CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- The Marines and Sailors of the 1st Marine Division will commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Second Battle of Fallujah, Operation AL FAJR, by hosting a ceremony here Friday, Nov. 7, at 10:00, in front of the 1st Marine Division Command Post.
The ceremony will honor all service members that participated in the historic battle, and will reunite veterans from private to general officer in a day of commemoration. Retired Lt. Gen. Richard Natonski, commander of the 1st Marine Division during the battle, will be the guest of honor.
The current commander of the 1st Marine Division, Maj. Gen. Lawrence D. Nicholson, will be available for interviews prior to the event to discuss the historical importance of the operation.
The First Battle of Fallujah, Operation Vigilant Resolve, was an operation to eliminate extremist elements within Fallujah in response to the killing of four US contractors, April 2004. The battle resulted in a withdrawal of U.S. troops and handing over all remaining operations to the newly formed Fallujah Brigade.
November 2004, the 1st Marine Division, supported by forces from the U.S. Army and Iraqi Army, launched the Second Battle of Fallujah, Operation AL FAJR, to eliminate the remaining insurgent sanctuary there and enable Iraqi Security Forces and local government to take back control of their city. During the battle, Marines and supporting forces fought against more than 3,000 insurgents in what became the Marine Corps' largest urban battle since the Vietnam Battle of Hue City in 1968.
-USMC-
MEDIA COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS: Media interested in covering this event should RSVP by emailing 1stLt Joshua Pena at joshua.pena1@usmc.mil or Sgt Wayne Edmiston at wayne.edmiston@usmc.mil no later than 12 p.m., Wednesday Nov 5. Members of the media who attend will meet at Camp Pendleton's SAN LUIS REY/MAINSIDE GATE no later than 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov 7. Reporters can expect to remain on base for approximately two-three hours.