THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, April 29, 2010

MOFFETT from 28

tion Moshtarek, in Febru- ary and March. The Ma- rines maintained pres- sure on key objectives, particularly remaining Taliban strongholds in the Snake. Incremen- tally, through daily pa- trols, occasional enemy contacts, and persistent outreach to locals, the Marines bonded with Helmand residents, iso- lating the Taliban tacti- cally and emotionally. Perhaps out of desper-

ation, the Taliban finally brought forth a dam- aged Koran and accused the Marines of the des- ecration. This old ploy succeeded in creating a riot in Garmsir, and a new school was burned down.

A step backwards. But the Marine engage-

ment efforts bore fruit, as Afghan elders and even some mullahs came forth and asked for witnesses to the desecration. Of course, none could be found. The local leaders then chastised the peo- ple for letting the Taliban make fools of them, and for not appreciating the efforts of the Americans. Those actions by the Afghans would not have happened a few months earlier.

Two steps forward

The Fighting Second

After landing at FOB Delhi, site of 2/2’s bat- talion headquarters (HQ),

An Osprey Door Gunner above Afghanistan’s Helmand River Valley which curls through the brown desert like a giant snake.

I met with Captain Doug Carr, a Harrier pilot who was serving as battalion intelligence officer. Carr briefed me on how 2/2 had relieved 2/8 in Octo- ber, and how the Fight- ing Second immediately sought to apply its impri- matur upon the AO. The unit’s modus ope- randi involved AGGRES- SION.

“Pressure, Punish, Pur-

sue” was the motto of the fighting commander of 2/2, LtCol John Mc- Donough. Not only did 2/2 aggressively seek

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out the enemy, but once Taliban elements were encountered, 2/2 would not only engage, but would also give chase. Lance Corporal Nick

Hand was 2/2’s first KIA (Killed in Action). Mc- Donough named a pa- trol base after the fallen Marine and exhorted his men to honor Hand by vanquishing the Tali- ban.

Carr said that the Ma-

rines responded magnifi- cently to the challenge. “Some men returned from patrols or opera-

tions with bullet holes in their gear and clothing,” said the Intelligence Offi- cer. “But our fast opera- tional tempo sustained high morale. The Ma- rines were excited about the missions. They re- mained highly motivated and couldn’t wait to kick ass.”

Ollie And Geraldo

I spent early April back

at Camp Leatherneck, af- ter visiting those north- ern outposts. (See parts

1 and 2 in the 4/15 &

4/22 issues). I needed to

29

interview the departing MEB staff. I ran into Fox News commentator and col- umnist Ollie North, the former Marine Lieuten- ant Colonel. North was moving around the AO talking to Marines – a mission similar to my own. We spoke at length and I was struck by how so many Marines seemed oblivious to him at the Chow Hall (Dining Facil- ity). It occurred to me that many were as yet unborn in the mid-80’s and didn’t appreciate the historic significance of North’s Iran-Contra af- fair, and how it impacted the Reagan presidency and our country. For better or for worse, North’s astonishing work assisting the National Security Advisor embod- ied the Marine mentality of finding ways to accom- plish assigned missions. “I thought it was a neat

idea. We’d rip off the Ira- nian Ayatollahs and use the money to help the Contra freedom fighters in Nicaragua.” I also did an interview

with Geraldo Rivera, also of Fox News. I dated my- self by telling him I re- membered him being the first to show the famous Zapruder tape of the John F. Kennedy assas- sination when Geraldo had a show on ABC-TV back in 1972. Geraldo was similarly

See MOFFETT on 34

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