A 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Tribute...

[Sand Man]

Photo Essay: Gun Battle Kills Saddam's Sons (July 22, 2003)

http://i41.tinypic.com/33my00p.jpg

Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) watch as a TOW missile strikes the side of a building that is suspected of harboring Uday and Qusay Hussein in Mosul, Iraq, July 22, 2003. Qusay and Uday were killed in a gun battle as they resisted efforts by coalition forces to apprehend and detain them. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Curtis Hargrave

http://i40.tinypic.com/ojdtdw.jpg

Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) prepare to fire a TOW missile at a building in Mosul, Iraq, in which Uday and Qusay Hussein have barricaded themselves, July 22, 2003. Qusay and Uday were killed in a gun battle as they resisted efforts by coalition forces to apprehend and detain them. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Curtis Hargrave

http://i43.tinypic.com/nx5q44.jpg

A soldier from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) carries a TOW missile to a nearby launcher so that it can be fired at a building in Mosul, Iraq, in which Uday and Qusay Hussein have barricaded themselves and are later killed after resisting efforts by coalition forces to apprehend and detain them. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Curtis Hargrave

http://i39.tinypic.com/vpf2v5.jpg

A soldier from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) carries a TOW missile to a nearby launcher so that it can be fired at a building in Mosul, Iraq, in which Uday and Qusay Hussein have barricaded themselves and are later killed after resisting efforts by coalition forces to apprehend and detain them. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Curtis Hargrave

http://i42.tinypic.com/288cqaq.jpg

Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) crouch down and prepare themselves for the loud boom from the TOW missile that is going to be fired at a building in Mosul, Iraq, in which Uday and Qusay Hussein have barricaded themselves, July 22, 2003. Qusay and Uday were killed in a gun battle as they resisted efforts by coalition forces to apprehend and detain them. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Curtis Hargrave

http://i44.tinypic.com/6dwbxd.jpg

A soldier with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) scans the area for signs of movement after firing a 50 caliber machine gun at a building in Mosul, Iraq, in which Uday and Qusay Hussein have barricaded themselves, July 22, 2003. Qusay and Uday were killed in a gun battle as they resisted efforts by coalition forces to apprehend and detain them. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Curtis Hargrave

http://i40.tinypic.com/5caelu.jpg

A soldier with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) scans the area for signs of movement after firing a 50 caliber machine gun at a building in Mosul, Iraq, in which Uday and Qusay Hussein have barricaded themselves, July 22, 2003. Qusay and Uday were killed in a gun battle as they resisted efforts by coalition forces to apprehend and detain them. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Curtis Hargrave


Source (http://www.defendamerica.mil/archive/2003-08/20030801am.html)

[marek]

Great stuff Sandman, thank you!

[The Mighty Quinn]

Nice, I remember that battle very fondly. The first taste of resistance is futile.

[gobdav]

Here are a few of my own that I took of the aftermath.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/07.jpg

Overall view about a half-hour after the firefight ended. VERY hot that day.


http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/05.jpg

This was in the main living room upstairs. If you look at the first photo, this was taken in the upper-right room, against the interior wall.


http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/03.jpg

Main room upstairs in the middle of the house. Judging by the blood marks, one of them (I think the kid) ran through the door to the right, hitting the wall as he went. That back room is where I believe he died, due to the pooled blood.


http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/04.jpg

Closeup of the door in the above description.


http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/02.jpg

Pink house across the street where the bodyguard died. I was told this was a house of ill-repute.

[Whitcomb]

Is said building still up or was it knocked down after the engagement?

[gobdav]

Is said building still up or was it knocked down after the engagement?

It was knocked down about 2-3 days after the fight.

[Ghostryder]

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9402/aapa.jpg (http://img35.imageshack.us/my.php?image=aapa.jpg)

guess who doesn't belong...

[gobdav]

guess who doesn't belong...

He was probably a journalist of some sort, or an officer taken out of his bed that morning. It was only about 3mi from the palace, so there were a few units that kind of stumbled upon the fight. It was also super hot that day, so bad my rifle was hard to hold.

