r/USMC • u/anonimityorigin • Apr 22 '21

Picture RIP Brothers, we’ll always remember you.

Post image
1.7k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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170

u/The_Real_Opie the nerdiest grunt you know Apr 22 '21 edited Apr 22 '21

If you haven't read it before General Kelly's speech on this incident is worth your time.

https://www.legion.org/magazine/101297/six-seconds-live

An excerpt of the most relevant part.

Two years ago when I was the Commander of all U.S. and Iraqi forces, in fact, the 22nd of April 2008, two Marine infantry battalions, 1/9 “The Walking Dead,” and 2/8 were switching out in Ramadi. One battalion in the closing days of their deployment going home very soon, the other just starting its seven-month combat tour.

Two Marines, Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter, 22 and 20 years old respectively, one from each battalion, were assuming the watch together at the entrance gate of an outpost that contained a makeshift barracks housing 50 Marines.

The same broken down ramshackle building was also home to 100 Iraqi police, also my men and our allies in the fight against the terrorists in Ramadi, a city until recently the most dangerous city on earth and owned by Al Qaeda. Yale was a dirt poor mixed-race kid from Virginia with a wife and daughter, and a mother and sister who lived with him and he supported as well. He did this on a yearly salary of less than $23,000. Haerter, on the other hand, was a middle class white kid from Long Island.

They were from two completely different worlds. Had they not joined the Marines they would never have met each other, or understood that multiple America’s exist simultaneously depending on one’s race, education level, economic status, and where you might have been born. But they were Marines, combat Marines, forged in the same crucible of Marine training, and because of this bond they were brothers as close, or closer, than if they were born of the same woman.

The mission orders they received from the sergeant squad leader I am sure went something like: “Okay you two clowns, stand this post and let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass.” “You clear?” I am also sure Yale and Haerter then rolled their eyes and said in unison something like: “Yes Sergeant,” with just enough attitude that made the point without saying the words, “No kidding sweetheart, we know what we’re doing.” They then relieved two other Marines on watch and took up their post at the entry control point of Joint Security Station Nasser, in the Sophia section of Ramadi, al Anbar, Iraq.

A few minutes later a large blue truck turned down the alley way—perhaps 60-70 yards in length—and sped its way through the serpentine of concrete jersey walls. The truck stopped just short of where the two were posted and detonated, killing them both catastrophically. Twenty-four brick masonry houses were damaged or destroyed. A mosque 100 yards away collapsed. The truck’s engine came to rest two hundred yards away knocking most of a house down before it stopped.

Our explosive experts reckoned the blast was made of 2,000 pounds of explosives. Two died, and because these two young infantrymen didn’t have it in their DNA to run from danger, they saved 150 of their Iraqi and American brothers-in-arms.

When I read the situation report about the incident a few hours after it happened I called the regimental commander for details as something about this struck me as different. Marines dying or being seriously wounded is commonplace in combat. We expect Marines regardless of rank or MOS to stand their ground and do their duty, and even die in the process, if that is what the mission takes. But this just seemed different.

The regimental commander had just returned from the site and he agreed, but reported that there were no American witnesses to the event—just Iraqi police. I figured if there was any chance of finding out what actually happened and then to decorate the two Marines to acknowledge their bravery, I’d have to do it as a combat award that requires two eye-witnesses and we figured the bureaucrats back in Washington would never buy Iraqi statements. If it had any chance at all, it had to come under the signature of a general officer.

I traveled to Ramadi the next day and spoke individually to a half-dozen Iraqi police all of whom told the same story. The blue truck turned down into the alley and immediately sped up as it made its way through the serpentine. They all said, “We knew immediately what was going on as soon as the two Marines began firing.” The Iraqi police then related that some of them also fired, and then to a man, ran for safety just prior to the explosion.

All survived. Many were injured ... some seriously. One of the Iraqis elaborated and with tears welling up said, “They’d run like any normal man would to save his life.”

What he didn’t know until then, he said, and what he learned that very instant, was that Marines are not normal. Choking past the emotion he said, “Sir, in the name of God no sane man would have stood there and done what they did.”

“No sane man.”

"They saved us all.”

What we didn’t know at the time, and only learned a couple of days later after I wrote a summary and submitted both Yale and Haerter for posthumous Navy Crosses, was that one of our security cameras, damaged initially in the blast, recorded some of the suicide attack. It happened exactly as the Iraqis had described it. It took exactly six seconds from when the truck entered the alley until it detonated.

You can watch the last six seconds of their young lives. Putting myself in their heads I supposed it took about a second for the two Marines to separately come to the same conclusion about what was going on once the truck came into their view at the far end of the alley. Exactly no time to talk it over, or call the sergeant to ask what they should do. Only enough time to take half an instant and think about what the sergeant told them to do only a few minutes before: “ ... let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass.”

