Haditha, Your thoughts Options

[Hartmann]

Just wondering what everyone thinks about this Haditha fiasco...

I agree those who are responsible should be punished but I also agree with a quote I heard today:

"Those trained to kill should not be entrusted to keep the peace"

[Guest_CANNONBALL_*]

I knew you yahoos would be talking about this. I served in 3/1 and think of the battalion as my adoptive parents since it raised me from 18 to 22. Many of my buddies are still in the BLT...albeit in India co, not Kilo (the company under investigation).

things to keep in mind:

1. this is still an investigation...therefore the 'innocent until proven guilty' thing still applies. some of you (psyko) and the liberal media have already condemned them. if you care for liberties so much, at least grant them their day in court. otherwise, you're a fucking hypocrite.

2. if you're a pilot, this is collateral damage. if you're a grunt, it's considered murder.

3. there is absolutely no excuse for executing any noncombatant...especially women and children, if that's really what happened...there's no fucking excuse. taking the gloves off and stretching the boundaries of ROE is one thing; but killing children in cold blood will not "win" this war.

4. "innocent" is a relative term in iraq (or somalia, or vietnam, or...). if a civilian knows of a trap/IED/ambush, are they still innocent? most people in that town knew where the IEDs were...yet said nothing to the patrolling marines. you tend think about that when you're buddies' flesh is on your skin.

5. it's easy for me to say that I would never do something like this sitting here in the capacity that I am...but put me on the streets, patrolling for a few months, exhausted, hot, sad, scared, parched/hungry, homesick, angry....and I'd like to "think" I would take the non-reactionary, moral high ground...but I can't truly say. it's easy to pass judgement from here.

6. what bothers me about this...especially if they are found guilty in a mil court, is that every grunt is going to be hesitant about reacting to a threat. and we had a saying...the moment of hesitation is the moment of death.

7. this whole thing stinks...from the marines and their position that they were put in, to the families and victims of this deal. it's just sad.
____________________

BUT before you go condemning the battalion and its vets based on the actions of a few, know what you're dealing with...it's going to take a hell of a lot more than this to stain the lineage of 3/1.

here is what globalsecurity.org had:

The "Thundering Third" Third Battalion, First Marines, was activated on March 1, 1941 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and subsequently assigned to the 1st Marine Division. The 3rd Battalion relocated during April, 1941 to Parris Island, SC. It deactivated 18 June 1941 and reactivated 16 February 1942 at New River, NC. The 3rd Battalion deployed during June - July 1942 to Wellington, New Zealand. Deployed to the Pacific Theater, it participated in the campaigns for Guadalcanal, New Britain, Eastern New Guinea, Peleliu, and Okinawa. After World War II, Marines of 3/1 participated in the occupation of Northern China. The Battalion was deactivated on April 15, 1946 at Tientsin, China.

With the outbreak of the Korean Conflict in June 1950, there was a need for the "Thundering Third" to reactivate. This was accomplished in August 1950 at Camp Pendleton, California. The Battalion deployed to Kobe, Japan during September 1950 and from there was sent to Korea where it participated in the amphibious landing at Inchon with further operations near Seoul, the Chosin Reservoir, and along the Western Front. After two years of negotiations, an armistice was signed and the fighting in Korea ended June 17, 1953. Although the Marines were relieved of further combat responsibilities, the Battalion remained in Korea with 1st Marine Division to participate in the defense of the Korean demilitarized zone.

In April 1955, the Battalion returned to Camp Pendleton. Marines of 3/1 were part of the contingency force called out during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The Battalion returned home to Camp Pendleton in November 1962 and remained stateside until September 1965 when in deployed to to Camp Schwab, Okinawa.

Third Battalion, First Marines deployed during January 1966 to the Republic of Vietnam. The 3rd Battalion participated in the war in Vietnam, January, 1966 – May 1971, operating from: Chu Lai Da Nang; Hoa Vang; Ca Lu Combat Base; Cua Viet; Go Noi and the DMZ. It participated in action until May 1971 when it returned once again to Camp Pendleton.

The 3rd Battalion was designated as Battalion Landing Team 3/1, and deployed to Okinawa for training exercises at various periods during the early 1980’s. During the past several years, the Battalion has participated in numerous training exercises to include deployments to the mountains, deserts, and throughout the Pacific basin. Third Battalion, First Marines deployed to Southwest Asia in December 1990 as part of Regimental Landing Team 5. The Battalion took part in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, going ashore by helicopter and landing craft at Ra Al Mishab, Kuwait in support of the 2nd Marine Division.

(I guess this website forgot about our deployment to LA for the riots)

The Battalion deployed as the ground combat element for the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) and went ashore in Mogadishu, Somalia to aid in the UNOSOM withdrawal from the country during Operation UNITED SHIELD.

Honors bestowed upon Third Battalion, First Marines include nine awards of the Presidential Unit Citation, two Navy Unit Commendations, two Meritorious Unit Citations, two awards of the American Defense Service Streamer, seven Asiatic/ Pacific Campaign streamers, the World War II Victory Streamer, eleven awards of the Korean Service Streamer, the Marine Corps Expeditionary Streamer, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamer, thirteen awards of the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, and the Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Civil Action Streamer.

The battalion known as the Thundering Third came down hard on enemy safehavens around Fallujah in their to-date largest operation alongside Iraqi forces in late August 2004. 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, alongside Iraqi Specialized Special Forces, conducted Operation Clean Sweep Aug. 23-24 in areas east of Fallujah. The operation was designed to hinder enemy movement to and from the city and eliminate any possible safe havens in the vicinity. "We're basically sweeping rural open areas because we're suspecting terrorists are transporting and selling weapons, shooting mortars and attacking our firm bases," explained Sgt. Edgar O. Payan, a platoon guide with Company K. "Terrorists are moving through areas like crop fields as they come and go out of Fallujah, so we're hoping we nab some suspects and find their weapons," added Payan, a 25-year-old from Pomona, Calif. The 48-hour operation kicked off in the early hours of Aug. 23. By the end of the first day, Marines had arrested two suspects for stowing munitions in their homes. Clean Sweep not only called for Marines to search homes for weapons, but to walk the land around the target areas, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The Marines were especially on the lookout for materials used to create improvised explosive devices.