{"id":28246,"date":"2019-11-28T00:37:15","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T00:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/11\/28\/the-second-battle-of-fallujah-15-years-later\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:56:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:56:17","slug":"the-second-battle-of-fallujah-15-years-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2019\/11\/28\/the-second-battle-of-fallujah-15-years-later\/","title":{"rendered":"The second battle of Fallujah: 15 years later"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The dust and grime were finally starting to settle as the sun set in Iraq.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marine Cpl. Stephen Berge was in an \u00adabandoned factory in Fallujah when he felt the tides turning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He didn\u2019t know at the time that this second \u00adbattle of Fallujah he currently was in, also known as Operation Phantom Fury, would become known as the bloodiest battle of the Iraq War. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he did have a feeling in his gut he would be going home soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was Thanksgiving Day. And Berge was sitting down to his first hot meal since the Marines had invaded the city on Nov. 7, 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tire on a broken-down tram loader had required someone to stay behind that day, and the heavy equipment operator was it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were Marines all around him. But Berge felt cold and alone. He was assigned to the 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, attached to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, and none of his guys were with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fifteen years later, Berge doesn\u2019t remember what he ate that Thanksgiving. But he did know that day was significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a D9 bulldozer driver, Berge had been one of the first ones \u201cin\u201d when the Marines invaded Fallujah<\/a> in a joint operation with the Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The night of the invasion, all the vehicles had been lined up with the Marines wearing night vision goggles \u2014 waiting, waiting, waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The view through front windows of Cpl\/ Stephen Berge’s D9 bulldozer. (Stephen Berge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe never really thought we\u2019d ever have much significance in anything,\u201d Berge told Marine Corps Times in a November interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when something was wrong with the breach site, three dozers were tasked with giving the \u00adMarines an opening to the city, Berge said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe knocked over the curb and breached back out to make a quick road,\u201d Berge said. The dozers moved some cars, and the Marines backed out and glanced at each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe knew what was going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They sat back and watched the Marine Corps invade Fallujah as rockets lit up the sky above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was three nights in that the Corps asked Berge and his fellow operators to take the bulldozers out and destroy positions from which the Marines were taking rocket-propelled grenade fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\t