Marine officer wins Silver Star for gallantry/Iraq (ambushed by thousands)

[UpInArms]

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128768785021&path=!news&s=1045855934842

Like any good leader accepting an honor, Maj. John D. Harrill III deflected the credit to his troops.

<snip>

Harrill, commanding officer of the Marine Corps Recruiting Station, Richmond, yesterday was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the military's third-highest award for gallantry in combat.

The commendation cited his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action" while serving as a battalion operations officer last year in Iraq.

Harrill said the incident for which he was awarded occurred in April 2004 as Marines were fighting to prevent the fall of Ramadi, a city of about 450,000 people.

"We were ambushed by thousands of insurgents," he said. While coordinating his battalion's combat units, Harrill personally wiped out enemy machine-gun and rocket-propelled-grenade posts, the commendation noted.

...more...

Yes, I am aware that the incident was more than a year ago - but "ambushed by thousands"????

Weren't they saying that there were not that many "insurgents" in Iraq at that point in time?

[niyad]

1. and are there "thousands" of insurgents there now? wouldn't we be

hearing more about them if that were true?

[Psephos]

2. Read up on Ramadi if you're interested

Ramadi was a shit show. Ramadi is just west of Fallujah, and the two cities together were the stronghold of the insurgency in April 2004.

It takes a strong effort to avoid knowing that there were thousands of insurgents in Ramadi and Fallujah a year and a half ago, and that US Marines died by the dozens there trying to restore civil rule. If the phrase "we support the troops" has any meaning than we should congratulate this officer for courage under fire.

Hate the war with heart and soul, and dis the chimp and his yard-apes, but don't dis people like Harrill by insinuating they are telling whoppers about their service.

Peace.

[Kagemusha]

3. Ambushed by thousands sounds like a mild oversimplification

The thrust of it can still be quite true. This wasn't Korea, though.

[daleo]

6. It depends who he means with the pronoun "we"

"His unit - the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division"

So, he seems to mean his battalion was "ambushed by thousands". I gather a marine battalion is several hundred troops. The phrase "ambushed by thousands" conjures up an image of being unexpectedly and simultaneously attacked by a large enemy force. I don't think that was the case in Ramadi - it is simply not how the Iraqi insurgency works, from all accounts I have read.

I imagine it was more like small units in house to house fighting, similar to Stalingrad or warfare of that nature.

[UpInArms]

10. I wasn't "dissing" Harrill - I was "dissing" the military

reports that we were fighting a handful of "dead-enders"

Harrill has earned all the awards and kudos possible and my hat is off to him and his men.

I am just so sorry that this is occurring at all :(

[Psephos]

15. Well, I do hear you

It's hard to separate the parties in this war, isn't it?

Just so you know, Harrill's own report of what happened would be one of the key documents considered by the awarding committee. That's why I said what I said - given that his word figures prominently in this medal, to doubt the official report is to doubt Harrill.

When you read the whole article, you find that after the fighting, Harrill's men helped out people in Ramadi to get capital and implement plans for new businesses. Indirectly, that also speaks pretty well of Harrill. As C.O., he would not only be granting permission, but would have an active role in overseeing such activities. If the US is to repair its damaged reputation, it will be exactly through activities such as this.

Peace.

[TacticalPeek]

4. Routine business for a leatherneck.

Oorah!

:patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

5. and Chimp 'n Dick win the Superhero Award for sending him to save our oil

:applause:

Saving all that sweet CRUDE--for Civilized English speaking Kristchens-

God bless America ----and nobody else !

:applause:

[newspeak]

7. well, hope he doesn't go into politics

especially if he files for the Democratic Party, because they'll "swift boat" him. Apparently, it's better being a partying, duty shirking week-end warrior, than one who has actually been and seen war; and has done something brave.

[saigon68]

16. Another Crude Oil hero

God I feel safe </sarcasm>


The new Neocon slogan "Kill all the (insert racial epithet here)"

[xchrom]

8. ok -- thousands?

[Hyernel]

9. Audie Murphy reborn!

[KansDem]

11. Has the GOP signed off on this commendation?

The Republicans appear to be the final say as to whether or not a military honor is truly deserved.

[neverforget]

12. This incident in Ramadi was on The History Channel show 'Shootout'

last week. Very interesting.....

[Bigmack]

13. Hope he doesn't turn out to be a Dem....

..who wants to run for office in a few years. The Pub smear machine will jam that Star up his ass and break it off.

Bravery like that can only be held in contempt by those chickenhawks.

[Javaman]

14. Insurgents, civilians...Potato, patoto...n/t