Marines put on game face to ease rough ride

[Vulture6]

Marines put on game face to ease rough ride

By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, October 27, 2005

As a Marine Corps convoy headed out of Forward Operating Base Asadabad on its way to Camp Blessing in eastern Afghanistan late Monday night, Marines joked to each other about the spine-rattling ride that awaited them.

The comments were a way to pass the time with humor and keep the Marines’ minds off the jarring ride ahead. Bouncing around in a highback Humvee personnel carrier, Marines joked about the recruiting commercials that depict a Marine fighting a computer-animated fire dragon and another commercial that shows a Marine climbing a rock face.

“Where’s that fire dragon now?” Marines quipped. “When do I get to fight him? And where’s that rock climber? When do we get to do that?”

The route between Asadabad and Blessing has been fraught with enemy ambushes of late. Afghan supply trucks, better known as jingle trucks, were hit earlier in the week with enemy rocket-propelled grenades on their way to Blessing.

During the convoy briefing Monday night, leaders seemed positive that Marines would have contact with the enemy. But the convoy passed without a firefight, and all the Marines made it safely to Blessing.

However, one of the convoy’s Humvees broke down and had to be pulled to Blessing by another Humvee. The normally two-hour drive turned into a four-hour marathon.

Super-human strength would have been nice to tow the crippled Humvee and speed up the process.

Where’s that fire dragon when you need him?

On your honor
A pair of Medal of Honor recipients visited Forward Operating Base Asadabad on Monday to give the Marines with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division out of Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, a big thank-you.

John J. McGinty III and Gary L. Littrell, both of whom received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Vietnam War, spoke to troops about the mission in Afghanistan. Littrell and McGinty’s medal citations were read, and after hearing their stories, there was no doubt among the Marines why the men earned the U.S. military’s top honor.

“We’d just like to bring a big thank-you from the folks back home,” Littrell said. “What you’re doing, we really appreciate it.”

Home on the range
Marines with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, spent Tuesday afternoon on the firing range with MK-153 shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapons. An array of junked clothes washers and dryers were placed downrange as targets at Camp Blessing in eastern Afghanistan’s Kunar province.

After firing 9 mm spotting rounds from the weapon, Marines launched the deafening 83 mm rockets.

Cpl. William Davidson of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment fires an MK-153 shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon during target practive Tuesday afternoon at Camp Blessing in eastern Afghanistan. Photo by Steve Mraz / S&S

Cpl. William Davidson, with Company E’s 1st Platoon, was the first Marine to fire the weapon Tuesday afternoon. The 22-year-old from New Summerfield, Texas, was spot on with his shot.

“It’s the first time I’ve shot this weapon,” he said. “I obliterated the target. It was awesome. I hit the dryer right in the circle. We did the laundry with the SMAW round.”

A rocket makes impact with a junked clothes dryer during target practice Photo by Steve Mraz / S&S

Cpl. Brett Bailer, with Company E’s Weapons Platoon, served as Davidson’s spotter during the shoot. Bailer dubbed the Camp Blessing range the Kunar Training Area.

“KTA is a great place for live fire, and the only live-fire range with two-way fire,” Bailer said.

[Vulture6]

LITTRELL, GARY LEE

Rank and organization: Sergeant First Class, U.S. Army, Advisory Team 21, I Corps Advisory Group

Place and date: Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, 4-8 April 1970

Entered service at: Los Angeles, California

Born: 26 October 1944, Henderson, Kentucky

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sfc. Littrell, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Advisory Team 21, distinguished himself while serving as a Light Weapons Infantry Adviser with the 23d Battalion, 2nd Ranger Group, Republic Of Vietnam Army, near Dak Seang. After establishing a defensive perimeter on a hill on April 4, the battalion was subjected to an intense enemy mortar attack which killed the Vietnamese commander, one adviser, and seriously wounded all the advisers except Sfc. Littrell. During the ensuing 4 days, Sfc. Littrell exhibited near superhuman endurance as he singlehandedly bolstered the besieged battalion. Repeatedly abandoning positions of relative safety, he directed artillery and air support by day and marked the unit's location by night, despite the heavy, concentrated enemy fire. His dauntless will instilled in the men of the 23d Battalion a deep desire to resist. Assault after assault was repulsed as the battalion responded to the extraordinary leadership and personal example exhibited by Sfc. Littrell as he continuously moved to those points most seriously threatened by the enemy, redistributed ammunition, strengthened faltering defenses, cared for the wounded and shouted encouragement to the Vietnamese in their own language. When the beleaguered battalion was finally ordered to withdraw, numerous ambushes were encountered. Sfc. Littrell repeatedly prevented widespread disorder by directing air strikes to within 50 meters of their position. Through his indomitable courage and complete disregard for his safety, he averted excessive loss of life and injury to the members of the battalion. The sustained extraordinary courage and selflessness displayed by Sfc. Littrell over an extended period of time were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him and the U.S. Army.

McGINTY, JOHN J. III

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant (then S/Sgt.), U.S. Marine Corps, Company K, 3d Battalion, 4th Marines, 3d Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force

Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 18 July 1966

Entered service at: Laurel Bay, South Carolina

Born: 21 January 1940, Boston, Massachusetts

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. 2d Lt. McGinty's platoon, which was providing rear security to protect the withdrawal of the battalion from a position which had been under attack for 3 days, came under heavy small arms, automatic weapons and mortar fire from an estimated enemy regiment. With each successive human wave which assaulted his 32-man platoon during the 4-hour battle, 2d Lt. McGinty rallied his men to beat off the enemy. In 1 bitter assault, 2 of the squads became separated from the remainder of the platoon. With complete disregard for his safety, 2d Lt. McGinty charged through intense automatic weapons and mortar fire to their position. Finding 20 men wounded and the medical corpsman killed, he quickly reloaded ammunition magazines and weapons for the wounded men and directed their fire upon the enemy. Although he was painfully wounded as he moved to care for the disabled men, he continued to shout encouragement to his troops and to direct their fire so effectively that the attacking hordes were beaten off. When the enemy tried to out-flank his position, he killed 5 of them at point-blank range with his pistol. When they again seemed on the verge of overrunning the small force, he skillfully adjusted artillery and air strikes within 50 yards of his position. This destructive firepower routed the enemy, who left an estimated 500 bodies on the battlefield. 2d Lt. McGinty's personal heroism, indomitable leadership, selfless devotion to duty, and bold fighting spirit inspired his men to resist the repeated attacks by a fanatical enemy, reflected great credit upon himself, and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service.

[SpongeJuan]

I always liked hearing stories like these, and also reading citations.