My USMC Pictures in Iraq, Post Invasion, Part 4

Some more photos I took after the initial topple of Saddam.
The military installation is quite large, that photo is over a mile away. The Iraqi's fleeing like cowards abandoned it when their forward observer post reported the U.S. Marines were advancing.










Some of the damaged Marine Corps vehicles I retrieved being loaded for shipment back to the USA.










Look how isolated everything is. The people have all left fearing the war is not over.
















An Iraqi Oil Well on fire. That fire is miles away and you can smell the burning oil, it fills your lungs as the wind shifts.








One of the Iraqi Oil Storage Tanks in the desert, it's near a pipeline.

My USMC Pictures in Iraq, Post Invasion, Part 3

More pictures are right after the topple of Saddam's Government.
I was part of the first group that invaded Iraq and part of the very first group to remain behind. All of my unit went home but three of us, and one guy left a few days after I snap these photos.
You can see one of the Forward Iraqi Observation Post plus smoke from a fire on a damaged oil pipeline..

My USMC Pictures in Iraq, Post Invasion, Part 2

These pictures are right after the topple of Saddam's Government.
I was part of the first group that invaded Iraq and part of the very first group to remain behind. All of my unit went home but three of us.
Here's some more of me cleaning up the mess including removing all the damaged USMC Vehicles left behind.

Real IED Detonated in Afghanistan

My USMC Pictures in Iraq, Post Invasion, Part 1

These pictures are right after the topple of Saddam's Government.
I was part of the first group that invaded Iraq and part of the very first group to remain behind. All of my unit went home but three of us.
My job was to retrieve wrecked, broken, and destroyed U.S. and Allied vehicles, those that could be repaired were, the rest went to a scrap heap in Kuwait.
This job was harder than combat.
They would send two of us out to fix or toe back Marine units that were broken or destroyed. We often found parts of fellow Marines still inside, lots of blood everywhere, it still haunts me today.
Also we marked for destruction any vehicles and armor left by the retreating Iraqi forces.
I lost a lot of weight while in Iraq, some caused by my injuries, some by stress, some by the heat.
But the Marines, First In, Last Out, got the bloody job done.
Semper Fi

My USMC Pictures in Iraq, Desert Sandstorm

Here I am in a typical desert sandstorm in Iraq, this country is a shit-hole, and sucks....
It looks like it's moving slow in the pictures but in reality these can get up to 40 Mph in a matter of minutes.

My USMC Pictures in Iraq, The Invasion has begun, Part 4

1st Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF)
Invasion very little resistance, very few Iraqi's can even be seen.
More surprised civilians.
My unit is spearheading the column, my Hummer is toward the front of the attacking convoy.