American Valor Quarterly Issue 6 - Spring/Summer 2009 | Page 38

AMERICAN VALOR QUARTERLY - Spring/Summer 2009 - 38

Lucian Read

expected to meet some pretty heavy resistance. Instead, the Iraqis we would be sent in. One of our early convoys was hit by some
surrendered en masse – almost 100 of them gave themselves over indirect mortar fire – not especially accurate. Still, it rattled a few
to us.
of the young Marines. I remember looking at them and saying,
“Welcome to Iraq.” Clearly, this was a reality check and a sign of
We continued to push forward – in fact, we were pushing so fast things to come.
that we were well ahead of our supply lines. After a firefight, we
would end up scrounging around for food; a number of times we Talking to the units who had been deployed at Camp Fallujah for
found some chickens, which we boxed up and held onto until we some time, they made it clear that now we had to watch our backs.
were in a space that was clear before wringing their necks, plucking IEDs were now a factor. Vehicle-borne bombs were now a factor.
them, and cooking them up for some roadside chicken.
Suicide bombers were now a factor. We had to be very aware of
our surroundings, and 360-degree security
At one point, we were so hungry that when
had never been more crucial than it was
we noticed a dog chasing a fairly large lizard
at this time.
around, we decided to see what that lizard
would taste like. After we caught it, several
Eventually, we moved to a camp just west
of the guys gathered around a fire and we
of Camp Fallujah, called Camp Baharia. It
broke out all the spices and salts left over
has previously served as a resort of sorts
from our MREs, and cooked it up. It wasn’t
for Saddam Hussein’s sons. There were
all that bad…
15-foot walls surrounding the area, which
included a man-made lake. Saddam’s sons
We pushed north toward Saddam’s
Uday and Qusay would have parties there,
hometown of Tikrit, before turning back
and the rumor was that Uday, who was
south to finish off our deployment. On our
a known womanizer, had killed some of
patrols, we walked out amongst the people.
these women and threw them in the lake. I
We were greeted by a lot of the locals, who
don’t know if that was true, though.
cheered us, chanting, “Bush! Bush! Bush!
Saddam no good!” Kids came up to us, and
We were relieving the Marines currently
we gave them some candy or gum from our
based there, and as a squad leader I would
MREs. The women would come out and
go out with one of their squads, shadowing
give roses to the Marines. The people were
them to get oriented with what we were
very appreciative, and we were impressed.
dealing with. Our job was to provide
IEDs weren’t even a thought in our minds
security along the route that served as the
One of the iconic pictures of Operation Iraqi
at that point.
main artery for convoys coming into Camp
Freedom was taken during the Second Battle of
Fallujah by photographer Lucian Read. The im- Fallujah. The first time I went out with
We left home for our second deployment age shows Mari