This was a battle that saw 18 Marines from 1st Bn 2nd Marine Regiment Charlie Company fall to enemy/insurgent forces (as initially reported). However, a friendly-fire incident occurred when two A-10's from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard strafed the AAV's of Charlie Company by mistake, killing at least one Marine, and possibly as many as 17 Marines, over the course of multiple passes. Nasiriyah was the headquarters of the Iraqi Army's 3rd Corps, composed of the 11th Infantry Division (ID), 51st Mechanized Infantry Division, and 6th Armored Division, all at around 50 percent strength. However, the 51st ID concentrated most of their focus in Al Basrah and oil fields.
A US Army supply convoy from the 507th Maintenance Company had mistakenly veered off Highway 8 and then turned toward the city into enemy-held territory. The US vehicles ran into an ambush, drawing enemy fire from every direction. Eleven American soldiers were killed and several were taken prisoner. However, a few soldiers managed to escape the ambush and form a screen around their wounded. They were soon rescued by a company from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Task Force Tarawa) under the command of Major William Peeples.
The bloodiest day of the operations for the Marines was 23 March, when 18 men of Charlie Company,1st Battalion 2nd Marines, were killed and eight AAV's were disabled in heavy fighting with Iraqi forces around the Saddam Canal. Marines were engaged by RPGs, mortar, and artillery fire, as well as four Iraqi tanks hidden behind a building.
Not a day goes by that I do not think about The Nas. I love you all, god bless and rest in piece.
"Some will remember, some will try to forget, the day we got hit by a tank buster jet." unkown
A US Army supply convoy from the 507th Maintenance Company had mistakenly veered off Highway 8 and then turned toward the city into enemy-held territory. The US vehicles ran into an ambush, drawing enemy fire from every direction. Eleven American soldiers were killed and several were taken prisoner. However, a few soldiers managed to escape the ambush and form a screen around their wounded. They were soon rescued by a company from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (Task Force Tarawa) under the command of Major William Peeples.
The bloodiest day of the operations for the Marines was 23 March, when 18 men of Charlie Company,1st Battalion 2nd Marines, were killed and eight AAV's were disabled in heavy fighting with Iraqi forces around the Saddam Canal. Marines were engaged by RPGs, mortar, and artillery fire, as well as four Iraqi tanks hidden behind a building.
Not a day goes by that I do not think about The Nas. I love you all, god bless and rest in piece.
"Some will remember, some will try to forget, the day we got hit by a tank buster jet." unkown
