To complete the paperwork required there would need to be at least one eye witness to give a statement, explained Leishman. Though Leishman’s wound sustained during battle was documented while in Iraq, it was never brought to light when he returned to his original command.ġ6 years later, now a captain, Leishman is stationed on Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, under 3D MEB where his commanding general, Ellison, was made aware of his time in Iraq.Īfter learning that Leishman should have been awarded for his sustained wound during action, Ellison met with Leishman and started the process to enable him to receive the Purple Heart medal. Kyle Ellison, the commanding general of 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.ĭue to Leishman’s unit hastily attaching to the 11th MEU for Operation Phantom Fury, Operation Iraqi Freedom, his and his Marines’ medical documents were not transferred to the medical staff on the MEU. The Second Battle of Fallujah is this generation’s version of the Battle of Hue City, said Brig. Fierce urban combat dominated the battle space. Leishman said his platoon saw many infantry Marines suffer as casualties from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire from the enemy. “We had the whole might of the MAGTF, which we don’t see a lot of… When you get to see the MAGTF swing through an occupied enemy city, it’s a great experience for any Marine.” “Every day was pretty busy, but my little world was just a sliver of the big picture that was happening there,” said Leishman. The Marines of BLT 1/4 deployed to Fallujah from May of 2004 to April 2005 to support combat operations for Operation Phantom Fury, Operation Iraqi Freedom. He applied dressings to his wound to stop the bleeding after returning back to camp. It wasn’t until a couple hours later that Leishman realized he had been shot. Training kicks in and creates an intense focus on the mission at hand. People get tunnel vision during combat, explained Leishman. Leishman continued on with his mission like nothing had happened. “When you’re shooting a machine gun, you have hot brass going everywhere, and sometimes you get hot brass down your blouse.” “I didn’t know what it was right away,” said Leishman. In the midst of bullets flying and impacting all around him, a round entered and lodged itself in his right forearm, embedding into his muscle tissue. Leishman and his Marines fought in the historic Second Battle of Fallujah during Operation Phantom Fury, Operation Iraqi Freedom. 10, 2004-the Marine Corps Birthday-Leishman served as an AAV mechanic with Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Leishman laid on top of an amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) with his M240 machine gun, returning fire to the enemy that surrounded him and his team. As bullets flew in from all directions, Staff Sgt. Enemy small arms fire created flashes of light. OKINAWA, Japan - A cloud of dust filled the air as ground forces engaged the enemy in Fallujah, Iraq.
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