Robert Nickelsberg, April 7, 2003 The Marines from 3/4 were 11 miles southeast of Baghdad and positioned to cross the Nahr Dyala bridge when one of their Amphibious Assault Vehicles took a direct hit from an artillery shell. I was standing around the corner of a building overlooking the river we were about to cross when the explosion occurred. I ran back to see what had happened. The Iraqis must've had a spotter somewhere close by as the shelling was accurate and the position was strategic. The injured Marine had been flattened by the explosion and near the vehicle when a heavy metal hatch cover landed on his legs. The two Marines inside the AAV were killed instantly. With a burst of adrenaline, the one Marine picked up his friend (weighing 40-50 pounds more with the body armor and ammunition) and ran him to a medical vehicle. Two days later the Marines from 3/4 entered Baghdad. They were positioned near the Palestine Hotel at Ferdous Square where they helped pull the Saddam Hussein statue down. I heard later the injured Marine suffered a fractured leg and a punctured eardrum. Four or five years later, I heard the other Marine had been injured in Iraq and was in serious condition at a hospital in Texas. War takes an enormous toll on all those who participate.

I’m thankful for my struggle because without it I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength…~Alex Elle

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Posted on by Anna

Marines practice assaulting a position: YouTube


Posted on by Anna

Japan accepts Potsdam terms, agrees to unconditional surrender: 1945


Opening session of the Potsdam Conference in P...
Opening session of the Potsdam Conference in Potsdam, Germany. President Harry S. Truman is seated foreground (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On this day in 1945, just a day after the bombing of Nagasaki, Japan submits its

acquiescence to the Potsdam Conference terms of unconditional surrender, as President Harry S. Truman orders a halt to atomic bombing. Read more