Highway of Death
Categories: Events, Military
Usually, when warfare happens in the modern era, there aren’t onesided victories. Usually, it’s a pretty hard-fought war of attrition where both sides beat the shit out of each other. But…(lol) the winners in this instance…they didn’t beat the shit out of the Iraqi army over a couple of months…no they did it over the course 2 days. In two days the United States military wantonly wreaked absolute mayhem on the Iraqi forces as they fled.
Now, as we look back, on the anniversary of the last day of the destruction that we wrought on Highway 80, we can’t help but reminisce and know that aside from the Battle of Fallujah, and the thrust to Baghdad in 2003, this is one of, if not the best performance our military has ever put on display. In the course of two days, we absolutely shwacked between 200 and 10,000 bad guys while smoke checking an estimated 1,800 to 2,700 vehicles. It was absolute mayhem and death for the Iraqis fleeing Kuwait City.
Unlike many battles that we’ve had an overwhelming victory in, where we absolutely smashed ass, we’ve had casualties (such is the nature and price of warfare), here though, none. The massive amount of death we caused while having no losses of our own is no small feat. Say what you will about overwhelming technology etc… but surely statistically, with that many casualties, f***in’ someone will get a lucky shot off and at least score one kill for honor or pride or some shit like that. But nope. Nope. Nope. Not in this case. It was completely and totally lopsided.
Unrelenting fire from the skies rained down on those sonsofbitches and the world saw what would really happen if and when the United States decided to actually fight to win a war. It’s the type of killing that makes you take a step back and say “F***. Wow. Shit. They f***in’ killed everyone.”
Hmmmmm. No mention that it was a coalition. Badly written piece which doesn’t reflect the entire truth.
You’re right man, my bad I’ll be sure to include the like 20 dudes from other nations that helped. Calm down bud.
Only thing the coalition brought to that fight was a request that we stop fucking them up. PERIOD…
Hoorah…..
“Usually, when warfare happens in the modern era, there aren’t onesided victories. Usually, it’s a pretty hard-fought war of attrition where both sides beat the shit out of each other. ”
– patently false
Here, I’ll fix it.
Usually when warfare happens in the modern era, there are clear one-sided victories squandered by poor leadership hell bent on subduing an ideological foe through minimal force and an aversion to the concept of “occupying” or “nation building”. Usually, its a pretty hard-fought smackdown of attrition where one side beats the shit out of the other and then politicians fail to present a winnable strategy and/or cave to civilian pressures to jack ROE or otherwise handcuff a superior fighting force until sustained combat operations turns into a quagmire of generational fuckery.
Patently false from an American perspective. Look at the rest of the world homie. People are fighting all over and nobody is gaining headway. From Africa to Iran, Syria and all over the place, if America isn’t involved, its a long drawn out war. Good try though.
Only thing wrong is that we should have kept bombing their ragged asses to kingdom come all the way to Baghdad THEN and not waiting to lose friends and family in the second darn gulf war. Coalition forces ? Yes, 2 nurses and a container of Evian water, the REST U.S. forces!!!
Evian?!? All we had was Hilwa or Al-Shifa! Shit! Nobody told me we could get Evian!😁
My tax dollars at work……….
Worth….. Every…….. Penny……
Hell, those famous last words have been muttered by past generals that were quickly relieved of command, Patton and Moscow, Schwarzkopf and Baghdad, expressed that very same to emulate the threat… And was post haste on the carpet at the White House! Even though we went in DS1 untethered, the politicians eventually rein in the dogs and present a shit-ass resolution…aww, leave him in power, he’s whooped, Not!
As proud as I was in this moment, there was a moment of sanity. As a support battalion, we also owned Graves Registration and were tasked with burial within a sector of this Highway. 201 SPT BN, 2nd BDG 1ID buried 70+ bodies from the Highway of Death. I’m always reminded of our Chaplain’s words…”These soldiers are no longer your enemies…they are your Brothers in Arms. For what its worth, they fought for their country too”. And with that, an Engineer ACE plows over the mass grave…Mount Up!!