Marine Sergeant Captured & Killed During Ambush in Iraq in 2003
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- This week’s Urban Valor episode features Marine veteran, Aaron Rodriguez. Aaron was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 during the Invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. While convoying supplies near the city of Nasiriyah his unit was ambushed with heavy enemy fire. Shortly after the ambush took place, they realized Marine, Sgt. Fernando Padilla-Ramirez was missing and had been captured. Aaron speaks about his frustration with their commander deciding not to go recover Sgt. Padilla and the toll it took on his unit. Eventually, Sgt. Padilla’s remains were recovered by 2/2 Fox company, part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit at the time.
This interview is powerful, as Aaron is an intelligent speaker who really delivers his memories with detail and emotion making you feel for him and his unit during the time Sgt. Padilla was captured, as well as numerous other moments in this interview.
As we always say, the courage it takes to sit in the chair with Urban Valor as a military veteran, whether it be a combat veteran or not, or whether the veteran is a Marine, Army, Air Force, Navy, or another branch of the Military.
As a combat veteran, this Marine experienced much there is to experience in the military. His story is a true testament to the courage and strength of the military. We're honored to hear Aaron Rodriguez's story and learn more about his experience in Iraq. We share his story to raise awareness about the effects of combat, the decisions and hardships military members face while serving, and also to detail more information about the Invasion of Iraq, War on Terror, and the sacrifices of the military who served during these time, as well as other wars and time periods.
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I was very young when my uncle Sgt Fernando Padilla Ramirez passed away but I feel proud to say that man was my uncle. He inspired me to join the military and serve my country just like he did …..Rest in peace marine we will one day see each other again.
I knew your uncle. I served with him in 1998-1999 when we went on a MEU Mediterranean cruise. He was my friend, a great funny stand up guy.
@@danb2122Is that you Bosma?
@@tommcintire7799 yep yep
condolences to you brother keep pushing & being great !
@@unbrokenative thank you man! good luck to you on your future endeavors
The fact these videos only get 54k views is beyond me. I just cannot stop listening to these. It’s such a mixed bag of some funny moments, bitter sweet, frustrating, sad and downright nightmarish stories. Very brave for these guys to come on here and share and to also be professional about it. I hope these men truly find peace within themselves. I’m an active duty grunt and these help gain some perspective. Because listening to these…the Marine Corps really hasn’t changed. It really is up to us to make it happen. I’m also with 2/8, that .50 cal story is funny as hell, haha.
was it 54k a month ago? says 33k today
Dude I’ve been watching them for days this is better than the movies almost lol just the way they describe it in first person puts you right there with them almost
@@wesleyhutchinson3883100k now, haha. I don’t know I may have mis typed or something.
@@devonbrown757💯hands down
great channel same goes for billings gazette its the same idea but all vietnam vets
R.I.P Sgt. P remember help digging him up from that f*^# up dump site and getting that intel to recover his body. I’ll never forget 2/2 Fox baby we leave no one behind we coming for ya ❤
My brother from another mother! Wazzz up! Remember that day like it was yesterday! Greatest accomplishment/mission I’ve ever been apart of 2/2 Fox. RIP Sgt. Padilla Ramirez.
U guys are heroes bro. Thank u for your service
Thank you for your service sir. 🇺🇲🇺🇸🇺🇲
@@matthewkatona5814 Thank you for your service sir. 🇺🇲🇺🇸🇺🇲
Thank you for your service and bravery.
This guy was so good at making you feel like you were there with him. Unbelievable stories that break your heart. I salute you for your service sir. God bless
This interview was extremely powerful thank you for sharing it. May Sgt. Padilla and his family be blessed by God. I really value the interviews your channel brings to the public. Sgt. Padilla should never be forgotten.
Glad to hear that Jesse ❤ and agreed completely!
My favorite thing about your channel is that regular people get a chance to share their experiences. His interview is one of my favorites because he is so down to earth and just telling what he saw.
Every Veteran has a story and we want them to tell it! Thank you so much for noticing! That was one of the main focuses of Urban Valor, to not cherry-pick, but simply allow ANY veteran who wants to share the opportunity to sit in the chair.
@@UrbanValorTV You're a new channel, I never did this before but my uncle has an incredible stories from being an Army Ranger during the Blackhawk Down incident, to the National Guard serving in Afghanistan. The only time I hear them is when we're at our hunting shack, but if you're interested, give me your contact info, he has 2 daughters and would love to put his memories on paper, your channel has something really special. So many people served in these wars who won't be able to tell their stories. He has war stories, to training stories where they did a parachute jump during high winds, back then they had those plastic tubes that you'd break, one red, one green, and would illuminate, red being you're injured, green meaning you're okay on night jumps, that jump, he was 1 of 3 greens, he told me an "entire football field" was red from people being injured.
