Just three days into a polarizing war with iraq, the 507th maintenance company, the last in a column of 600 vehicles making its way toward baghdad, got mired in sand with jammed weapons. In truth, the members of the 507 maintenance company reacted as many of us would. Popular iraq war books meet your next favorite book. Out of thirtythree soldiers, eleven were killed and seven captured in the fire fight. Attack on the 507th maintenance company, 23 march 2003, an. February 17, 2003, was deployment day for the 507th maintenance company of fort bliss, texas.
Jessica lynch were among members of the 507th maintenance company from fort bliss ambushed near nasiriyah, iraq, on march 23, 2003. The attack on the 507 th maintenance company at an nasiriyah was a tragedy not unlike those that have occurred in past conflicts in which this nation has engaged. On memorial day, may 26th, 2003, at approximately 7. Fierce fighting erupts in the city of samawah, where u. But the incident on the morning of march 23 involving the 507th maintenance company continues to haunt the u. Matthew rose, a member of the 507th maintenance company, poses at the fort bliss army base in texas.
The us vehicles ran into an ambush, drawing enemy fire from every direction. On march 23, 2003, jessicas unit the 507th maintenance company was ambushed. Army 507th maintenance company, 552 ada bn, 11th ada brigade. Dvids news retired mg brown to write book about 507th. Schram was leading a resupply convoy in western iraq near the syrian border. Too, bragg lets jessica lynch tell the story of her capture in the iraq war in her. Available on kindle ebook and can be read on any device with the free kindle. Marcia triggs july 17, 2003 washington army news service, july 17, 2003 the army released a 15page report today stating that members of the 507th maintenance company fought the best they could in iraq until there was no longer a means to resist. Jessica lynch set out for iraq with the 507th maintenance company. Eleven american soldiers were killed and several were taken prisoner. The 507th was the battalions maintenance company during operation iraqi freedom, and was reflagged as company e, 5th bn.
Major schram was the support operations officer for the 3rd armored cavalry regiment out of ft. Here is a portion of the dateline nbc episode that covered the ambush of the 507th maintenance company in mid2003. This video pays tribute to the 9 of the 507th who perished. Jul 27, 2019 lynch, who was born april 26, 1983, was part of the 507th ordnance maintenance company from fort bliss, texas. Army special report on the attack on the 507th maintenance company based out of fort bliss that occurred on march 23, 2003 in. Mar 22, 2018 in 2003, lynch was a freshfaced 19yearold army private serving as a unit supply specialist with the 507th maintenance company during the start of the iraq war. During the battle of nasiriyah, she suffered bullet wounds. Mar 23, 2003 piestewa, 23, died in an ambush with 10 other members of the armys 507th maintenance company in the opening days of the iraq war. Iraqi forces ambushed a convoy from the 507th maintenance company. We prayed for her to come home, her father, terry piestewa, said before the memorial service. On march 23, 2003 the 507th maintenance co was ambushed during the invasion into iraq.
The tape was shown on 30 dec 2003 on the nbc nightly news. Engraved granite slab, trees create enduring symbol of sacrifice of 507th maintenance company ambushed in iraq. Here is my interim assessment after reading the draft attack on the 507th maintenance co an nasiriyah, iraq. Critique on attack on 507th maintenance company the armys executive summary of the subject incident is provided as an attachment to this critique, for comparison purposes. The fierce attack on members of the 507th maintenance company on march 23 the third full day of the war capped the deadliest day of combat. American prisoner of war, was rescued in april from a hospital in nasiriya, iraq. Former prisoner of war jessica lynch still counts her blessings and tries hard. The 507th maintenance company when oif began, many americans viewed warfare with almost clinical detachment, assuming that the war could be concluded rapidly, with precision and with few casualties. On march 23, 2003, in the city of an nasiriyah, iraq, members of the 507th maintenance company came under attack from iraqi forces who killed or wounded twentyone soldiers and took six prisoners, including private jessica lynch. Their convoy missed a turn, ended up getting lost and had to turn around in a bad part of town. Lori piestewa project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. The 507th maintenance company was a united states army unit which was ambushed during the battle of nasiriyah in the rapid advance towards baghdad during 2003 invasion of iraq on 23 march 2003. She went through 23 days of hell, and im glad that theres a book that tells.
