Haditha Booming Thanks to Marines

[unhappycamper]

Haditha Booming Thanks to Marines
Marine Corps News | November 27, 2007

HADITHA, Iraq -- It may be impossible to predict history as it is happening, but some of the battles fought in Iraq are certain to become legendary. Generations from now, school children will learn of the heroes who fought in Fallujah and Ramadi, battling in extreme conditions when their country needed them most. Haditha, another Anbar city once caught in the grip of yesterday’s violence, is now becoming a city of progress and transition.

Without question, Haditha is known for its fierce battles. Many have given their lives in an attempt to reclaim peace in this northern area of the province. It was in this city that six Marines were killed in an ambush during 2005. Days later, 14 Marines died when their armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb. The city was a hotbed for terrorists where Marines confronted their enemy in the streets, houses and farm lands. But, if there was ever a place that could paint the picture of the progress being made in Anbar, it’s here.

A battalion of more than 1,000 Marines recently moved into Haditha. Most of them are reservists from New Orleans’ 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment. Others are attachments from Houston’s 1st Bn., 23rd Marines, or active duty Marines from various commands throughout the Marine Corps. Regardless of where they came or their status, their mission is clear.

“The main effort now is continuing to train the Iraqi security forces so we can transition into Iraqi control,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Jarrard, Company L commander.

Many parts of Anbar have already seen the transfer of command from coalition forces to Iraqi Army forces. Recently, the 7th Iraqi Army Division, the newest division in Iraq, took control of their area of operations, which includes Haditha. Marines here are getting ready to slow down operations and assist their Iraqi counterparts. This is the focus for much of the Marines in Iraq. The days of house-to-house fighting seems to be a part of Anbar’s past, making deployments of today much different from those just last year.

“A year ago, we were fighting in the streets every day, (evacuating) Marines who were wounded in action,” said Jarrard. “Now, the Marines patrol the streets and the people are talking about problems, which are nice problems to have. ‘Hey, can we get the roads paved,’ it sounds kind of like our neighborhoods back home. The problems are problems that every city has in the world. They’re not the problems of a city in the midst of a civil war.”


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,157085,00.html

[noamnety]

1. One of the comments on that site:

from the forum where they comment on the articles:

"American kids may learn the verse and chorus, but Iraqis will probably remember fathers, brothers, uncles and others in the family gunned down as 'insurgents', or obliterated sight-unseen long, after the Children of Eaton and O'Bannon are counting cadence in another 'Tripoli'."