@@saucejohnson9862 Absolutely, our email is team@urbanvalor.com we'd love to talk more, connect, and hopefully hare your uncle's incredible stories!
"Regular people" dont have stories like this.... regular people are told stories like this.
Regular rank and file stories are under rated. AZ love.
Two things
1) A SNCO failed to refuel his humvee 😑
2) The CO said don’t go back for the Marine 🤯 I had to calm myself down after hearing that.
Same.
What kind of CO agrees to a 250 vehicle convoy through previously hostile areas, especially a single lane each way bridge??? Did I get it right? Hindsight, I get it, but is foresight, and intuition, and on-the-ground warnings, with no air support, is this what we call leadership? What was the objective if not just the arrogance of the leadership thinking..."We are big and bad, we'll impress them with our guns and vehicles?" Catastrophic bad mentality, and piss-poor-planning! Heartbreaking. @@26michaeluk
Is this a reservist unit or what ?
I was a Marine with MWSS371 re fuelers and knew SGT Padilla, he was with Motor T. Listening to this brings it all back. I was driving one of the tanker trucks that pushed through with team Charlie. There were also allot of rumors as to what happened as well. Some of the stuff he mentions I had never heard. Jumping out of my truck into fighting holes as we started taking fire that night. The Army had just been hit a few day prior to us getting there. My cousin was Air Force and yes we Marines lived in the dirt and not allowed on the Air Force side real quick. Semper Fi Devil and God bless. RIP SGT PADILLA.
@@jeffcrowder1892 we were waiting on another unit from what I recall before we went through. His A Driver got in other vehicles and I guess they assumed Padilla had got in another humvee. So many rumors. I had never heard the part of him being crucified. You are right, in motor t the mission is to get the supplies through and keep moving out of the kill zone
@Thomas M….. are you from Houston?
@@jimbayne5392 what’s up Jimmy, it’s Mo!
@@jimbayne5392 this is crazy coming across this video. Some of this I had never heard
What’s up my bro!!!!! Yeah Aaron is on top of all of this!
This is One of the BEST INTERVIEWS IN THIS SERIES.............
Love when guys explain things so well it paints the picture
🎯
His Honesty is Boundless.....This is What a Real American Is...Gracias Broth'a
Listening to military (vets and active) personnel tell stories is always so captivating. I hate that the meat of the stories are so heavy but it’s so easy to get lost in the stories
Thank you for this interview with good ol' RamRod. I am glad this story is out in this format. It's amazing how many memories, thoughts, emotions (mainly anger) one can repress/suppress but come back as soon as you hear them. I am glad to see Rod here - it has been about 20 years since I've seen him and 21 years today (March 28) from that stupid convoy. AZ
Thank you for watching 👊🏼🇺🇸🤙🏼
Man this devil dog is so switched on. Dates and specifics are on point. Love this channel very much. Thank you and Semper fi
Except Coming from phoenix , How the hell did he go to Paris island? I came out of phoenix and went to San Diego. I thought the cut off was the Mississippi!
@vikingirishman1 So I know this dude, I was an MP in Yuma with him. He had gotten kicked out of his house or something like that and he was living with a family member that was in Kentucky or Kansas or some shit like that. I personally wasn't friends with him but I know his situation was something like that.
@@vikingirishman1he's full of shit for sure.
Thank you for your sacrifice Sir. Can't imagine having to have gone through that.
He was great. Powerful stuff. Thank you for the high quality content you put out
🇺🇸✌🏻🇺🇸
INCREDIBLY important interview, man! Thanks! I’ve got more to say about sus Marine Corps leadership adventures in Fallujah, but I refuse to betray a story shared in confidence
Higher leadership I think you mean.
2/2 Fox Assaultman, I can remember every aspect of the two days of the recovery mission... hearing about the CoC makes my blood boil
Appreciate this dude so much.
Only in the Corps could a man safeguard his dignity by purposefully urinating in his pants 😂
The struggle was real that day, had to make a command decision.
I have no idea how this guy remembers specifics names, units, and places so many years later. My own deployments are just a vague blur at this point.
He is very sharp, and articulate. If I ever served this is the exact type of homie I want to work with, you know he will have your back no matter what when it comes down to it
You said it yourself. "Deployments," plural. As time goes by they all blend together. This guy had his one deployment where everything went down all at once. No hate on the dude whatsoever, his terror was condensed into a brief period of time. Those of us who were in multiple units or went on multiple deployments... bro just think of all the people. We can only remember so much. Don't be hard on yourself.
This was the first deployment especially of that war - the setting was very different than the deployments that follow. I deployed twice and this first deployment was really different than my second one. I remember a lot of the details Rod is mentioning. We were both military police providing security for that FARP team.
