DEATH IS ALL AROUND US
Ambush in Saddam City


CWO5 Thomas G. Tomka, USMCR



CWO5 Tomka has served in three wars. In Vietnam (1968-1969) he served as an infantryman with 3d Battalion 4th Marines and was twice wounded. During the Gulf War (1990-1991), he was with 3d Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), assigned to 1st ANGLICO and saw action near Al Wafra and along the coastal highway invasion into Kuwait City. He was awarded a Bronze Star with Combat "V." His reserve unit was activated shortly after September 11th 2001, and served in Global War on Terrorism (2002) as a quick reaction force. In January 2003, his unit was transferred to the command of the 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Regiment and he saw combat during the liberation of Iraq (2003).

Centered Again

As I sat in the ditch long to road, the dirt covered sweat dripped down my face and pooled in a small fold in my flak jacket. To someone looking at my face, they could have easily mistaken it for a tear shed for my fellow Marines, bloody, maimed, or in body bags.

My uniform was already soaked with sweat and I had surrendered to the choking heat, the biting insects, and extreme fatigue. It had been days, since I had slept more then two or three hours and my stomach was pained from hunger. I looked forward to my only ration of the day. As I drank from my canteen, the water, warmed by the heat of the day, only moistened by mouth, leaving me still thirsty. A small red ant struggled to gain entry through my boot's drain hole. I didn't have the heart to kill it. I brushed it aside and continued to scan to right flank of our position.

The sky seemed the deepest cobalt blue with only a whisper of white clouds dotting the horizon. My eyes looked over the earthen dikes to a small mud hut surrounded by palm trees; tops swaying in the gentle breeze. The locals were working away in the fields, oblivious of our presence. They ripped their crops from the ground by hand, as if to punish the earth for their life. This penance, unchanged seemingly forever.

This surreal scene would only be interrupted by the occasional mixing of friendly and enemy gunfire. The locals would pause and check to see if the fire was close. Realizing it was more of an inconvenience then a danger, they continued their labor. How did they survive this seemingly endless war?

As I watched the living painting before me, in my mind, I could hear "For What it is Worth" by Buffalo Springfield. I had listened to that song so many times before leaving for Vietnam, it was etched in my mind. There was no fear in my soul. I had prepared myself for death, knowing that I could not fail my fellow Marines. I recalled Staff Sergeant Cawley, who had been killed just a few days before. He was a noble man, always positive...always professional...always there for others. I quickly was brought back to the here and now by the sound of a grenade explosion in the distance. As I sat waiting for the order to move out, I listened to the distant sounds of the locals' catlike language; it centered me again.

----- The smell, the taste, the feel, the very landscape ... for a moment it was 1968, and I was in Vietnam ... then abruptly I was snapped back to the present, 35 years later, to Iraq ... at war once more in a hostile country: I had come full circle.

Saddam City

On 8 April 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Fox Company and the Bravo Command element of 2d Battalion 23d Marines were conducting combat sweep operations in Saddam City in the southeastern part of Baghdad, Iraqi. In the initial part of the operation, Fox Company, accompanied by the battalion's Bravo command element, sized an enemy position near a road intersection. The position contained four D-30, 155-mm artillery pieces, an ammunition cache, and several enemy support vehicles. As the main body of Fox Company moved northeast, the company's weapons section and the battalion's Bravo Command element remained at the enemy weapons site. The weapons section occupied an area to the north and the command element occupied the area to the south along of the easternmost road. The site was in a soccer field with residential dwellings bordering on the north, east and south. On the west side was a series of parallel north-south roadways divided by semi-wooded areas.

I was the battalion Infantry Weapons and Force Protection Officer. I set up a security checkpoint south of the Bravo Command element, as well as security strong points around the elements sector of responsibility. Suddenly, the Marines came under enemy rocket propelled grenade (RPG) and small arms fire from the wooded area across the road and to the west of joint positions. One RPG hit near a Marine 7 ton truck near F Company Weapons Platoon witnessed by most of the Marines in the area. Everyone moved to the ground for cover. As the Marines took cover, Staff Sergeant Calwile could see small arms rounds impacting against the curb between the vehicle of the Bravo Command Element. The surprise attack brought confusion.

