Welcome back!
I interviewed nearly one-hundred participants of the battle for An Nasiriyah in order to collect the overall story of the first major battle of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The two-year adventure of learning the details for Marines in the Garden of Eden began when then Brigadier General Richard Natonski invited me to come to Camp Lejeune in October of 2003. I spent an entire day talking with Marines and walked away knowing that I had to tell that amazing story.
So, when LtGen Richard Natonski suggested that I write the story of Phantom Fury, I jumped at the opportunity. Once I digested the PowerPoint briefing he gave me, I set out to start the research process again. I found a map; collected information on the units involved and started my interviews.
Richard S. Lowry is the author of The Gulf War Chronicles and Marines in the Garden of Eden.
The book writing process is comprised of many different phases. First, I must pick a subject. Next, I must become an expert on that subject. I read every available book, account, after action report, and anything else I can get my hands on. I collect maps, photographs and videos. Most importantly, I try to talk to as many eye witnesses as possible. And, I try to conduct my interviews from the top down. Only after I become familiar with the subject, can I set pen to paper.
I have already interviewed nearly forty soldiers, sailors and Marines – many from the 1st Marine Division staff. Of course, I have spent time talking with LtGen Natonski. General Natonski is not a seeker of notoriety. Yet, he is one of the most combat experienced commanders in the Marine Corps. As a young lieutenant, he led a small ground security element during the evacuation of the US Embassy in Saigon. He has served in Lebanon, Haiti and Mogadishu. In 2003, Brigadier General Natonski commanded the 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade whose Camp Lejeune Marines fought the battle for An Nasiriyah.
General Natonski does everything with gusto. He likes people and is a team builder. When I asked him if he remembered his radio call sign, he told me, “I’m not one to talk on the radio, when I can go face-to-face with the commanders.” He has long been an advocate of joint operations and was quite possibly the most qualified to lead the 1st Marine Division into the first major urban fight since Hue City. I like General Natonski, he treats everyone with respect.
In the midst of the fight, he was shown the photograph of the Marine who ended up on the cover of Time Magazine.
General Natonski immediately ordered that the Marine be found. Once the “Marlboro Man” was identified, the general and his entourage ventured out in search of the Marine to give him a copy of the photograph and to tell him that he had become famous. Today, Natonski is working in the Pentagon. His only career desire is to get back out leading his Marines again.
I have also spoken with LtGen Keith Stalder. As a Major General, Stalder was the Marine Air Wing Commander during Operation Phantom Fury. He flew one of the first attack missions of the battle in his F/A18 and dropped the first two 500lb bombs on the railroad berm north of Fallujah. His bombs started the process of clearing lanes for the ground attack.
Immediately following the F/A18 sorties, a Marine lance corporal rumbled forward in a heavy D9 combat bulldozer to finish the lane clearing. Colonel George Bristol, Natonski’s Intelligence Officer, told me that this is a great example of Marine teamwork and the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) in action. Picture a Marine Major General dropping bombs, followed by a lance corporal in an armored bulldozer opening the lane so that a Marine infantry battalion could attack through the breach.
Next, I spoke with a veteran of the 2003 march to Baghdad. Brigadier General Joseph Dunford was the 1st Marine Division’s Assistant Division Commander (ADC) and became responsible for operations throughout Anbar province while General Natonski focused on the actual assault on Fallujah. While speaking with General Dunford, I began to realize the complexity of the fight. The war did not grind to a halt while we assaulted Fallujah. It was extremely important to try to maintain pressure on the enemy, keep the southern supply routes open and maintain security along the Syrian border. General Dunford kept up an operational tempo, even though every available unit was cannibalized to assemble the largest Fallujah assault force possible.
By starting at the top of the command structure, I get the strategic overview first. Then, I try to work my way down the chain of command. I find that at each echelon, I gain more detailed knowledge and a completely different view of the battlefield. Eventually, I will move from a macro to a micro focus. Eventually, I will interview some of the lance Corporals who were putting their lives in danger with every door they kicked in or courtyard they entered.
But, for now, I am still learning. I have spoken with the CG, ADC, Intelligence Officer (G-2) and Operations Officer (G-3) of 1st Marine Division. I have spoken with Brigade and Regimental commanders. I have interviewed the Black Jack Brigade commander, Colonel Mike Formica and RCT-1s commander, Colonel Mike Shupp. Craig Tucker is on the calendar for next week. The battalion commanders provide an operational view of the battle. Every one of them that I have spoken with thus far spent much of their time with their soldiers and Marines in the city. When I lay all of the battalion commander’s descriptions side-by-side, I will end up with a very clear picture of the fight in Fallujah.
Thus far, I have interviewed Colonels Pete Newell, Jim Rainey, Steve Dinauer, Gary Brandl, Myles Miyamasu and Pat Malay. In coming weeks, I will devote an entire post to both Jim Rainey and Pat Malay. I spent more than three hours speaking with Colonel Pat Malay. During our talk, he related a story to me which bears retelling.
Colonel Malay did everything he could to prepare his Marines for their deployment to Iraq in 2004. When the Marines of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment arrived in Iraq, they were as prepared as any unit before, or after. In Part V, I will tell the story of 3/5s unusual preparations for deployment.
This is a continuing series, Catch up on previous posts here.
