Iraq War vet remembers historic battle

Brother in arms
Iraq War vet remembers historic battle

by E. Assata Wright
Reporter staff writer

History often leaves its mark on ordinary people, just as ordinary people often leave their mark on history.

On March 23, 2003, U.S. Marine Luke Smentkowski was doing what he had been training to do for months. He and the members of his unit were working in tandem with other military units to clear a strategically important area in Nasiriyah, Iraq. His unit’s mission was to secure one bridge while another unit was supposed to clear another.

Within moments, the other unit was ambushed by Iraq’s Republican Guard and heavy fighting ensued.

When the battle ended after nearly five hours, 11 U.S. soldiers had been killed and several had been taken as prisoners of war. Jessica Lynch was among the troops captured in the fighting that day. Smentkowski’s unit played a supporting role in her eventual rescue.

This initial battle was followed by six additional days of fighting that claimed the lives of 18 Marines and wounded 150 others.

“I knew we had took casualties,” the Secaucus resident said last week. “But I didn’t realize how many until I saw all the birds land.” The helicopters had been set in to collect the injured and the remains of those who had died.

When the incident happened, Smentkowski had been in Iraq for two months. He had joined the U.S. Marines in July 2001 and took his oath of service on Sept. 6, 2001 – less than a week before the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
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Brother in arms Iraq War vet remembers historic battle
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