Army releases findings from 507th ambush by staff sgt. The ambush of the 507th maintenance company was recreated at the beginning of the 2003 nbc television film saving jessica lynch. This book gives an intimate and personal account of the 507th maintenance company being ambushed in nasiriya march 23, 2003 shortly after the invasion of iraq began. In congressional testimony and in her book, i am a soldier, too. A unit from the 507th maintenance company supporting the u.
The cooks and supply clerks and mechanics of the 507th maintenance company were unlikely early casualties of the war. Capture of first africanamerican female pow article the united. After his company s ordeal last march in the iraq war, the supply sergeant was happy. She was one of 12 members of the 507th ordnance maintenance company captured by iraqi troops in march. He is currently working on a book on media and the iraq war. Mar 23, 20 ambush still haunts former iraq war pow shoshana johnson elpaso published 7. It covers the days between march 23, when her 507th maintenance company convoy was ambushed in nasiriyah, iraq, and april 1, when she was evacuated from a hospital by u. Attack on the 507th maintenance company, 23 march 2003, an nasiriyah, iraq.
Robert riggs reports from iraq ambush of the 507th maintenance company 2003. Soldiers heading for a potential combat area in the persian gulf checked their equipment and posed for. Lynch, who was born april 26, 1983, was part of the 507th ordnance maintenance company from fort bliss, texas. Medals of honor awarded for the wars in iraq and afghanistancontroversy swirls over small number of medals of honor awarded in current wars. Signal corp is his basic branch, and public affairs is his functional area. He recently served 22 straight months in kuwait and iraq, in intel, pa, and senior staff of mnfi. Separated from a larger convoy, they were ambushed in the iraqiheld town of nasiriyah on march 23, 2003. The battle of nasiriyah is featured in the 2008 hbo miniseries generation kill, in episode 2, the cradle of civilization. She was one of a handful of native american women serving in the u. In 2003, lynch was a freshfaced 19yearold army private serving as a unit supply specialist with the 507th maintenance company during the start of the iraq war. Army unit took a wrong turn into the city of nasiriyah and paid a heavy toll. Armys 507th maintenance company that was ambushed march 23 near nasiriya and chief warrant officers ronald young jr. Army cook with the 507th maintenance company out of fort bliss, texas early in the war when videotape of her interrogation with her iraqi captors was broadcast worldwide on television. On march 23, 2003, private first class jessica lynch was crossing the iraqi desert with the 507th maintenance company when the convoy she was traveling in was ambushed, caught in enemy crossfire.
During the battle of nasiriyah, she suffered bullet wounds to both of her ankles and was captured by iraqi forces. Robert riggs reports from iraq ambush of the 507th. Armys advance takes a wrong turn in the predawn darkness and stumbles into nasiriya behind enemy lines. As a maintenance company, the 507th was in the rear of the convoy. American pows in the 2003 invasion of iraq wikipedia, the. Some fought, others surrendered, not everyone survived. Lori piestewa native americans in the united states army. The battle of an nasiriyah raw footage march 2003 youtube. On march 23, 2003, in the city of an nasiriyah, iraq, members of the 507th maintenance company came under attack from iraqi forces who killed or wounded twentyone. Mar 25, 20 johnson was part of the 507th maintenance company from fort bliss that was ambushed on march 23, 2003, in nasiriyah, iraq. In february 2003, jessicas unit was deployed to iraq. She collaborated on a book about her experience, i am a soldier, too.
Dateline nbc 507th maintenance interview and jessica lynch. Marines from the task force tarawa are caught up in one of the most unexpected battles of the iraq war. Piestewa became the first female american soldier killed in the iraq war. The ongoing battle of nasiriyah is the backdrop for the rest of the events of the film. New on march 19, 2003, american and british forces began the third persian gulf war, a conflict which became popularly known as the iraq war.
