Marines rescue seven POW(s)
USMC News
Story Identification Number: 20034148649
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Shannon Arledge
THREE-RIVERS AIRFIELD, Iraq(April 14, 2003) -- Twelve Marines rescued seven prisoners of war April 13. The seven soldiers rescued were Chief Warrant Officers David Williams and Ronald Young, Army Sgt. James Riley, Specialists Shoshana Johnson, Joseph Hudson and Edgar Hernandez, and Pfc. Patrick Miller, were among those rescued.
The squad of Marines from the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion were securing a bridge south of Tikrit, Iraq, when they were given orders to conduct house-to-house raids in the nearby town of Samarra. The Marines were acting on credible tips from local residents that American prisoners were being held in one of the homes.
The seven captives were taken prisoner during late March in two separate battles. The two warrant officers were apprehended after alluding capture for more than one hour after their AH-64A Apache helicopter was shot down March 24.
The other five soldiers rescued were from the Army's 507th Maintenance Battalion. Their convoy came under heavy enemy fire March 23.
During the race to rescue the POW(s) the Marines met resistance from sniper fire in Samarra, said Lance Cpl. Curney Russell, 3rd LAR. Upon reaching one home, the Marines pounded on the door. When there was no answer, they forced their way in to find the Americans sitting on the floor with their captors waiting unarmed.
"It's a great feeling," said Russell a native of Manchester, N.H. I'm so glad they are alive. "One of the chief warrant officers hugged me and said he thought he would never see his family again."
The rescued Soldiers were rushed to vehicles, and transported to a seized airfield on the outskirts of Baghdad. At the airfield a Marine reserve KC-130 Hercules crew with Marine Aerial Refueler Squadron 452 from New York, was waiting to fly them to Kuwait.
"I can't describe how it feels to have been rescued by the Marines," said Johnson, one the rescued POW(s), and the mother of a 2-year-old daughter in El Paso, Texas. "When we were first taken we were close to the fighting and could hear the bombings. As the fighting got closer they kept moving us. I was scared."
"We were scared to death," said apache pilot Young, from Atlanta, Ga. "We all thought we were going to die."
All of the prisoners reported being unharmed during captivity; however, the two pilots said initially they were tied up, slapped in the face, and hit with sticks during the first few days. But as days lingered they were handed over to other captors. The POW(s)were moved a total of seven times.
"We were like hot potatoes," said Young. "No one wanted to keep us, so they kept handing us over to someone else, and moving us from place to place."
All of the POW(s) agreed that the last few days of captivity gave them hope. Their captors fed them better food and allowed them to take showers.
"I thank God that I have another chance to see my family again," added Young. "I can't describe my feelings, it's too emotional. There's no worse feeling than being held captive. Your mind thinks about many things."
Hours after their capture, Iraqi television displayed video images of the captured soldiers. Their families and fellow servicemembers were confident of their return, but all they had was hope.
Almost 30 days after being captured they are now returning to the families they thought they would never see again.
"Words cannot express my feelings," said Williams, one of the Apache pilots, and native of Fort Hood, Texas. "Tears ran down my face. You don't know how proud I am of those Marines."
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