thedrifter
01-22-07, 01:30 PM
3-week death-free stretch ends
By John Hoellwarth - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 22, 2007 11:21:39 EST
A Marine killed Friday during fighting in Iraq’s Anbar province marked the end of the longest death-free stretch for the Corps in the war zones since Sept. 15, 2005, according to the service’s casualty spokeswoman.
No Marines died in Iraq or Afghanistan during the 21-day period from Dec. 28 to Jan. 18, said Staff Sgt. Christina Delai, who monitors the Corps’ casualties on a daily basis.
The last time the Corps went more than 20 days without a Marine killed was a 23-day stretch from Aug. 22, 2005, to Sept. 15 of that year, she said.
Three more Marines died during a particularly bloody weekend for American forces in Iraq — a total of 27 dead in just two days.
One Marine died Saturday, and two more were killed Sunday. In addition, 25 U.S. troops were killed Saturday in the third-deadliest day since the war started in March 2003 — eclipsed only by the one-day toll of 37 U.S. fatalities Jan. 26, 2005, and 28 on the third day of the U.S. invasion.
The heaviest tolls Saturday came from a Black Hawk helicopter crash in which 12 U.S. soldiers were killed northeast of Baghdad, as well as an attack on a provincial government building in the Shiite holy city of Karbala that left five U.S. troops dead.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ellie
By John Hoellwarth - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 22, 2007 11:21:39 EST
A Marine killed Friday during fighting in Iraq’s Anbar province marked the end of the longest death-free stretch for the Corps in the war zones since Sept. 15, 2005, according to the service’s casualty spokeswoman.
No Marines died in Iraq or Afghanistan during the 21-day period from Dec. 28 to Jan. 18, said Staff Sgt. Christina Delai, who monitors the Corps’ casualties on a daily basis.
The last time the Corps went more than 20 days without a Marine killed was a 23-day stretch from Aug. 22, 2005, to Sept. 15 of that year, she said.
Three more Marines died during a particularly bloody weekend for American forces in Iraq — a total of 27 dead in just two days.
One Marine died Saturday, and two more were killed Sunday. In addition, 25 U.S. troops were killed Saturday in the third-deadliest day since the war started in March 2003 — eclipsed only by the one-day toll of 37 U.S. fatalities Jan. 26, 2005, and 28 on the third day of the U.S. invasion.
The heaviest tolls Saturday came from a Black Hawk helicopter crash in which 12 U.S. soldiers were killed northeast of Baghdad, as well as an attack on a provincial government building in the Shiite holy city of Karbala that left five U.S. troops dead.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ellie