An Nasiriyah: The Fight for the Bridges

by Gary Livingston

NEW EXPANDED 2ND EDITION AVAILABLE WITH 20 PAGES OF PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY CAMP LEJEUNE MARINES! This is both a harrowing and a heroic account of the actions of American military fighting men on the deadliest day the War in Iraq, March 23, 2003. On that day, 18 Marines and 11 Soldiers of the Army's 507th were killed in an attack along "Ambush Alley." The Marines died when their unit the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, secured two vital bridges in the city of An Nasiriyah that allowed the 1st Marine Division to punch through, unhindered, on their way to Bagdad. If Bagdad was considered the jewel of the war, then An Nasiriyah was the key to the jewel room. One account describes five trips up and back through "Ambush Alley" by a group of Marines to rescue fellow stranded Marines in the city. The Marines also describe their horror of being attacked by a US Air Force A-10 that killed up to ten of their fellow Marines. The fighting around An Nasiriyah flared for weeks before the Iraqis were totally subdued. This account of the fighting is the compilation of stories told by the Marines who fought for the bridges.

209 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Terry Cornell · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read. Poorly written and edited, but well researched. The writer interviewed several participants in the battle for the bridges in An Nasiriyah during the start of the Iraq War. Eighteen Marines from the 1st Battalion 2nd Marines lost their lives, as well as eleven soldiers 507th Maintenance Ordnance Company that became lost on the way to their objective. Despite the poor writing, a well organized and stirring account.