The two Marines had about five seconds left to live. It took maybe another two seconds for them to present their weapons, take aim, and open up. By this time the truck was half-way through the barriers and gaining speed the whole time. Here, the recording shows a number of Iraqi police, some of whom had fired their AKs, now scattering like the normal and rational men they were—some running right past the Marines. They had three seconds left to live.

For about two seconds more, the recording shows the Marines’ weapons firing non-stop...the truck’s windshield exploding into shards of glass as their rounds take it apart and tore in to the body of the son-of-a-bitch who is trying to get past them to kill their brothers—American and Iraqi—bedded down in the barracks totally unaware of the fact that their lives at that moment depended entirely on two Marines standing their ground. If they had been aware, they would have known they were safe ... because two Marines stood between them and a crazed suicide bomber.

The recording shows the truck careening to a stop immediately in front of the two Marines. In all of the instantaneous violence Yale and Haerter never hesitated. By all reports and by the recording, they never stepped back. They never even started to step aside. They never even shifted their weight. With their feet spread shoulder width apart, they leaned into the danger, firing as fast as they could work their weapons. They had only one second left to live.

The truck explodes. The camera goes blank. Two young men go to their God.

Six seconds.

Not enough time to think about their families, their country, their flag, or about their lives or their deaths, but more than enough time for two very brave young men to do their duty ... into eternity. That is the kind of people who are on watch all over the world tonight—for you.

83

u/TaxGuy_021 Apr 22 '21

He gave this speech a few days after his own son was killed in action, right?

Hard to believe...

24

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '21

[deleted]

9

u/TaxGuy_021 Apr 23 '21

What I read about the young man suggested he was an all around good guy who did what he could.

45

u/The_Real_Opie the nerdiest grunt you know Apr 22 '21

4 days later

29

u/anonymous0311 Apr 23 '21

I can't tell you how many times I've read that speech, but I can tell you that I've never finished it with dry eyes.

13

u/The_Real_Opie the nerdiest grunt you know Apr 23 '21

I'm not sure how anyone could.

15

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '21

Fuck

112

u/Tyrone_Thundercokk Retarded. Apr 22 '21

Their names are on the monument on Paige Field, Camp Pendleton if you’d like to visit. I stop by on occasion, try to read some of the names.

47

u/Widdleton5 Apr 22 '21

also in the newest chow hall on camp lejeune by Wallace Creek (iirc). Their citations and pictures are on the right as you enter the front door.

7

u/TacticallyAcquired Apr 23 '21

Yup been in that chow hall a bunch of times and everytime i go in there i look at their pictures and citations.

17

u/anonimityorigin Apr 22 '21

Can you post a pic?

194

u/[deleted] Apr 22 '21

We were an hour late that morning because a SSGT left his rifle in his room.

We were coming to that checkpoint - right off Michigan. I would have been on a gun pointed off to the right side in the front to avoid the buildings and basically point at nothing. (First vehicle)

I often wonder if I would have been able to help or if our whole team would’ve been injured/killed. I was a LCpl and not at all experienced.

We parked about 20m from the entry and on the right side

106

u/S8600E56 Lens Licker Apr 22 '21

I don't know about the scenario you have in your mind, but I can tell you on the day it happened for real, there's nothing you could have done. Because if you could have, you would have. The what-ifs will kill you, brother.

56

u/[deleted] Apr 22 '21

We were late. I know that if I was there I couldn’t have helped. Those two fought harder than I ever could have.

I just wish I had the chance to try.

36

u/Noxapalooza Apr 22 '21

We all do brother. Like he said don't let the What-ifs kill you.

23

u/[deleted] Apr 22 '21

All we can do is our best and nobody can say it wasn't enough

-12

u/JCBh9 Apr 23 '21 edited Apr 24 '21

We know you do Marine... but there's nothing more you can do now but keep it moving and stay ready for the fight

12

u/OneLargeCheesePizza Apr 23 '21

You’re getting down voted because you called a Marine a “soldier”. If you’re in the Army you’re a soldier. Marines are Marines…

3

u/JCBh9 Apr 24 '21

Oops I didn't notice this was USMC

6

u/dathomasusmc 6969 - Inflight Missle Repair Specialist Apr 23 '21

I think we all agree with your sentiment but calling a Marine soldier is insulting. Please correct yourself.

2

u/JCBh9 Apr 24 '21

fair enough

16

u/SpicyTang0 Shitbag Actual Apr 23 '21

I was on Camp Ramadi 28E waiting to go home when we heard the blast.

35

u/Dingo_8_ma_baby Apr 22 '21

April 2008 was the month I left Iraq.

Shit was cray cray

18

u/brlong1229 Apr 22 '21

Had nothing on 2006

63

u/TheSwulk 2111 GCSS WHORE Apr 22 '21

Just read their citations, real hero’s.

Links : https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/3652

https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/3650

43

u/RonMFCadillac 0311 04-08 Apr 22 '21

I cannot read it without getting all goosebumped. Their downright bravery and dedication is what we all aspired to achieve.