The enemy was well hidden to the northwest and using civilians as shields; the RPG fire was directed at the weapons section, while the small arms fire was directed at the entire unit. The small arms fire was sporadic. While not intense, the source of the fire was unknown and intentionally confusing. The danger was extreme because, unlike a known enemy position, acquiring targets was nearly impossible. Marines were in the open or only protected by non-armored HMMVEEs and at the mercy of the enemy sniping. The strength of the enemy was unknown as to their positions. The command element was focused on the movement and actions of the main element of Fox Company and the Fox Company Marines' leadership was engaged in a battle north of the location adding to the confusion. All that was known was that they were armed with RPGs and small arms, as well as a general direction. Further the fire came from a civilian population center and was in another Marine battalion's zone of action, creating clear fire issues and cross boundary conflicts. The enemy forces of unknown strength used a technique that would allow civilian vehicles to approach near the Marine positions, get directly between the Marines and the enemy position, and then open fire. This would draw the civilians directly into any fire fight. As a result of this tactic, Marines would either not fire to prevent civilian causalities, or fire, with the possiblilty that civilians would be killed or wounded in the crossfire.

As the enemy opened fire and the Marines began to return fire, a civilian orange van drove into the line of fire as it traveled south on the middle north-south road. The van was hit with a number of rounds and came to a halt in the middle of the road. There were four males dressed in civilian clothing in the van, two in the front seats and two in the rear of the van. Based on prior enemy contact, the Marines did not know whether or not these individuals were hostile Iraqis. The Iraqis lay helpless, bleeding to death and exposed.

Realizing that time mattered and that the Marines' flank was exposed and there were wounded on the battleground, I quickly assembled a patrol of volunteers, consisting of Master Sergeant Russell, Gunnery Sergeant Calwile, Gunnery Sergeant Kocina, Staff Sergeant Corcoran, and Sergeant Murphy. I positioned additional Marines along the road to protect the command element. Not knowing whether the civilian vehicle was part of the ambush, or only carried innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, the patrol moved forward to the civilian vehicle to secure the site. The actions of these enlisted volunteers were above their call to duty because, as they moved forward, they knew they were risking their lives to help wounded Iraqis, not U.S. personnel -- as well as protecting the flank.

As the patrol moved forward, CBS news producer and cameraman Kirk Spitzer and his security, Sergeant J. Harper Blunt, H & S Company, 2d Light Reconnaissance Battalion, accompanied and filmed the patrol. A highly-edited and out-of-sequence version of the action would later appear in CBS's CD "America at War."

As the patrol approached the site, the patrol members could see that the front passenger, a male Iraqi, had exited the vehicle and was lying on the ground next to the vehicle. He was wounded and was yelling for help. The driver was slumped over the steering wheel and was motionless. In the back of the van, on the right passenger side, sat another Iraqi covered with blood and yelling for help. Next to him, in the left rear passenger seat, was another Iraqi. He was also covered with blood, but was motionless. The scene was confused, with the enemy on the west side, wounded and dead Iraqis in the middle, and apprehensive Marines prepared to fire at any threat.

I directed the patrol members out of the area of potential crossfire, and remained in the crossfire zone to protect the wounded and to be able to maintain control of the patrol. Master Sergeant Russell and Sergeant Murphy were directed to the right of the position to secure flank. M/Sgt. Russell, ignoring a painful foot injury which he had suffered in an unrelated incident, moved forward with Sgt. Murphy to the vulnerable right flank. Realizing that their position would insure a successful mission, they held their position in spite of sniper rounds striking dangerously close. Due to the nature of the terrain, it was difficult for M/Sgt. Russell and Sgt. Murphy to take advantage of the natural barriers and other large protective features, so they used great tactical sense employing micro-terrain to its maximum advantage.

