70 U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, I99~199I Photograph by author Iraqi armor was destroyed by 3d Battalion, 23d Marines. Looking towards a possible future mission, General Keys tasked the assistant operations officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jan C. Huly, to prepare the division to continue from its present positions up northeast to the coast. The ports in this area could be used for resupply of the division or of Army forces to the west. With the Tiger Brigade continuing to hold the escarpment and block the road from Al Jahrah, the rest of the division could move north and east to the area of Bubizan Island. Accordingly, the division operations section prepared and sent an order to the 6th and 8th Marines to attack and clear zones to the coast to the vicinity of Al Urthamah and the port of Al Dohah commencing at 0900 on G plus 4, 28 February. The time was later changed to "on order." But in the early morning hours of 28 February the order was received from I MEF to cease offensive operations at 0800 of that day, and the division cancelled its order to clear the zones.~' With the reversion to defend in zone, the division's offensive operations in Desert Storm came to an end. However, there was still work to be done. As the 1st Marine Division withdrew to Saudi Arabia, the 2d LAl Battalion occupied that Division's zone.~2 Over the next few weeks there would be several reports of shootings by unidentified Arabs. Frequently these were simply shots fired into the air by Kuwaitis celebrating their new freedom and the holy month of Ramadan. In some instances, however, rounds were deliberately fired at Marine positiOns and vehicles. While remaining in Kuwait, the 2d Marine Division was not allowed to become idle. Small-arms ranges were constructed in the desert, positions were continually improved, and maintenance performed on weapons and vehicles. Unexploded ordnance was located and destroyed, and some captured equipment prepared for shipment back to Camp Lejeune as trophies. In one piece of self-assigned civic action, the Marines of the 2d Battalion, 4th Marines, spent much of their time clearing the debris of both the Iraqi occupation and the battle from the agricultural compound in which they were located.First Page | Prev Page | Next Page | Src Image |