CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - The Marines of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, dedicated a conference room as a memorial to the Battle of Nasiriyah at their headquarters aboard Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, July 14, 2015.
During the Battle of Nasiriyah, Marines with 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and soldiers from the U.S. Army's 507th Maintenance Company fought against the Iraqi forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 23-April 2, 2003.
Around the room, Marines of 1st Battalion placed pictures of Marines that participated in the operation along with equipment that had been used in the battle, award citations awarded to Marines and sailors for exemplary actions during the confrontation and a page from a newspaper listing the names of Marines from the battalion who gave their lives.
For the junior Marines, it gave them a chance to see a more recent and relatable example of their Corps' history, according to Cpl. Christopher J. Kolakowski, a squad leader with the unit.
"I was nowhere near being a Marine when the battle happened," Kolakowski said. "Seeing this and knowing what the unit I am now a part of did while I was alive is a motivational thing to me."
Sgt. Maj. Justin D. Lehew, the sergeant major of Training and Education Command, United States Marine Corps, said that the recent place in history the battle has actually makes the Marines in those pictures and the stories more relatable. Sgt. Maj. Lehew participated in the Battle of Nasiriyah and spoke to the Marines in the battalion at the base theater after the room was opened.
"When I first came in, the first generation had been leaving for many years and when they left [they took] all their stories with them," Lehew said. "That room is a place where the Marines can look at the pictures on the wall and see Marines wearing the same uniform and can still relate to some of the people because their seniors are the ones who were involved in that. This means they can actually explain their own experiences and bring that whole situation to life."
After a tour of the room, the Marines moved to the base theater where a ceremony was held to honor a Marine's actions during a conflict more recent than Nasiriyah. Lance Cpl. Stephen J. Land, a Marine with the battalion, was awarded the Bronze Star with the V for valor for the actions he took during a suicide vehicle born improvised explosive device attack on his convoy while deployed in Afghanistan.
"I was just in the right place at the right time," Land said. "I am grateful that my family could be here to see that I had done something with my career as a Marine and also as a man. It makes me glad to know that my parents are proud of me."
After the award ceremony, the Marines received an official brief on the battle before Lehew gave them a more personal explanation on what happened in those 11 days.
"He really opened up a lot of eyes," Kolakowski said. "I've been with this unit for almost four years and we've had the brief about the battle before. But having the sergeant major here was a completely new experience. He was actually there and he saw what was happening and told us about it. It's completely different from just hearing an official brief."
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