108                               U.S. MARiNES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 1990-1991


until 0800. This gave Colonel Hodory more than an hour of daylight to establish
a column formation for the first part of the assault. He placed 3d Battalion, 9th
Marines, in the lead, followed by 1st Tank Battalion, the engineers, and the
combat trains. The 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, established a column of its own
to the west and slightly behind the Engineers. Papa Bear's formation did not
include the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, stationed to the north in the Al Burqan
Oilfield. It remained there following its attack the previous day. It would stay
there until the task force began its advance then move west along a line of
power lines to join the main body when Papa Bear came abreast.'~
    The movement took place as planned. After the 1st Battalion established
contact with Papa Bear and the task force cleared the Al Burqan Oilfield,
Colonel Hodory reformed the task force with 3(1 Battalion, 9th Marines, on the
right and 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, on the left. He placed 1st Tank Battalion
in the center, followed by the engineer task ft~rce. Moving north through clouds
of black smoke, at 1100, Papa Bear passed Phase Line Red. By 1300 it reached
Phase Line Diane where it stopped alongside Task Force Ripper. On the journey
north, the task force moved over a landscape littered with tanks, antitank and
antiaircraft guns, and vehicles of all types. Iraqi soldiers surrendered along the
entire route.'70
    The second phase of the movement to Kuwait International Airport did not
promise to be as easy. Though Marine commanders knew the Iraqis were
retreating, the area in front of the 1st Marine Division remained defended. The
1st Battalion, 7th Marines, found the enemy quite active. As the battalion waited


The G-3, LtCol Jeny D. Humble, at center, coordinates task force movements on 26
February 1991. MajGat James M. Myall is on il~e lefi wearing tlie black Wa tch cap.