"The house erupted, the concrete mixing with the insurgents’ bodies in a pink mist. As they peered into the rubble, an insurgent trapped underneath raised his arm and dropped a grenade. The Marines sprinted away, and after the grenade exploded, they turned and fired on the ruins. The man was still moving. Grapes called a ceasefire, walked into the rubble, and unloaded half his magazine into the insurgent’s head." On Nov 13, 2004, at the height of operation Phantom Fury, Marines from 3/1 lay trapped, bleeding and surrounded inside what would later become known as the House of Hell.
The 2 story structure became a deadly zone of close quarter and hand to hand combat resulting from a well entrenched and positioned enemy. Among the wounded lay then-1st Sgt Kasal, who had sustained 7 bullet wounds and 40 pieces of shrapnel in an attempt to rescue another Marine.
With time running low, more Marines came to the rescue, only to be hit themselves in the attempt to reach the stricken comrades as they crossed the kill zones. As smoke, blood, gunfire, explosions filled the house, it didn't stop them from finally evacuating all wounded and kill all of the insurgents within.
In the one hour battle, the house claimed 11 wounded, 1 KIA, 2 Navy Crosses and the undoubted resolve that Marines don't leave anyone behind. #marines #semperfi #stayzero #zerofoxtrot