Marines help village with food, water, medical aid
Submitted by: 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story Identification #: 2004615105351
Story by Sgt. J.L. Zimmer III



SAHL HAWRAN, Iraq (June 15, 2004) -- The Marines and Sailors of Company L, 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, attached to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing to perform convoy security and conduct patrols, swarmed the village here, June 12, bringing fresh fruit, candy and much-needed bottled drinking water.

Sgt. Andrew K. Van Riper, 1st squad leader, 2nd platoon, Co. L, led his Marines here with one thing in mind: making a positive and lasting impression upon the villagers who required their assistance after living under an oppressive dictator for nearly 30 years.

"It's a friendly village, but they do not have any clean (source) of drinking water, no physician and the ratio of children to adults is four-to-one, if not more," said the 28-year-old Boone, N.C., native. "We intend to (visit here) at least twice a month. Basically, we are here to continue to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people."

According to Van Riper, the Marines discovered the need for help here when a local expressed his concerns about a nearby gunnery impact area.

"The village lays right on the edge of the boundary of our test fire impact area," said Van Riper. "It is not in danger of being hit, but the shock waves and noises reach them."

With the assistance of a Department of Defense translator/interpreter who was with the unit for the day, Van Riper tried to explain the military's artillery exercises would not harm the village, despite the proximity between the impact area and here.

"We reassured them they are safe, but they still feel like they are in danger," Van Riper said. "One villager told us there is so much more open desert we can fire on and that he would even be willing to show us where it is."

A local named Ahmeen said the Marines' visit was the first time since the end of hostilities last year that any coalition forces had come here offering help, even though the village has been hospitable to U.S. forces.

"The Army never came here to help us," he said. "They only came to search our homes for weapons and terrorists. We told (the Army) that we are friendly and we would not allow terrorists to operate in our village. If they were to give (us) a problem, we would report it to the Americans."

Ahmeen noted that the largest problem here is not lack of food or medical assistance.

"The bigger problem we face is no power," he said. "We have not had power in this village since before the war even started. We have the wires already installed, but nothing to give them power. We need power to fix our farm equipment and cook and clean."

Ahmeen added the people here are indebted to the Marines for the services they have been providing since visiting.

"We are very thankful for the food and water," he said. "The gifts you brought my children are also very (appreciated)."

One of the children, Aziz, said he enjoyed the gifts the Marines delivered and looks forward to experiencing the generosity of the leathernecks again.

"I liked the fruit and the candy the (Marines) brought," he said. "One of the Marines told me the next time he comes, he will bring me a (football)."

The expressions of gratitude could not be verbally understood because of the language barrier, but one Marine could sense their appreciation by the way the children reacted.

"I don't speak Arabic and most of them don't speak English, so I could only imagine what they were thinking," said Lance Cpl. Marcus A. Kenny, 2nd fire team leader, 1st squad, 2nd platoon, Co. L. "There were so many children who saw what we were doing and you don't need to have verbal contact with them to know what they are thinking, you can see it on their faces."

The 22-year-old Maryville, Tenn., native added that he was very sympathetic when he first learned of the poverty here.

"When we first (came here) and I saw these people had no clean drinking water, I felt bad for them," he said.

Cpl. Jason W. Maddison, 1st fire team leader, 1st squad, 2nd platoon, Co. L, believes what the Marines are doing here will make a lasting impression on the future generations of Iraq.

"Those (children) can never grow up to hate Americans," said the 23-year-old Sevier County, Tenn., native. "They are going to remember that an American brought them water and food and asked for nothing in return. They are going to be able to grow up and tell their friends, 'Why hate Americans because this what they did for me.'"

Lance Cpl. Zach L. Craig, rifleman, 2nd fire team, 1st squad, 2nd platoon, Co. L, expressed his beliefs based on what he has experienced since his arrival in theater nearly four months ago.

"We went from kicking down doors, to knocking on doors and giving these people the assistance they need," said the 19-year-old Farragut, Tenn., native. "I think it is our responsibility as a world super-power to take care of the countries that are in need."

Capt. Allen C. Laughlin, platoon commander, 2nd platoon, Co. L, and 37-year-old Durham, N.C., native, summed up the objective of the operation best when he expressed his opinion of the visit.

"For whatever reasons people fight against each other, the children are the ones who suffer," he said. "Hopefully, what we did will show the adults that we really are here to help and also show the children that just because we wear uniforms, we are not bad people."