Mt march 23, 20 shoshana johnson shows a front page picture showing her rescue from iraqi captivity. However, witnesses later reported that they had seen walters being. Merrill, the fateful moment came in the skies over mayen, germany in february 1945, when he continued to fly his burning, flakriddled b26. Former pow jessica lynch recalls her captivity in iraq. Soldiers heading for a potential combat area in the. Sep 09, 2011 robert riggs reports from iraq ambush of the 507th maintenance company 2003. She was held prisoner in iraq for 22 days along with five other members of her unit. The most well known member of the unit was private first class jessica lynch whose rescue from an iraqi hospital received world wide media coverage. Richard s lowry provides an account of the march 2003 battle for an nasiriyah, iraq, describing the ambush of the 507th maintenance company, the capture of private jessica lynch and others, and the weeklong. Mar 18, 2008 just three days into a polarizing war with iraq, the 507th maintenance company, the last in a column of 600 vehicles making its way toward baghdad, got mired in sand with jammed weapons. Johnson was part of the 507th maintenance company from fort bliss that was ambushed on march 23, 2003, in nasiriyah, iraq.
During the 2003 invasion of iraq, iraqi saddam fedayeen irregular forces were involved in executing several coalition prisoners of war. The book begins with the events leading up to the war including the effects of failing to remove saddam after desert storm. Battle heroes of fort bliss maintenance company remembered. A majority of the prisoners of war were captured from the ambush of the 507th maintenance company. On point the united states army in operation iraqi freedom. For the next week, an nasiriyah rocked with battle as the marines of task force tarawa fought saddams fanatical followers, street by street and building to building. Lynch, 29, was a member of the 507th maintenance company once based at fort bliss. Sergeant donald walters was initially reported to have been killed in the march 23 ambush of the 507th maintenance company. The story of the 19yearold supply clerk, who was captured by iraqi forces in. Specialist shoshana johnson, a member of the 507th maintenance company, was captured during an ambush in the early days of the iraq war and held prisoner until she and her fellow soldiers were rescued by the marines. He had responsibility for organizing the logistical arm. The expow recounted her dramatic story in the book, im still. Faulty navigational equipment led the 507th maintenance company to a wrong turn into enemy territory in the iraqi city of nasiriya. Two years ago, in iraq, the fog of war was just beginning.
She was held in captivity until she was rescued on april 1, 2003. Operation iraqi freedom the invasion of iraq frontline. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most. On the morning of 23 march, a us army supply convoy from the 507th maintenance company had mistakenly veered off highway 8 and then turned toward the city into enemyheld territory. The american military adventure in iraq by thomas e. Eight decades of realpolitik herman j cohens latest book.
Home the nco leadership center of excellence attack on the 507th maintenance company, 23 march 2003, an nasiriyah, iraq. The most well known member of the unit was private first class jessica lynch whose rescue from an iraqi hospital received worldwide media coverage. Army describes what went wrong for jessica lynchs unit. Armys report on the ambush of the 507th maintenance company also notes that piestewa was captured and died in captivity. Shoshana nyree johnson born january 18, 1973 is a panamanianborn former united states soldier, and the first black female prisoner of war in the military history of the united states. She suffered several broken bones and other injuries in the ordeal. Using the 507th maint bn to support the idea of women in. A thorough examination of the buildup to the marines invasion of iraq and the makeup of the units combined to produce such a formidable fighting force. United states prisoners of war in the 2003 invasion of iraq. Ambush still haunts former iraq war pow shoshana johnson. The 507th maintenance company provides maintenance support to the 5th. Jessica and lori were both taken as prisoners of war with only jessica surviving.
Memorial day is like any other day when youre in an army at war. At about 0700 hours local time on 23 march 2003, while moving through the outskirts of the city of an nasiriyah in southeastern iraq, an element of the 507th maintenance company was attacked by. The navy cross brings respect and burdens to the 34. They then discuss the mobilization process and the mammoth job done to get vth corp to the theatre and then building the infrastructure necessary to sustain the force. What started off as a routine maneuver to secure two key bridges in the town of nasiriyah in southern iraq degenerated into a nightmarish twentyfourhour urban clash in which eighteen young marines lost their lives and more than thirtyfive others were wounded. Shoshanna johnson, james riley, edgar hernandez, patrick miller, and joe hudson. Mar 31, 2003 february 17, 2003, was deployment day for the 507th maintenance company of fort bliss, texas.
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