Jim Spiri in Iraq

Gunnery Sgt. Jeffery Dagenhart, 37, of Golf Company, 2nd Battallion, 6th Marines, takes a security position on the streets of Fallujah, the night of 12 June 2007, outside the new Jubail precint headquarters, as overnight construction of the new precinct takes place. The Jubail Precinct, is the second of several precints scheduled for Fallujah in the current security plan for this city, as Iraqi Police and Iraqi Army personell, begin to take up responsibility for ongoing security of Fallujah, while US Marines continue their day to day battles, quelling insurgents and Al Queda forces.

13 June 2007

The last night was a long one. The members of 3rd Platoon along with myself, headed into the streets of Fallujah around 2200 hrs to provide security for the new precinct being established overnight in a section of town. It would be a long hot night, with lots of work being done all over the area.

We began by heading out the gate on foot and headed for an area where a home would be selected by the squad I was assigned to. After about 40-minutes walking under the star studded clear night sky of Iraq, we entered a home where the residents were asleep outside. It's hot around here, even in the night time hours, and many residents sleep outside on upon their roofs, as power is quite intermittent, being on a few hours in every 24-hour period.

Here, a marine with 3rd platoon, Golf Company, 2nd battallion, 6th marines, patrols the streets of Fallujah, Iraq, in support of the the current "Alljah" project", on June 13, 2007. The "Alljah" security project is an attempt to cordon off selected neighborhoods throughout Fallujah and convert a building into an Iraqi Police headquarters with an Iraqi Army presence. The Marines from G-Company are daily patrolling the streets of Fallujah, maintaining a high profile, and from time to time engaging in firefights. Fallujah, once the hot bed of insurgent and Al-Queda activity, is still a dangerous area, yet, street by street, a fragile security is implemented.

15 June 2007

In two days is Father's day, across the USA. It is always a hard time for me, having lost a son, 2nd Lt.
Jesse James Spiri, USMC, in July of 2001 to brain cancer. It's been six years now, and I've come to grips that the wound will never heal, but the Lord has been gracious to me in carrying me on.

The week of June 8 to 13, the 3rd Platoon took roof top positions in the streets of Fallujah, Iraq

Each day, and night, I've been travelling with the marines from G-Co.,2/6 Marines, deployed to Iraq from camp Lejune, NC. At 52-years-old, I realize just what it takes once again to do these type of work outs, as I call them, as we go in and out of the streets of Fallujah routinely.

On the 8th of June, we were out on patol that left around mid morning. There were times, especially during the patrol when we were in open areas, that we all would run from point A to point B, in an attempt to minimize any targeting by the enemy. It is times such as these that I regularly think back to my younger years of high school cross country practice during the summer months of late August when I thought then that it was hot. These days, in the first weeks of June in Iraq, I have learned that this place is truly the hottest place to do any type of physical activity.

Each marine carries no less than 60-lbs of gear, many have more, depending on his specific duty. I on the other hand, have my complete body armour, kevlar, a camel pack with two liters of water in it, as well as a side pouch of two liters of water on hand. Slung around my neck is my Nikon D-70, and in my jump suit pockets, (which the marines gave me) I carry an extra camera battery, three additional flash cards and a small digital voice recorder with extra AAA batteries.
That all comes to about 40-45 lbs, which my knees seem to think is 1000 lbs. In any event most of the treks are at a brisk walk, not to difficult, but, extremely tiring. Each thought going through my head, I'm praying my endurance keeps up and just press on.
I'm here to be with the marines as they have to be here.

Cpl. William Anderson of Philadelphia in Iraq

Adapting, Improvising, and Overcoming....

It's another late night in Iraq. The past two days have been a correspondents worse case scenario.
Communications have been down from where I was at FOB Reaper, and the $1500 digital camera from NIKON has decided to quit just when the going was getting good.
New fangled equiptment, breaks down, when the old Pentax K-1000, which I've had for over 20-years still works. So, I broke out the old, and took some new pictures, that won't get developed for a long time.
In any event, I've made the journey over to camp Fallujah for the time being to come up with a plan B, which I have not invented as of yet.

In the past 10-days, I've come to realize that what I'm doing is bigger than I expected. I base it on the growing friendships I've established with the marines of Golf Company, 2/6, at FOB Reaper. I continued to do daily patrols in the city of Fallujah as each platoon rotated into different duties. For the past few days I travelled with 1st Platoon, commanded by Lt. Jobes, of Colorado. Each platoon has it's own personality, but every platoon is always on the exact same page, as is every marine infantryman. I have come to learn the the 03's, as they are called, are a breed unto themselves. They are not the stone cold killers that Hollywood might have us all believe, rather, they are each a young man with a unique story of how they all ended up by some strange twist of fate as "grunts" walking the streets of Falluljah.

