Dodging a Blast Attack
Marines Withstand Large Enemy Attack, Suicide Bomber
Story by Cpl. Joseph DiGirolamo, AR RAMADI, Iraq
“The rocket-propelled grenades knocked the Marines out of the posts,” said 2nd Lt. Andrew J. Sherman, who was knocked down by an RPG blast that struck the Veterans Affairs Building.
Sherman and many other Marines had survived a powerful explosion that rocked a building here late April.
“I was running from the chow hall to grab my flak jacket,” said Lance Cpl. William A. Staley , 24, from. “Then the explosion hit.”
The mortarman with L Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, recalled an enormous blast, debris in his face and a fall down a staircase.
“After the explosion, I got up and began running around making sure everyone was all right,” said Lockport, N.Y.
It was midday when insurgents began a coordinated attack with machine guns and small-arms weapons aimed at the building’s rooftop. Meanwhile, insurgents fired multiple rocket-propelled grenades at the building’s guard posts.
While Marines scrambled to their positions, a suicide bomber driving a truck with a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device breached the west gate, according to the 25-year-old platoon commander from Mobile, Ala.
Debris flew everywhere as flames from the blast ignited the building’s camouflage netting surrounding the Marines.
“I thought the whole building was destroyed,” said Staley. “The concussion of the blast jolted and knocked (several of us down).”
With mortars hitting the building, the dazed Marines began crawling over rubble and under a spray of small-arms fire to secondary fighting positions, said Sherman who was called for back-up support.
The Marines also called for a quick-reaction-force team, which sped toward the gunfight and en route destroyed four vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices parked nearby.
When Petty Officer 3rd Class William T. Corso gained consciousness after the initial blast, he heard calls for help. Lance Cpl. Michael C. Sarbu had a gunshot wound to his leg and needed medical assistance. Corso quickly climbed a ladder – exposing his body to enemy fire – reached Sarbu and started treating the wounded leg. He immediately called for medical evacuation and treated two other Marines.
Lance Cpl. Timothy M. Leeper, meanwhile, heard sporadic gunfire and headed to a heavy machine gun. Before Leeper could man the gun, a car bomb detonated and threw him back inside the building, burying his weapon under rubble. Refusing medical treatment, he ran to another part of the building to assist Marines engaging enemy fighters. He was able to help the Marines by repairing their weapon systems and re-supplying ammunition.
Both Corso and Leeper were recommended for combat awards for their bravery during the complex attack.
The Marines reported killing approximately 20 insurgents during the battle.
The war-torn building still stands as Marines continue to operate there, providing security for the people of Ramadi.