Gunnery Sergeant Kocina and Staff Sergeant Corcoran, under my directions, moved to the front of the position through the kill zone. Assuming a position in the semi-wooded area to protect the patrol from frontal assault, they took cover in the wooded area behind a berm, some trees and brushes, and held their position steadfastly, which proved vital to the mission's success.

Gunnery Sergeant Calwile and I remained in the open. Gunnery Sergeant Calwile covered me as he searched the vehicle and occupants for weapons. Sgt. Blunt soon joined the search of the vehicle. I started with the closest Iraqi. This was the Iraqi on the ground near the front passenger seat. He was seriously wounded with stomach and head wounds. He was clear of weapons. I then went to the Iraqi moving in the back of the vehicle, pulled him from the vehicle to the ground, and searched him. This Iraqi had a leg wound. No weapons were found. I then returned to the vehicle and discovered that the remaining Iraqis were dead. I searched their bodies and the vehicle for weapons with the assistance of Sgt. Blunt and Gunnery Sergeant Calwile. No weapons were found. As Sgt. Blunt and Gunnery Sergeant moved to the left side of the vehicle to secure that area, I remained in the line of fire and moved the Iraqi lying by the rear passenger door of the vehicle's front, away from the line of fire.

I then radioed for medical assistance. Hospital Corpsmen HM3 Ritterbush, HM2 Croft, and HM3 Rosado, without hesitation, volunteered to come forth and treat the wounded civilians in the open despite potential sniper fire and other small arms fire. As they moved forward, sniper fire could be heard, but the source of the sniper could not be determined. The Corpsmen rushed forward into the open kill zone. HM3 Ritterbush and HM2 Croft ran to the most seriously injured Iraqi by the front passenger side of the vehicle, while HM3 Rosado went to the Iraqi with the leg wound near the front of the vehicle. Sniper fire could again be heard. I moved to the rear of the vehicle, remaining in the open to draw the sniper fire away from the Corpsmen and buying time while they treated the wounded civilians. The Corpsmen's quick actions prevented the most seriously wounded Iraqi from bleeding to death. Soon the sniper redirected the attack back towards the Corpsmen. Ignoring the danger, and still in an exposed position, HM3 Ritterbush and HM2 Croft continued to treat the wounded. To protect them, I moved between the area the sniper fire was coming from and the Corpsmen's position, to draw any fire.

This allowed HM3 Ritterbush, HM2 Croft and HM3 Rosado to place the most seriously wounded Iraqi on a litter. The Corpsmen remained in the open, exposed to the fire of the sniper(s). Without hesitation, the Corpsmen shielded the wounded with their own bodies as they carried them to safety. Sgt. Blunt and I shielding them as they did so. I then ordered the other Marines to withdraw.

Once all the Marines were out of the kill zone. I moved from the exposed position to safety. We were unable either to establish the total number of rounds fired or the specific source of the fire, although the general direction of the fire was determined to be directly in line with the stopped vehicle.

When we returned to our position, there was no "well done" or acknowledgement. It was as though the ones in charge were more embarrassed than pleased: not so much embarrassed by our actions, as embarrassed by the death of civilians. That Marines had put their lives in peril to draw wounded civilians out of fire was evidently beneath their notice.

No Real Change

The more things change the more they remain the same. The nature of war never truly changes. Uniforms and equipment come and go. New bells and whistles-new things with buttons and switches, but not the soldier. Not the American soldier, for he fights for his lofty traditions and his ideals. He fights for causes like liberty, freedom of the seas, emancipation, protection of his fellow Americans, stopping tyranny and oppression, or to smite evil.

And yes, there is evil in this world! Pure evil! Pure evil that would murder the innocent and orphan children. Evil that would blame those who would protect this country rather then those who seek us ill will and evil that would place political gain over the safety of the nation. September 11, 2001, is not the first challenge of the patriot, nor will it be the last. To borrow a repetitive typing drill of long ago, it is time for all good men to come to the aid of their county. This time we would prevail. As Marines we maintain our character, our honor, and our fighting spirit.