The Battle of Ramadi, April 6, 2004: The Day Things Changed for Coalition Forces and Brandon Winneshiek
In this video clip, Marine veteran Brandon Winneshiek, F “Foxtrot” Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, relates his experiences in Ramadi, Iraq, on April 6, 2004. Before April 6, Ramadi seemed like any other city, with friendly people going to work and living their daily lives. The Americans gave coloring books
Operation Iraqi Freedom: Wisconsin Women Were There Proving Their Skill
Among the First to Arrive On March 20, 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) officially began. More than 3,900 active Wisconsin troops deployed to Iraq. Among the first Wisconsin units to arrive was the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 32nd Military Police Company. In preparation for major combat actions, medical personnel also
Remembering Operation Iraqi Freedom 20 Years Later, Part I
Build-Up for Operation Iraqi Freedom Twenty years ago, on March 17, 2003, after weeks of deadlines and demands for compliance with UN inspections, President George W. Bush delivered a final deadline to Saddam Hussein before Operation Iraqi Freedom officially began. The leader of Iraq and his two sons were given
Wisconsin Rapids Mark E. Anderson Reflects on Iraq
Maj. Gen. Mark Anderson, Wisconsin’s deputy adjutant general for Army, addresses Soldiers during a welcome-home ceremony Jan. 25, 2018, for approximately 75 Wisconsin members of the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation returning to Madison, Wis., after a nine-month Middle East deployment. The unit provided UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter airlift assets and
Iraq by Way of Stoughton: A Marine’s story
Shawn C. Corcoran grew up in Stuttgart, Germany, the child of a United States military family. Corcoran returned to the United States to finish his high school education in Stoughton, Wisconsin. In 1990, following his graduation, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in Madison, Wisconsin. Initially posted to Camp Pendleton,
Wisconsin Was There: Desert Storm Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Persian Gulf War, Part II
After over a month of the air campaign, with a final ultimatum for Iraqi forces to evacuate Kuwait expired, the ground campaign began. In Saudi Arabia, along the border with Iraq and Kuwait, the coalition forces rolled forward along the over 330 mile front. Helen Gurkow of the 13th Evac Hospital, remembered the opening phase of
Out of the Ordinary by Russ Horton
There are still service members who, for a variety of reasons, write the occasional letter with pen and paper. Sometimes, they even choose to write letters because they have something out of the ordinary on which to write. Andrew Brady, a Poynette native who served with the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines
Jeff Carnes: Veteran in the Spotlight
As a military linguist, Jeff Carnes provided a critical link between American troops, foreign forces, and the local population, establishing trust in treacherous times. Fluent in Arabic, Carnes connected intimately with the local people during his tour in Iraq in 2003. He recalls a conversation with an Iraqi civilian named