[Ghostryder]

He was probably a journalist of some sort, or an officer taken out of his bed that morning. It was only about 3mi from the palace, so there were a few units that kind of stumbled upon the fight. It was also super hot that day, so bad my rifle was hard to hold.

Oh, I just meant the delta guys

[gobdav]

Oh, I just meant the delta guys


Ahh, gotcha, lol. I'm not sure which task force it was who took them down, but a couple guys got hurt during the initial breach. From what I was told, they went straight through the front gate there and charged up the stairs. What I DO know is a grenade was blown at the halfway point up the stairs, where it turns back on itself and either Uday or his kid got seriously injured there, because the blood splatter, hair, and blown rock was everywhere on the top flight. Qusay was apparently shot in the garage (bottom right side of the house)

From that point they decided to rock the building and the 101st, along with a Kiowa pilot, was more than happy to oblige. I have the Kiowa video where they shoot a rocket into the upper-left window somewhere.

I will say that I've never been attached to a more professional, hard-working, and inviting group of soldiers/troopers than the 101st Airborne (Assault). Almost, to a man, they were corteous, honest, and proud, but without the ego. One of the better experiences I've had in the Army. I hear the Iraqis of Mosul still pray that the 101st comes back.

[Sand Man]

Great pics, gobdav! Anyone else got more?

I just remembered that some of the pics are found here (http://media.militaryphotos.net/photos/Battle_at_hideout_of_Oday_and_Qusay_Hussein) but I can't get to them except if I use Google.

I tried to look for more info on the incident here in MPNet and that thread "New & old" (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=RNWE%2CRNWE%3A2006-22%2CRNWE%3Aen&q=site%3Amilitaryphotos.net+uday+qusay+contractor&aq=f&oq=&aqi=) is just hilarious.

[Ghostryder]

Ahh, gotcha, lol. I'm not sure which task force it was who took them down, but a couple guys got hurt during the initial breach. From what I was told, they went straight through the front gate there and charged up the stairs. What I DO know is a grenade was blown at the halfway point up the stairs, where it turns back on itself and either Uday or his kid got seriously injured there, because the blood splatter, hair, and blown rock was everywhere on the top flight. Qusay was apparently shot in the garage (bottom right side of the house)

From that point they decided to rock the building and the 101st, along with a Kiowa pilot, was more than happy to oblige. I have the Kiowa video where they shoot a rocket into the upper-left window somewhere.

I will say that I've never been attached to a more professional, hard-working, and inviting group of soldiers/troopers than the 101st Airborne (Assault). Almost, to a man, they were corteous, honest, and proud, but without the ego. One of the better experiences I've had in the Army. I hear the Iraqis of Mosul still pray that the 101st comes back.

very cool, thanks for sharing

[gobdav]

Great pics, gobdav! Anyone else got more?

I just remembered that some of the pics are found here (http://media.militaryphotos.net/photos/Battle_at_hideout_of_Oday_and_Qusay_Hussein) but I can't get to them except if I use Google.

I tried to look for more info on the incident here in MPNet and that thread "New & old" (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=RNWE%2CRNWE%3A2006-22%2CRNWE%3Aen&q=site%3Amilitaryphotos.net+uday+qusay+contractor&aq=f&oq=&aqi=) is just hilarious.

Here's a few more.

Full Frontal
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/1hrafterfightdestruction.jpg

Backside of the house. Quite a bit of damage.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/Sideview03.jpg

This is the front stairway. You can see the grenade blast marks up at the top of the first flight. The stair doubles back to the top and left, and someone was standing directly in it's path, because there was splatter everywhere.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/Insidesteps01.jpg

A shot of the railing on the spot one of them got hit.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/Bloodsplatterinstairwell01.jpg

Front living room. (bottom left of house, just left of the staircase) I'm thinking a TOW did that :)
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/Blastholeinlivingroom.jpg

Top room. The black area are the remains of a couch. The hand photo I took above was taken just to the right of this shot, facing the other direction.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/3rdfloorfire.jpg

[Sand Man]

Whhooaaa! ... Nice!

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p168/gobdav/Blastholeinlivingroom.jpg