1st Lt E.A. Meador, USMC

"I am 1st Lt E.A. Meador, Executive Officer, Company C, 1st Bn 2d Marine Regiment, 2d MEB, the unit engaged in the Battle of An Nasiriyah on 23 March 2003. I thank you for your page and the accounts of our fallen comrades; however, some of the information is misleading. Specifically the information about the supposed surrender and attack of the Iraqi troops. (See Marine Corps Deaths in Iraq War, March 23). I know that there are many stories of that day that hit the news with varying degrees of accuracy. Briefly I will note the discrepancy.

Our unit, 1st Bn 2d Marines had the mission of securing two key bridges on the eastern side of Nasiriyah, one to the south over the Euphrates and one to the north over the Saddam Canal. As we approached the city from the southern side, the battalion had some engagements with the Iraqis and then we encountered elements of the US Army 507th Maintenance Unit just south of the city. Members of this Army unit advised the battalion that they had been hit by an Iraqi unit acting as if they were surrendering. At this time our unit, 1st Bn 2d Marines, began a deliberate attack of the bridges. We encountered heavy fire moving through the city, but there was no faked surrender by Iraqis to the Marines. It was mostly Fedayeen using guerilla tactics coupled with uniformed Iraqi troops and Republican Guard. The 18 Marines killed that day were all part of or attached to Charlie Company.

Charlie Company's mission was to secure the northeastern bridge over the Saddam Canal. As we pushed through the city, one of our Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) was hit with an RPG but made it north of the bridge with the rest of the company and we took a considerable amount of small arms fire and more RPG fire. After reaching the north side of the bridge, we debarked the vehicles under heavy indirect fire, machine gun fire and RPG fire. Several casualties were taken at this point north of the bridge and we could not get a medevac helo to us because of the amount of fire.

The fight continued and Charlie Company pressed on the enemy returning fire with machine guns, SMAW rockets, M16 fire, mortar and artillery for some time. The closest medical help besides our corpsmen was back through the city to the south where other elements of the battalion were holding the southern bridge. The casualties were loaded on to several AAVs to be taken back to the south bridge for medical evacuation and also to update the other elements of the battalion of the situation on the north side of the bridge.

While pushing south, some of the AAVs were hit with RPGs and were immobilized. The group of Marines evacuating casualties stopped in the city to consolidate wounded and those left without a vehicle. A squad positioned themselves in a building in the city and protected the downed AAVs and casualties that could not all fit on the remaining vehicles and the rest of the party continued south. Once the evacuation party reached the other company on the south end, another AAV was hit with an RPG. A helo medevac was coordinated in this area to evacuate the casualties. Tanks and other elements of the battalion then pushed to the north bridge to join Charlie Company, recovering the squad and casualties inside the city on the way.

As the casualties were moved south, the bulk of Charlie Company continued to fight the enemy north of the bridge. The indirect fire coming from several directions was intense for nearly three hours and the RPG, machine gun and small arms fire was also heavy from several directions. Before the battalion consolidated north of the bridge, the enemy fire began to lift and they began to withdraw. At the end of the fight, we had 18 killed in action and 14 wounded in action medevac'd. We also had 7 out of 12 AAVs destroyed or immobilized. It was a hard fought battle, but the company inflicted a serious blow to the enemy north of the bridge and we held it strongly after defeating the Iraqi forces there.

It is important to note the heroism and solid performance of the Marines of Charlie Company. The leadership and strength of the success was in the small unit leaders and heroic actions of teams and individuals. When faced with the hardships of the battle, the Marines performed superbly. During the fight, several of the wounded Marines continued to load other casualties and give medical aid while others continued to fight. Corpsmen rushed under fire to treat wounded as AAV crewmen returned fire from their vehicles, and teammates fought to their death to assist other Marines and would not give up on their brothers.

There were several different fights in An Nasiriyah that day throughout the whole battalion and many acts of heroism. This is just one man's account of what happened on that day, there are many other stories within Charlie Company and throughout the other companies of the battalion. There was some involvement of a US aircraft that day as well but I am unable to speak of it at this time.

I will keep up with your website and may have a more detailed account at a later date. I just wanted to clear up that the Marine unit that fought the bulk of the battle at An Nasiriyah never encountered an Iraqi Unit that indicated surrender; it was a deliberate attack. I can speak only for what Charlie Company faced and the Marines acted like Marines. They fought hard, won the battle and took care of each other.

Thanks,
1st Lt E.A. Meador, USMC"