Lance Cpl. Eddie Genita, a member of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, moves from the cover of a canal in Marjah, Afghanistan, on Wednesday, during a firefight with four insurgents who ambushed a Marine patrol. (Thomas Brown/Staff)
MARJAH, Afghanistan — The bullets snapped overhead angrily, and all I could feel were the insects crawling up and down my legs and the sludgy water seeping into my boots.
That’s how I’ll remember an ambush on a Marine patrol today, in which I saw my first warzone firefight.
It began at about 12:30 p.m., as 10 members of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, and six Afghan National Army soldiers pushed east on a dirt trail splitting two agricultural canals in central Marjah. The sky was clear and the air temperature had crept into the 90s, as the hot Afghan sun punished everything below.
It was supposed to be a quiet, routine day. The patrol, led by respected squad leader Cpl. Anthony DePrimo, 21, was outside the wire to collect census information, interviewing local farmers and photographing them for a database the Marine Corps is building. The group already had been outside the wire for nearly two hours and was beginning to work their way back toward the Yellow Schoolhouse, an abandoned, rundown school in Marjah from which dozens of Marines with India Company 3/6’s 3rd Platoon patrol and live.
As the Marines worked their way east to west along the trail, the last member in the squad, Lance Cpl. Thomas Haas, noticed three boys, all between 8 and 10 years old, watching the group. Afghan children frequently watch the Marines closely and joke around with them, but these kids were different. They took off sprinting soon after the patrol turned onto the trail from a main road called Gorilla, raising questions in Haas’ mind about where they were going.
The front end of the patrol had traveled several hundred yards down the trail when Haas, suspiciously scanning the area from the rear, saw two gun-wielding insurgents maneuvering out from behind a farm compound building nearby.
“I saw one of them running, crouched down in blue with an AK47,” said Haas, 27. “The second was wearing white and had a white cap, and he was carrying an RPK,” a 7.62mm machine gun frequently used by the Taliban.
Before the insurgents could open fire, Haas opened up with his M16A4 rifle, causing them to scatter. The insurgents returned fire, and then two more insurgents with AK47s hiding near another compound about 300 yards south — waiting for the foiled ambush to begin, no doubt — joined the fight.
At this point, Military Times photographer Tom Brown and I had already dived off the trail and into a canal on the right side. The water was about knee-deep, but it flowed about six feet below the trail, putting us safely out of sight. Thorny bushes cut into our arms and legs, as Hospitalman Novice Casey McLaughlin, the unit’s medical corpsman, joined us in the ditch, staying with us to provide security.
Nearby, the Marines began to maneuver through the canals back toward their attackers. Several Marines opened fire, including Lance Cpl. Jonathan Francis, who accurately launched four 40mm grenades from an M203 launcher near the insurgents firing from the south. The compound eventually caught fire, as it was hit with machine-gun fire from the SAW.
The gunfire lasted no more than five minutes, and no one was hit. The insurgents escaped south, with two of them hopping on small motorcycles. An F/A-18 jet, an unmanned aerial vehicle and two Cobra gunship helicopters soared overhead, providing aerial reconnaissance of the area and security.
The Marines I was with didn’t find their attackers, but they did search a nearby compound, confiscating three bags of ammonium nitrate, commonly used to make improvised explosive devices, and an AK47 assault rifle.
Another group of Marines detained five men nearby. By nightfall, four of them had tested positive for having gunshot residue on their hands.
22 Comments
So glad you are safe and nobody was hit.
God Bless!! Glad to hear our boys were safe.
Corporal, USMC
1996-2000
3/6 Wpns Co 81’s Plt
So happy to hear everyone is safe from that horrible attack. God Bless you and all our troops.
Dan…….I’ve been following your blog as you travel around……..stay safe!
Are you having fun yet Dan???? The boys will keep you safe and a big hug to you and Tom for doing this for the 3/6 family. I look forward to reading your updates every night
Dan, I’m really enjoying your work. Such a great insight first-hand. Stay frosty.
Dan, I really appreciate your effort to keep us informed about our Marines and Sailors. Please let them know how much we love and miss them and how VERY proud of them we are! PLEASE stay safe and keep up the great work.
Greetings,
Why must your men die young.? Some of them will because this is not a movie, this a fight by Afghan natives against foreign troops, whatever the reasons.No, it is not for the sake of freedom, democracy as your politicians want you to believe.
Try asking your arms, missile, guns contractors and suppliers.They are the ones who wants you to believe
what politicians spin.It’s all about MONEY and your sons are paying with their lives.
Dan and Tom – As echoed through comments 1-7, thanks for your work.
Hey othman,
Scared? Hmmm, who harbored the useless puke Bin Ladin? Who really started this mess? Real brave to come on this blog and try to scare some mom’s. Just like the animals in Afganistan who throw acid on little girls because they are in school. So go blow your lies eleswhere. What third world jerks like you will never understand is that we will never backdown.
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I look forward to your blog every day, helps to keeps us back home informed. Glad to hear everyone is good to go! When you say 3/6, that’s a big family, do you know which Company (Lima, Kilo…etc)?? Thanks for your efforts and stay safe!! SEMPER FI!!
Thank you for your article post.Really looking forward to read more. Keep writing.
Thanks for posting good to see my son!!
Semper Fi
I agree with Marine Dad! Othman – keep your stupid comments off this site. It’s not meant for you. Good job every one – love our Marines! Thank you for your service. God Bless and stay safe!! Semper Fi
Fantastic topic, but normally I don’t agree with it.
Semper-Fi Marines V.N.66-68 two tours 5 p.h.’s.2 bronze 1 silver one neptune for bravery on the USS iwoa Jima.Man over board,In the tonkin,LEAVE NO MAN BEHIND.,So as a Marine i went in after him.Heavy storm,Shark infested waters,He wwas & is a former Marine.YOU MARINES in that SHIT-HOLE COME BACK ALIVE,KEEP IT TOGETHER.As one may say WE ARE the BADDEST M.F. anywhere @ anygiven time. Sgt. Paul tackes,Father Paul Tackes.Was oedained Aug.8th 1989.Keep it real @ all times. GOD BLESS !
To ALL our men & women over in a country you want to help,remember this.You can not help anyone ,but you upmost first,without a sharp mind in that unknown alway’s know i pray for each everyday this mess will clear & All will be safe with your loved oneSgt. Paul Tackes shortly.May God bless ALL Father Paul Tackes Sgt. Paul Tackes U.S.M.C. V.N. 66-68.
Excellent content and seriously assists with learning the issue better.
That Othman dude obviously never served, probably was part of that drug infested hippy movement! Anyway I just wanted to say “BE SAFE over there and never leave your Marines”, OOH RAH for FUCKEN OOH RAH…Thug Life Brutha…
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