And now would much decoration But whatever the reason for The Marines observed the years of training jelled bases in the Southeast the they bravely struggle to earn your chests as there is pride "Three the Iraqi attacks, the air them," the Iraqis setting up defensive zones out there." president visited Friday. for America, for the world and within he told and looting grocery stores campaign continues, and in "To all of you in That kind of confidence, ac- "We're now more than two for future generations, a just families. their initial observation reports. quiet moments, even in Khafji, spouses, children, parents, loved cording to Admire, is now shared thunder of allied weeks into Operation Desert and lasting peace. Our commit- They said they went undetected, the distant be ones, Marines you are doing by many Saudis and Qataris Storm and my report to you ment to them must equal to except for one frightened Iraqi bombing over occupied Kuwait to more than just keeping the home after the fighting in Khafji - can be heard and felt, It's a today is that we're on course, their commitment their soldier holed up in a building fires burning. You" dedication fighting that apparently resulted reminder that, as President Bush we're on schedule and things country. They are truly across the street who occasion- bravery is lighting the in heavy Iraqi looses. reiterated Friday, the allies will are going well," Bush said. America's finest." and ally fired at them. Bush asked all Americans to hearts of every American." Most accounts placed Iraqi continue the war on their own "Day by day, night by night, The Marines said they could Iraq's capacity to wage war is share in the "hard work of While he has praised all deaths at about V), and prison- timetable and on their own freedom" by defeating tyranny service members for their role hear the Iraqis laughing and ers taken at more than 100, terms not Saddam Hussein's being systematically destroyed around at night, and at in the Persian Gulf. He spoke in Desert Storm, the president joking with significant additional And while even the allied by U.S. and coalition forces," one point they saw an Iraqi of a "defining hour" for the took the opportunity to address casualties. All enemy armor in timetable almost certainly During his State of the Union soldier walk below the stairwell address in Washington, D.C. nation and the world. the Corps alone during his the city was either destroyed or means heavier ground fighting Cherry Point visit. they were in, and leave the captured. Several armored in the coming weeks, Marines Jan. 29, Bush attributed this "What is at stake is more building. progress to years of vigilance, than one small country," he ex- "(The) courage and commit- vehicles were reportedly taken here don't seem to have a commitment to a plained. "It is a big idea, a new ment (of Marines) will help "It was just a good thing for out by Marine artillery.