The Archive / Season 1, Episode 10
The Battle of Fallujah
THE ARCHIVE Season 1, Episode 10: "The Battle of Fallujah" --- [ARCHIVAL NOTE: The following letters and testimonies are from American Marines and soldiers who fought in the Second Battle of Fallujah, November-December 2004. It was the heaviest urban combat American forces had engaged in since the Vietnam War. The city was cleared at great cost. These are the voices of those who were there.] --- [LETTER ONE] From: Lance Corporal Miguel Santos, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines To: His mother, San Diego Date: November 7, 2004 (the night before the assault) Dear Mama, Tomorrow we go into Fallujah. I wish I could tell you everything will be fine, that this will be easy, that I'll walk through that city without a scratch. But I won't lie to you, Mama. This is going to be bad. The insurgents have had months to prepare. They've mined the streets, fortified the buildings, turned every house into a potential ambush. Our intel says there are thousands of fighters in there, waiting for us. But we're Marines, Mama. First Battalion, Third Marines. "Lava Dogs." We've trained for this. We know our jobs, we trust our brothers, and we're not going to let those terrorists win. I'm writing this in case I don't come back. I need you to know some things. I love you. More...