Overcoming tactical obstacles, Marines complete their mission at Cobra Gold
By Rick Chernitzer,
Stars and Stripes
Rick Chernitzer / Stars and Stripes
Cpl. Ronald Coffield feels the pressure as he and his fellow Marines get ready to move
forward during an amphibious landing at Hat Yao Beach, Thailand. |
HAT YAO BEACH, Thailand — Cpl. Victor Martinez said he liked the center of the
action.
The 22-year old Marine attached to Lima Co., 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, was part of
the invasion force fighting for and securing their objective.
"I like to move and I love the adrenaline, the yelling …"
Not every Marine in the tank deck of the USS Frederick, about 6,000 yards from the
shores of Hat Yao Beach, were as excited. Many slept against their packs, while others
took a quick bite from their MREs (meals ready to eat).
All were part of the final events in this year’s Cobra Gold exercises here.
They were readying for an amphibious raid Sunday on Hat Yao, code-named "red
beach." Three platoons from Company Lima were taking the beach. First platoon would
set up blocking positions to keep the enemy from advancing on the beach. Third platoon,
along with the Royal Thai marines, would set up fire support to also help push back the
enemy as well as confuse them.
Lastly, 2nd platoon would advance the 900 or so meters from the beach to an open field
where they could set up a front to guard against sudden flare-ups. A a noncombatant
evacuation could be carried out at Rayong beach, some 45 minutes away. Two A-7s from the
Royal Thai air force would provide air support.
The troops loaded up in amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs), which rolled at a fast clip
off the stern gate of the USS Frederick. Its occupants tumbled headlong into each other as
the AAVs did a momentary free fall before hitting the water. As the hydraulics of the
mammoth clicked and clacked, forcing itself up over the waves, troops felt a backward sway
and slight elevation, followed by the forward thrust and the steady steam toward the
beach. It’s a cycle repeated, almost with disruption, for 45 minutes.
"The trip out to the beach ain’t so bad," said an unidentified Marine.
"It’s that trip back to the ship. No lie, we had five guys lose it on the way
in. Just a big mess."
Once the AAVs hit the beach, with everyone’s guts intact, the Marines went to
work.
Moving methodically, the Marines met little resistance in the early part of their
invasion. But a few intrusions crept in.
First, the fire ant infestation could have put Lima Company commander 1st Lt. Dominique
Neal out of action. Quickly removing his shirt, he frantically swatted away at the painful
bites, setting the company back a precious few seconds.
Then there was the confusion about what direction to advance on the enemy. Several
Marines insisted they were advancing the wrong way. A few Marines also said they knew very
little about the terrain that they were trying to take.
"It would have been nice to know the lay of the land beforehand," said Cpl.
Kevin Ridingin.
"I understand you can’t always know what kind of obstacles you’ll be
facing, but I think we could have maneuvered a little better," said Lance Cpl.
Patrick Morgan.
In the final battle for the objective, the company was taking in some heavy fire from
the enemy and was trying to get fire support. That was a problem.
"The aggressors had changed positions and 3rd platoon wasn’t aware of
it," said Sgt. Chris Morlock. "So when we called in the support they were saying
that they couldn’t fire because they would hit us."
But what 3rd platoon didn’t know was the aggressors had moved between them and the
2nd platoon. This led to a few heated moments before the confusion was straightened out
and the enemy defeated.
In the final battle for the objective, the company took in some heavy fire from the
enemy and tried to get fire support.
According to Neal, the other platoon believed the enemy was somewhere else. After a few
heated moments, the confusion straightened out and the enemy was defeated.
Tense moments like those are typical in a firefight, according Lima Co.’s first
sergeant.
"It happens on the battlefield," said 1st Sgt. Daniel Huff. "Fear and
uncertainty add to the confusion."
"Overall, the platoon did very well," said Neal. "They did a good job
even though being at sea makes it hard to rehearse."
But despite the stumbling blocks, most of the Marines here felt they took care of
business.
"Once we got through the mistakes, we were able to take it over," said
Ridingin.
"It was a success," Morlock said. "The important thing is that the men
learned how to think on their feet and the junior officers learned how to improvise to
changing situations."
As for Martinez, who was so charged up for the attack that morning, he gave his
platoon’s performance a "seven out of 10, because of the confusion," he
said. "But you’ll always have confusion on the battlefield."
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