First Fights in Fallujah: Marines During Operation Vigilant Resolve, in Iraq, April 2004

The National Command Authorities in Washington, DC, demanded that the Marine Expeditionary Force take action against insurgent forces in Fallujah, Iraq, in March 2004. The Marines fought in high-intensity battles and firefights, using combined arms tactics and innovative strategies. Interviews with Marines from infantry squad members to a battalion commander were conducted to create a unique narrative of the combat.

Format: Hardback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2023
Publisher: Casemate Publishers

In March 2004, a tragic incident occurred in Fallujah, Iraq, where a group of American civilian security contractors was unprovoked ambushed, killed, and their bodies desecrated. This incident led to significant consequences, as the National Command Authorities in Washington, DC, demanded that the newly arrived Marine Expeditionary Force take action against the perpetrators and other insurgent forces. The planned Stability and Support Operations were put aside as the insurgent fighters dared the Marines to enter Fallujah. The Marines, including infantrymen, tankers, helicopter crews, and amphibious vehicle drivers, engaged in intense battles and firefights during the first fights of Fallujah in April 2004. Their cooperation and innovation were remarkable, as they fought in the streets, conducted house-to-house searches, cleared buildings of enemy forces, and used tank main guns in direct support of urban environment operations. Helicopter crews provided support with rockets and machine-gun fire, while Amtrac Marines transported forces to face enemy RPG and machine-gun fire. Interviews with Marines from infantry squad members to a battalion commander were conducted by Marine Corps field historians shortly after the events, providing valuable insights into their experiences. This book combines these interview notes and the words of the men themselves to create a unique narrative of the Marines' involvement in this combat.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781636243184