Three Block War: Nasiriyah

By Matt Zeigler

Three Block War: Nasiriyah, excerpted from the full-length book, examines the gallant action of Marines from Task Force Tarawa during the invasion of Iraq from March 23-April 2, 2003. After crossing the Euphrates River Bridge in Nasiriyah Marines were engaged by Iraqi Army and Republican Guard troops; Baath Party and Fedayeen irregulars; plus fanatical civilians in an gritty fight for survival.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Matt Zeigler
• Release date: Apr 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310920912

Matt Zeigler

Former Marine Matt Zeigler worked eight years as a writer and photojournalist in the newspaper industry before embarking on an author's path. During the 1990s he traveled extensively throughout the Southeast covering the greatest athletes of American sports. Zeigler, a 1993 graduate of Troy University, has also published College Football Schemes and Techniques; Wild Alabama; Wild Alabama: Winter Haven; Wild Alabama: The American Robin; Sports Shooter: A Photographer's Story; and 1990s NFL Flashback.

Book preview

Three Block War

Nasiriyah

By Matt Zeigler

Copyright 2016

Smashwords Edition

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Task Force Tarawa

Chapter 2 Across The Bridge

Chapter 3 Three Block War

Chapter 4 Slow-Burn

About the Author

Chapter 1 Task Force Tarawa

Camp Lejeune’s 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade sailed to war aboard seven amphibious assault ships January 15 and arrived in Kuwait a month later. Brig. Gen. Richard Natonski commanded a force of 7,000 Marines and sailors, spearheaded by 2nd Marine Regiment’s three infantry battalions—1st Battalion, 2nd Marines; 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines; and 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines. Before hostilities began part of Natonski’s self-sustained brigade, Marine Air Group-29 and Combat Service Support Battalion 22, were chopped to 1st MEF.

However, 2nd Marines; 8th Tank Battalion; 2nd Tracks; 2nd LAR Battalion; 2nd Recon Battalion; 1/10 artillery; and other elements remained intact to form Task Force Tarawa (TFT). Iwo Jima is the Corps’ most famous battle, but another Pacific island, Tarawa, is remembered as the scene of the Marines’ bloodiest battle of World War II, and in Iraq the name would live up to its legacy. TFT’s war began when it crossed the border into Iraq on Friday, March 21 at around 10:15 a.m. But the only Iraqis encountered that day were shepherds tending sheep. Opposition that was previously dispersed near the border had already been destroyed by air and ground forces. Despite the fact that no shots were fired, Tarawa Marines knew they were in a combat zone. Burning wreckage of tanks, light armor, cars and trucks, plus dead enemy troops, were an eye-opening reminder.

They continued to go unopposed again Saturday until around 4 p.m., when counter-battery radar detected an Iraqi mortar section, which was subsequently obliterated by 155mm artillery from