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File: 082696_d50022_175.txt
Page: 175
Total Pages: 242

                           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,


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