“Colonel, you know why they didn’t run.”

[Hemidakota]

Story told by the Marine Corps Commandant - General Conway

Major General Kelly relayed a story to me that I’m going to tell you tonight. It was about two Marines who lost their lives on the 22nd of April. That’s only about 20 days ago now. These young men were infantry Marines. They were on an entry control point on the northeast side of Ramadi: Corporal Jonathan Yale from Brentville, Virginia, and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter from Sag Island, New York. They didn’t know each other well because they were in this turnover between battalions. Inside that JSS [joint security station] was about 35 Marines from both battalions taking part in about a five-day turnover.

At 0930 on the morning of the 22nd, a blue painted truck — John Kelly said, “Think Beirut here, about the same size as that truck” — came speeding through the entry control point.

At about 100 yards, the lance corporal started to put aimed rifle fire into the cab because they saw what was happening. At about 50 yards, a machine gun opened up. The truck got within about 10 feet of this old metal gate. We think they killed the driver and there was a dead man’s switch because the vehicle exploded. They estimate 2,000 pounds of explosive inside the vehicle because the crater was five feet deep and 20 feet wide. The young Marines, of course, didn’t have a chance. They were about 10 yards from the vehicle when it was finally stopped.

When John got there, the Iraqi chief of the police station, who was also behind the wall, said, “Why didn’t they run? Every sane man who saw it knew what was happening. Why didn’t they run? My people ran!” And Kelly looked at him and said, “Colonel, you know why they didn’t run.” And the Iraqi shook his head, walked away saying, “Marines are crazy; all Marines are crazy.” Well, we know Marines are not crazy. We know Marines love their fellow Marines, and that’s why they stayed. That’s why they were there. God bless and love them.