Remember them.

[James48843]

The first three days of the War in Iraq, we lost these soldiers:

[TD="class: c1"] Chief Warrant Officer 2Johnny Villareal Mata
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]35
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]El Paso, Texas, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]507th Maintenance Company, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]One of nine soldiers killed when their convoy was ambushed in Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Flight Lt.Kevin Barry Main
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]37
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Burntwood, Staffordshire, England
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]9 Squadron, Royal Air Force
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]Killed when his Tornado GR4 fighter aircraft was downed by a U.S. Patriot missile near the Kuwaiti border on March 23, 2003.
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Cpl.Randal Kent Rosacker
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]21
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]San Diego, California, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]Heaqdquarters & Service Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]Killed when his amphibious assault vehicle was mistakenly strafed by a U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt close air support jet near Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Pvt. Enlisted Grade 2Ruben Estrella-Soto
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]18
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]El Paso, Texas, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]507th Maintenance Company, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]One of nine soldiers killed when their convoy was ambushed near Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Cpl.Jose Angel Garibay
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]21
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Orange, California, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]Killed in action near Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] 1st Sgt.Robert John Dowdy
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]38
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Cleveland, Ohio, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]507th Maintenance Company, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]One of nine soldiers killed when their convoy was ambushed near Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Gunnery Sgt.Phillip Andrew Jordan
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]42
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Enfield, Connecticut, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]Headquarters & Service Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]Killed in action near Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Lance Cpl.Donald John Cline Jr.
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]21
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Washoe, Nevada, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]Headquarters & Service Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]Killed when his amphibious assault vehicle was hit by enemy fire and mistakenly strafed by a U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt close air support jet in Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Cpl.Kemaphoom Ahn Chanawongse
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]22
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Waterford, Connecticut, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]Killed in action during operations on the outskirts of Nasiriya on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Pvt. Enlisted Grade 2Brandon Ulysses Sloan
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]19
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Bedford, Ohio, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]507th Maintenance Company
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]One of nine soldiers killed when their convoy was ambushed at Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Cpl.Thomas Alan Blair
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]24
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Wagoner, Oklahoma, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Air Control Group 28, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]West was initially listed as missing in action after operations near Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003. His remains were recovered on March 28, 2003.
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Sgt.Michael Edward Bitz
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]31
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Ventura, California, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]2nd Assault Amphibious Battalion, 2nd Marine Division
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]Killed in action near Nasiriya on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Spc.James Michael Kiehl
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]22
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Des Moines, Iowa, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]507th Maintenance Company, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]One of nine soldiers killed when their convoy was ambushed near Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Lance Cpl.Tamario Demetrice Burkett
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]21
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Buffalo, New York, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]Headquarters & Service Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]Burkett was wounded by enemy artillery fire and was being evacuated when his amphibious assault fire was strafed mistakenly by a U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt assault jet near Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003
[/TD]

[TD="class: c1"] Lance Cpl.Brian Rory Buesing
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]March 23, 2003
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]20
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Cedar Key, Florida, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]Headquarters & Service Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade


[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]Killed by enemy mortar fire during combat operations near Nasiriya, Iraq, on March 23, 2003


[/TD]

 

[James48843]

And the last soldier to die within Iraq during the period when we officially were within Iraq, is this fine young man, Specialist David Hickman, whom we lost just a month ago yesterday.

[TD="class: c1"] Spc.David Emanuel Hickman
[/TD]
[TD="class: c2"]November 14, 2011
[/TD]
[TD="class: c3"]23
[/TD]
[TD="class: c4"]Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
[/TD]
[TD="class: c5"]Company B, 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
[/TD]
[TD="class: c6"]Died of injuries suffered when his patrol was attacked with a roadside bomb in the Kadhimiya neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq, on November 14, 2011
[/TD]

 

[James48843]

Between those dates, we lost a total of 4,408 men and women in the service of our nation within Iraq.


We also suffered 31,921 wounded, and

49,290 injured, sick, or medical condition requiring them to be air-lifted from the country-

And....the 13 U.S. Government Federal Employees who died there as well.





Today, we officially furled the last Unit flag with Iraq, and began loading trucks of the last 5,300 which will be departing over the next few days, ending our military's deployment to Iraq.



Never, never, never forget the sacrifices made by our men and women in Uniform.

 

[jkenjohnson]

And they died to "free the Iraqi people" or "weapons of mass destruction" or "eliminate a dictator"? I really can't think of a good reason for being there. No disrepct to those who died or were wounded.

 

[PessOptimist]

There were a number of US contract employees killed too.

 

[weatherweenie]

I wonder what kind of mess Iraq will become once we are gone?

 

[PessOptimist]

I wonder what kind of mess Iraq will become once we are gone?

Same subject came up last night with a fellow employee. Younger guy but he brought up Viet Nam. I said the circumstances and opposing forces are composed differently but the result will be the same. He agreed that the results will be the same.

?

For whatever our thoughts may be worth.

 

[James48843]

That's it.

Last convoy crossed out of Iraq overnight last night.

They are officially "all out" now.

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/18/143914052/time-to-heal-as-u-s-troops-leave-iraq?sc=fb&cc=fp

 

[nasa1974]

That's it.

Last convoy crossed out of Iraq overnight last night.

They are officially "all out" now.

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/18/143914052/time-to-heal-as-u-s-troops-leave-iraq?sc=fb&cc=fp

I read in this mornings paper that about 150 are still in country for training purposes and a marine contingent for embassy security.

 

[James48843]

I read in this mornings paper that about 150 are still in country for training purposes and a marine contingent for embassy security.

There is a Marine embassy contingent.

There are no "trainers" left.

Here is the last convoy crossing into Kuwait last night:


Here is the President's message:

[h=3]Iraq[/h] FROM:

• Barack Obama

TO:

• James48843

Sunday, December 18, 2011 12:04 PM

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif]James --

Early this morning, the last of our troops left Iraq.

As we honor and reflect on the sacrifices that millions of men and women made for this war, I wanted to make sure you heard the news.

Bringing this war to a responsible end was a cause that sparked many Americans to get involved in the political process for the first time. Today's outcome is a reminder that we all have a stake in our country's future, and a say in the direction we choose.

Thank you.

Barack

[/FONT]


That's it.