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File: 082696_d50022_221.txt
Page: 221
Total Pages: 242

p~~~~~;~~{~t~t~aT;~rc~~{{oip;a~~;er7;tj~{;re;~e~~e~;tnh~e;~T{ja;gk{~~F~oj;pc~e~~~~~R~p;~;j~};;}{;g1ojrm;~a{~{;~n;{t~~1~~jg~
       O++icer had to rein in the mane~iver~elements and holdup-the

       ~asj.For-ce~~would not~~ove wi-thout~+Lre4isUppOrte *T.hi-~ bait ~ave us
       the opportunity to re+it both Teams--with -11K154s and=top-o+f~some
       o+~Team.Tank's vehicles with +uel.       -. ir1 -.   -..-.   -
          *:UPOfl ~/ll's +ire cap, Task Force~ipper~on+irmedthe time 0+
       att~ck as 1125i and 1/7-crossed theLD at.1&-~~:     Over--an bour
       before, ~rdTanks had -called in on the defending Iraqi s:a taste
       o+:hotrMarine steel- in-the form o+ indirect. HE'and- DPICtl..  Series
       Rick- and Ze~e,- preplanned targets on the far~side o+ the--~breach~
       combined to give the Iraqis-.a-22 minute,--.;+ive hundred and fifty
       two round rain o+ terror.   - The targets-in-~tbe %eries had been
       c-hanged a;number o+ times prior to 6-Day intcrder -to -stay.~-abreast
       of the situation.    The target list was--onl-y'-completely~soltdified
       after--a detailed review -of ~available aerial-~photos ~y-
                       a L~ d               i~~-~ ~~~~~n: t-~ ~ t~t~~n ~
       ~~~~             e ~ ~~        0 ~  e'i~~~ ~-~ e           p   -
      * m~ e~~~~ --b~~ 1-i t k spt~o~~~~~bt~~~+ ~I1n;~i~~-g~~ ~p~ t-~  ~~ I
       sk~~L~vbe~ped --~o' pl ay~-ha~ocwb~n~hth~e~~#aq~t~A~~ ~~ci~n~~~
            - But 1/7 was to find that the Iraqis still had a bit of fight
       left. - MovIng from F-hase L:~ne Y-ellow, the LD,-through P-ha~e~Line
       Rifle (1152), to the second -Breach,  1/7~began~-taking         light,--.
       indiscrirninate 82mm mortar and~artil.lery fire. *- Team Mech,:~Team
       Tank, Company C, and the Main Cp al    reported incoming, passing
       ~.SNOWSTORM -on fire support ne~~.   Only Team Tank was to +all
       victim to this sporadic fire.   It-certainly didn~t seem sporadic to
       Sta++ Sergeant David Ste+anko and Lance Corporal Craig Biernit=~i
       in ~lpha 21.  Both were hit while moving forward with Team Tank S
       OCD.  Luckily, neither sustained immediate life threatening-
       injuries.  Captain Mancini made a quick exchange of drivers~with
       bis ~YL   and continued forward to the minefield.     Lance Corporal
       Biernit=ki was medevaced to the ~egimental ~id Station     (R~S) from
       Battle Position 172.
       -  - -~~s the teams continued to converge on their respective breach
       sites, 1/7 took its first dose of enemy direct fire. - ~s Team Tank-
       began its breach, they identified sporadic machine gun fire from
       their right-fl ant-:. These direct fires were quickly squashed with
       main gun and SC) cal fire.   In addition, two 82mm tubes        were~.
       quickly Si 1 enced wi th the tanks' fire power. Si mul taneousl y,
       Lieutenant Larry Herzog called an immediate smoke fire mission
       followed by a couple of YT rnissions on dug in enemy a few m~nutes
       later. Then  Captain Mancini- ordered his OCD into action.      ~2~-.,
       commanded by Staff Sergeant Ernest Henderson, and a three         t
       line charge ~~Y following in trace, forged into the minefield.
- --   They fired two of their three to get completely through the field.
       Both had to be manually primed by an engineer.     The engineer
       marking vehicle fell in a bomb crater and another had
       to be called up.   Even with all this adversity, Team Tank popped


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