A Navy Corpman remembers the assault on Baghdad
A Navy Corpman who wishes to remain anonymous, wants to remember some of the Marines in his unit who died eight years ago in the assault on Baghdad;
On 4 April 2003, 2nd Tank Battalion, attached to RCT 5, 1st MarDiv was racing toward Baghdad, as were most Units in Iraq at that time. Up to that point, direct enemy engagement had been light and we had lost only one Marine due to fratricide and one wounded in action. That ended in Tuwallyhah.
I was not there that day. The logpack was located more than 20 miles away waiting for the tanks to secure the objective, which was the HQ of the
Republican GuardAl Nida Division. The first casualty of the battle was LCPL Gooden, gunner of the lead tank, killed when an RPG hit the hatch of his tank. The blast was deflected into the tank which knocked out comms and the GPS. The tank continued on and others soon radioed that they had missed the turn and were only 4 clicks from Baghdad. The battalion then had to double back under fire during the ensuing chaos, 1LT Brian McPhillips and Sgt Duane Rios were killed. Fox 2/5 1st Sgt Ed “Horsehead” Smith was mortally wounded, hit by a piece of secondary shrapnel.I didn’t know any of them well. That is to say that I had done medical coverage for Lt. Mcphillips and knew him enough to joke with him at chow time. I knew Gooden enough to say, “hey.” The others, I didn’t know at all. I learned of them only after their death. Yet, each year I think of them and wonder where they would be now if they had lived. I have no doubt they were extraordinary men. Mcphillips was awarded a posthumous Bronze Star for the manner in which he lead his platoon up to the moment of his death. Gooden was awarded the Navy Marine Corps Medal.
I am honored to have served with these extraordinary men. I am humbled by their sacrifices and in some strange way, I miss them.
Category: Terror War
I try to live each day as if the friends I have who didnt come back are watching me and I am, in a way, living for them as well as myself. I sometimes fall short, but I think that is a good way to honor them.
And we will see them again on Fiddler’s Green.
Halfway down the trail to Hell,
In a shady meadow green
Are the Souls of all dead troopers camped,
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddlers’ Green.
Marching past, straight through to Hell
The Infantry are seen.
Accompanied by the Engineers,
Artillery and Marines,
For none but the shades of Cavalrymen
Dismount at Fiddlers’ Green.
Though some go curving down the trail
To seek a warmer scene.
No trooper ever gets to Hell
Ere he’s emptied his canteen.
And so rides back to drink again
With friends at Fiddlers’ Green.
And so when man and horse go down
Beneath a saber keen,
Or in a roaring charge of fierce melee
You stop a bullet clean,
And the hostiles come to get your scalp,
Just empty your canteen,
And put your pistol to your head
And go to Fiddlers’ Green.
Thank you, Corpsman.
They will be missed and remembered, and their loss felt even among those of us who didn’t know them, because they were our fellow Marines. And we remember you too, doc, for what you did for all of us.
Semper fi.
Damn straight, Corpsman.
There’s not a week goes by that I don’t think of friends left behind. I’m pretty sure it’s the same for everyone here. It’s part of the yin & yang of service. You get to meet and befriend so many great folks, but every now and then you have to say goodbye to some of them.
God Bless them all.
Well done Doc on your tribute. It was personally touching to read this as Ed Smith and myself were in the same squad at DI School on MCRD San Diego in 1993. Ed was a good man as well as an outstanding DI and Marine. God bless the families of Ed and these Marines. Semper Fi, Doc.