Baghdad, Iraq, April 9, 2003: Marines of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines cut the Iraqi flag from a pole in front of a Special Republican Guard headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq.

The crossing into Baghdad was a milestone for the Marines. Not only was Baghdad the ultimate prize for military planners, but the threshold to complete victory for the troops on the line. Company G, which had been relegated to rear-guard actions, such as holding road intersections and limited small raids, led the assault into the city for their battalion. For the Marines carrying the rifles, the event was exhilarating.

Read the full article on the 23rd Marines’ entry into Baghdad here.

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