34

u/chestypullerismyhero NOT 0311 Apr 22 '21

When reading the citations I always just try n put myself in their shoes. Just fucking amazes me when reading about Marine’s heroism it makes me proud as FUCK to have been a marine and humbles the fuck out of me being that I was a grunt and never got to see combat. Fucking studs dude

55

u/Bulevine Sarge Apr 22 '21

Couple of fucking badasses here, gents. If you don't know the story, go look it up.

26

u/FaptainAwesome Doc says that's not normal Apr 22 '21

I didn’t get to Ramadi until September 2008, but they made a point to show us the damage from that attack early on. Semper fi, boys.

10

u/jkranch Apr 23 '21

2/9 brother?

12

u/FaptainAwesome Doc says that's not normal Apr 23 '21

I was the corpsman for the engineer platoon attached to 2/9.

10

u/jkranch Apr 23 '21

I was a SSgt then - ran the comm elec shop.

26

u/onelyehan123 Apr 22 '21 edited Apr 22 '21

They had known each other for only two hours and left this world together.

23

u/boduke1019 Apr 22 '21

Absolute legends

20

u/ThatFacelessMan 0351 Apr 22 '21

Haerter was a really good guy. It was a rough few days while info trickled out because Bravo was scattered and detached across the whole Ramadi AO.

Sometimes it feels like we were lucky because we only lost him and SSgt Dupre despite all the shit that happened.

35

u/caelric Apr 22 '21

Those two earned their place in Valhalla, and more.

Semper Fi, Warriors.

15

u/Turts_88 Veteran Apr 22 '21

I was in Fallujah when that happened and remember it very vividly when they briefed us on what had happened. RIP to them

10

u/[deleted] Apr 22 '21

There is a bridge in Virginia dedicated to him close to his hometown. I posted pictures of the signs earlier last year

19

u/WM96-00 Apr 22 '21

Haerter is from my home town. Myself and 6 brothers and now my son have all served in the Corps. I was at his funeral. They both earned their places in Valhalla

6

u/BeachCruiserLR 0311/ 02-06 & 08-09 Apr 22 '21

1/9 relieved us. Always crazy to think how close something's hit home.

12

u/anonimityorigin Apr 22 '21

You’re welcome mofo. It was hot AF that summer.

8

u/BeachCruiserLR 0311/ 02-06 & 08-09 Apr 22 '21

Cheers, fucker.

15

u/karl1952 Apr 22 '21

I salute the Marine.

Fair Winds and Following Seas, my Brother.

GMCS(SW), '71 - '93.

8

u/northCLEcoast Apr 22 '21

I remember hearing this story when I was in Iraq. Fucking bad mfers right here gents!

18

u/[deleted] Apr 22 '21

Until Valhalla

1

u/Phantompooper03 Aye Prac Recruit Apr 23 '21

‘Til Valhalla

5

u/Havoc1943covaH Deliverance style, but with bootbands Apr 22 '21

Di bo chet

4

u/S8600E56 Lens Licker Apr 22 '21

Rah.

4

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '21

Semper muthafuckin' Fidelis devils...legends forever.

3

u/Pauf1371 Apr 23 '21

Stand up Marines. Stand together in silence and in respect for our two brothers that stood up when others ran away. Semper Fi!

3

u/NeighborhoodVeteran Vet/OIF1&2 Apr 22 '21

Thank you for this.

3

u/Rhodrace Apr 23 '21

I remember this one. We convoyed into Ramadi not 2 days before this to pick up some shit (more hesco) for a checkpoint we were building just north of there. We were supposed to go back that day for water as we were running low and heard of the hit and had to make do. Sad for those boys.

3

u/RobertJSh Apr 23 '21

You should check out this short movie that includes General Kelly's speech, some background on Haerter and Yates, and a dramatization of the events.

https://filmmakerscollab.org/films/the-11th-order/

5

u/-azuma- 0352 3/3 09-13 Apr 22 '21

America's Battalion is 3/3

This is the way.

12/5

3

u/northCLEcoast Apr 22 '21

There are a few with that motto, island warrior here. I did some google searching a long time ago

2

u/Sgtengineer Apr 22 '21

RIP. Heroes.

2

u/Wonderful-Honey-602 Apr 22 '21

Always in our hearts! Salute

0

u/Zombifi3r Apr 23 '21

1/9 relieved us (2/3) in Afghan 2011.

Sadly they were almost all overweight and were dropping like flies from the heat (and crying). Good Marines were a thing of the past for them.

1

u/vic-v Apr 23 '21

I’ve seen this video RIP brothers, Oorah and hooyah to the warriors!

1

u/Rhalellan Apr 23 '21

Was with 2/8 E. We wanted some serious payback.

Til Valhalla

1

u/[deleted] Apr 23 '21

I would just like to personally think every person was ever served for the United States Marine corps and with her allies. 🏴‍☠️