Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search
File: 082696_d50022_221.txt
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
Document Page: First | Prev | Next | All | Image | This Release | Search