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File: 082696_d50022_175.txt
ki~ECDDTES FROM T1{E GROUND CAMPAIGN
(Written by Ccl C.J. Quilter USMCR, I MEF G-31{)
The Breaches
During the night before G-Day, a reconnaisance Marine with
two combat engineers from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, of 1st
* Marine Division's Task Force Taro infiltrated across the first
minefield. Their mission was to surreptitious1y~~ark~a lane so
that Taro could traverse the danger *zone~safely:onf6ot.-Somewhat
to their surprise, they found themselves unccmfortably close to
trenches and bunkers whereupon they were discovered by Iraqi
troops. They quickly went into a combat-stance,and then shot an
* enemy soldier who was attempting to fire first. This yas~fo1lowed
by commotion as some forty other Iraqis immediately surrendered
to the trio. Confronted by this~unexpected situation,-.;but
undaunted, the Marines successfully shepherded their~new
prisoners back through the ~inefield. L
The Breaches (cont'd) - The Traditional Way
Colonel James A. Fulks, 45, commands the 4th Marine Regiment
and Task Force Grizzly, an infantry force of the 1st Marine
Division. They were tasked with breaching a single ~inebelt, 15
* miles south o~ al Jaber airfield, and then to screen the left
flank of mechanized Task Force Ripper from direct fire. By
February 16th, Grizzly had actually marched 20 kilometers into
Kuwait - the first significant retaking of Kuwaiti territory -
and set up its jump off areas. The only problem was that Remotely
Piloted Vehicles and human reconnaissance was unable to locate a
lane through the minefield.
Fuiks now ordered the commander of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines,
* Lieutenant Colonel Tim Hannigari, to infiltrate the mine belt by
force on the night before G-Day. Hannigan's first problem was
recolved by Iraqis who began walking through the minefield to
surrender. The new enemy prisoners of war now obligingly marked
* the lane with chemical lights provided by the Marines. Then to
* the dismay of Fulks and Hannigan, a second unreported minebelt
was discovered. This had evidently been emplaced to. discourage
retreating by the Iraqi defenders.
This second difficulty was resolved in-traditional Mai-ine
fashion: `Staff Sergeant Restifo of the Engineer Plat6on -took-his
bayonet and probed for mines quietly in the darkness;-marking-a
* footpath as he went. Two companies passed through the second
minefield by 0200 of G-Day via Restifo's path, which was soon
* * enlarged to allow passage of the artillery of 5th Battalion, 11th -
* .J Marines.
Direct Fire Hits by the M198
* I
II}{)I Battery-of 3rd Battalion, 14th Marines from Richmond,
Virginia, is commanded by Captain Paul Brier. On Febraury 25th,
1 -
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