The Bridge on the Saddam Canal

February 28, 2024 00:40:01
The Bridge on the Saddam Canal
The Spear
The Bridge on the Saddam Canal

Feb 28 2024 | 00:40:01

/

Show Notes

In early 2003, Karl Blanke was a Marine platoon commander during the early stages of the US-led invasion of Iraq, when his battalion was given an objective: secure a bridge over what was known as the Saddam canal. It was meant to be a straightforward task. The intelligence briefings they received did not expect the Marines to meet with resistance from Iraqi military defenders. But as they approached the objective, that intelligence was quickly proved wrong. The lead elements began to engage, follow-on elements maneuvered alongside, and the battle began. Karl describes the fight that followed in this episode.

Other Episodes

Episode

November 22, 2019 01:00:52
Episode Cover

Hand-to-Hand Combat

In this episode of The Spear, MWI's John Amble is joined by Maj. Tyson Walsh. In 2013, during a deployment in Afghanistan, he found...

Listen

Episode

April 10, 2025 00:36:20
Episode Cover

Surprise on the Kunar River

In this episode Maj. John A. Meyer shares a story from his first deployment, in 2007, to Afghanistan. On July 27, his platoon and...

Listen

Episode 0

May 08, 2020 00:58:14
Episode Cover

The Fight for Barawala Kalay

In 2010 Kevin Mott's unit arrived in Afghanistan's Kunar province for a deployment that would see months of hard fighting. At one point, he...

Listen