Darkhorse:A Marine's Death, And The Family He Left Behind

A Marine's Death, And The Family He Left Behind
by TOM BOWMAN

November 3, 2011
A year ago, nearly 1,000 U.S. Marine officers and enlisted men of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment deployed to restive Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. By the time their tour ended in April 2011, the Marines of the 3/5 — known as "Darkhorse" — suffered the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit during the past 10 years of war. This week, NPR tells the story of this unit's seven long months at war — both in Afghanistan and back home.

Last year, on Dec. 6, Kait Wyatt was up early, making breakfast, when the doorbell rang at her home on the Camp Pendleton Marine base.

She opened the door. Two Marines stood there.

"I wanted it to be them telling me that he was OK, that he was hurt or something along those lines. But I knew," Kait recalls.

"I automatically knew Derek had passed away," she says.

Her husband, Cpl. Derek Wyatt, was serving in Afghanistan with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment, known as "Darkhorse."
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Link to the following stories
As Casualties Grew, So Did Marine Families' Fears(25) (34)


November 1, 2011 When the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment deployed to Afghanistan, they left behind families who were desperate for information and grew frightened as the death toll grew. For 25 families, the news they received was the worst possible.
On All Things ConsideredPlaylist
An Afghan Hell On Earth For 'Darkhorse' Marines
An Afghan Hell On Earth For 'Darkhorse' Marines(79) (50)


October 31, 2011 A year ago, the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment arrived in Sangin, a Taliban haven in southern Afghanistan, for a seven-month deployment. Known as "Darkhorse," the battalion sustained a higher casualty rate than any other Marine unit during the 10-year Afghan war.
On All Things ConsideredPlaylist
TIMELINE: The Deadly Afghan Mission
Afghan Success Carries A Price For Commander(38) (24)


October 30, 2011 In Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Jason Morris led the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment, which suffered the highest casualty rate of any Marine unit during the past 10 years of war. The "Darkhorse Battalion" commander says the unit's mission was a success — but he will live with the burden of those deaths.
On All Things ConsideredPlaylist
TIMELINE: 'Darkhorse' Marines' Deadly Mission
Timeline: 'Darkhorse' Marines' Deadly Afghan Mission(2) (7)


October 30, 2011 A year ago, the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment — known as "Darkhorse" — deployed for southern Afghanistan. When they returned home to Camp Pendleton seven months later, they had lost 25 men and suffered close to 200 wounded.