June 2007, FOB Reaper, Fallujah, Iraq...A Marine from G-Company, hands out candy to a young Iraqi child entering through the ECP (entry control point) with her family into the city of Fallujah. Photo by Jim Spiri, embedded with US Marines, G-Co., 2/6, Fallujah, Iraq

Audio: Jim interviews Sgt. Reynolds of Philadelphia
http://www.phillynews.com/philly/multimedia/8188682.html

Members of HQ platoon, G-Company, 2/6 Marines, question a Fallujah resident in his home, while his son watches in the background. Photo by Jim Spiri

Audio: Jim records a firefight live as it's happening http://www.philly.com/philly/multimedia/8187627.html

Whadda we got? ... fire from all directions

Audio: Commotion erupts in an Iraqi home afterward
http://www.philly.com/philly/multimedia/8189522.html
There's a family of about 12 children, one man ... I'm trying to get them in a room where they'll be safe

The Long Wait....

So, today in camp Fallujah, I spent a great deal of my
time, working out what I always call, "Plan B". That
is what I always tell my wife when I have in mind what
I need to have happen, but haven't got the foggiest
idea how I'm going to put it together. So, I always
end up saying, "I've got a plan", and eventually, the
plan unfolds.

In my travels throughout the globe, I carry an Ernie doll with me. Ernie has been on many continents and it is a way of communicating with my granddaughter, Gracie, who has one also, that I gave her when she was under a year old. She is now 7. I have brought many smiles to people carrying Ernie. Here, as everywhere I've ever been, even in this part of the war zone, Ernie brings relief to children.

June 19-20, Fallujah, Iraq...In this photo we see a typical scene that one may see while on patrol in the streets of Fallujah. Soccer is a big thing in Iraq and every male knows how to play well.

June 27, 2007 Fallujah, Iraq

Thoughts on Iraq....

It's another day of waiting for the system to catch up with my plans. As my granddaughter Gracie tells me, "be Mr. Patient, Pop". Good advice from such a young one. It is what keeps me going among other things.

I have spent most of the night and into the early morning replying to the scores of emails that have been coming my way since the publication of the story in the newspaper as well as the continual updating of the blog. I endeavor to reply individually to each and every one, and will do so each time I have communication available at my fingertips. That is the one thing good about waiting, it offers me the chance to do just that. Nothing is ever wasted on this journey.

At the chow hall last night, at mid night chow, I was able to see on the news that a critical Republican Senator, Richard Lugar, has voiced what is being termed, "a break with the Bush administration"
concerning Iraq. It is quite noteworthy to be sitting in a chow hall in Fallujah, Iraq, and see such a thing before one's eyes, especially in relation to the events and people I have seen and been among most recently. So, I thought I would address what I feel about all this. For at this time, it seems somewhat relevant.

June 27, 2007

It is difficult to explain exactly how I came to this point in time of documenting what I have seen recently in Fallujah. For the readers benefit, I will back up a bit and explain as best I can.

In January of 2004, I came to Iraq for the first time.
I was a civillian contractor with KBR-Halliburton, the company once run by current vice president Dick Cheney. I spent over two years working the flight line at night with what is called, "pax movement".
That simply means that I brought in the new troops, and sent home the old ones and spent many, many nights watching and assisting in the loading of wounded soldiers. And there were plenty of times that I attended what is called "patriot details" when a KIA would pass through our flight line. I also at times, assisted in the carrying of body bags off of helicopters when KIA's were brought directly from the battlefield.

http://www.philly.com/philly/multimedia/8227132.html
Talk always comes to (soccer) ...

Cpl Watson, of 3rd platoon, is seen BBQ'ing some steaks for the company. On this day, several of the marines of Golf company, put together a BBQ and served the whole company. It is a rare occassion to have such a treat as this, but when it happens, everyone pitches in and takes care of one another. The steaks were delicious.

Audio of Sgt. Siler, Artilleryman, camp Fallujah.
Sgt. Siler is from Tallequah, Oklahoma, He is 22-years old, on his second tour in Iraq. On his previous tour in Iraq he was a body guard for a general.
http://www.philly.com/philly/multimedia/8299892.html

29 June 2007 camp Fallujah, Iraq

While awaiting the arrival of replacement cameras, here at camp Falllujah, I've come to realize that there are many components to making the mission all work together for one goal.

Periodically throught the day and night, here at camp Falllujah, there can heard extremely loud booms that shake, rattle and roll the hooch I stay in. I knew what it was from the get go, but I determined to go and find out who shoots these things and what do they do on a daily basis. Today, I learned who "Arty" was.

My presence here at camp Fallujah is becomming familiar lately, and many of the folks here are reading this blog and making positive comments. I was invited along to meet the marines of T-Battery, 3/10 Marines, from Camp Lejune, NC, today. It was once again, another example of a well oiled component of the big machine, that remains relatively unknown in the "big media", but everyone here surely hears them, and many on the ground depend on "Arty" being well on top of his game.

Jim Spiri, holding an artillary shell at Tango Battery on the outskirts of camp Fallujah. June 28, 2007, photo courtesy of Cpl. George Hruby.