I hear you but as for me I remember everyone in my military career 36 years ago. Or at least most.
I was in TET in 68 and i cant remember too many names but ive got a story about every day of 13 months in country! this is not a great story. I hope the officer gets famous for this but he is probably long dead. I know you won’t like this but PTSD is a bitch but it gets better. My leaders in DC were liars and crooks and i had so much hate. But, you have to lead a good life and don’t kill yourself before it gets better. I am glad you are working on it.
This interview really leaves you thinking like wow wtf man! This is probably one of the best interviews I’ve seen besides Dj Shipley’s interview…👍💯
That’s crazy I was in Iraq at that time and never heard about that. So many untold stories need to be told!
Rip Sgt Padilla. He was my buddy I served with in my platoon with the 24th meu 98-99. He was a lance then. Padilla re-enlisted and I got out in 2000. I can’t explain how bad this pisses me off.. no man left behind? What the fuck ever happened to no man left behind. RIP Padilla from your brother.
Just because they were a supply unit they took are hero's and I can't imagine the dreams he has! Thank you for your service Marine
Glad you came home and glad you re telling the truth
Dang, Leather. I arrived in country in February, 2003. Times, places, all that. Kicked me right in the feels.
looking at that man just from a glance you’d never know he’d been thru all that mess, salute to this marine amazing
I was a Marine Reservist for an Engineer Support Company and I went to Afghanistan in 2012. Hearing that the LTC said "we're not going back to get him" is incredibly enraging. That is 101, we don't leave anyone behind... Period. WTF promoted and given a silver star... Jesus Christ.
Amen, Brother David.
He gave himself a Silver Star.
dude i was an MP for 5 years and ive never been left in the dark, downtalked and undermined more in my LIFE. OEF 12
Why??? Why would they do that? I'm sorry. Thank you for serving🙏💪🇺🇸🥺
MP’s eat their own.
52 years, still can't forget......don't really want to.
12:44 so true! I was stationed at a Marine Corps detachment on Goodfellow AFB. We were absolutely spoiled there. They had a 24/7 chow hall and served whatever you wanted. You name it, they made it. The Air Force really does take care of their people.
2 years later?! 2 YEARS?!!! If this isn’t the most eye-opening detail that confirms our government couldn’t give one shit about us, let alone a soldier that fought for our country, I don’t know what else would confirm it! It makes me irate!
Dude, fuckin awesome interview! I could listen to him for hours!
"Was the CO ever held accountable?"
No, he got a silver star and got promoted.
Damn. Why does that not surprise me?
Amen.. Knowing the kind of soldier/leader that Mattis turned out to be, it wouldn’t surprise me if he promoted that POS himself.
Thank you for doing this channel. I am a Marine veteran from 2/1. I love hearing these stories.
I was with Golf Company Platoon 2007 at MCRD.I got there Aug 19 and a month later the story you share is how our DI's broke the news to us as well.Two years later I was a part of the Invasion also
God bless you marine. You are an example to live by.
I was with wpns 2/2, we were there the day fox 2/2 picked him up and brought him back. We were pissed about the situation too.
I was with Task Force Tarawa 1st Battalion 2 nd Marines and we found your vehicles burning just outside Nasiriyah. Found Lori An Piestwa the first Native American woman killed in combat on March 23 2003. I got to visit Piestwa Mountains in Arizona close to where she was from two years ago, they has renamed that mountain range from Squaw mountains to her name in honor of her memory. We helped provide support for Jessica Lynchs retrieval. Then helped support the raid where we found you all and the two pilots in Tikrit. We lost 18 Marines in the Battle of Nasiriyah that day of March 23.
Thank you for mentioning Lori Piestewa and bringing her home. She doesn't get as much recognition as Jessica Lynch did but the Army plays politics also. AATW
@@ralphalvarez5465 of course brother, I am enrolled Eastern Band Cherokee, I left tobacco there for her. I remember her everyday. My wife made it a point to go visit her mountain range. She didnt know me in this life, but I know her and I share her story to those that deserve to know. I have alot to say about how that story was shared, but that is for another day.
@@hatfieldmccoy0311 I was Army and like you I also think of lost comrades everyday. I wish they could have lived long and happy lives.
Dude. I listened to this three times. In such a divisive time in our country and all the corruption, I am trying to mentally hold on to my patriotism. I love my country but I don’t feel like we still “have” our country. We’ve been completely taken over. I don’t think people realize that we’ve been cleaned out. We don’t have good people in leadership right now, these people are completely corrupt. I am really concerned that we might not even have the ability to have a fair election at this point and no way to defend our people because they’re throwing people in prison for political beliefs. Our own government is hunting people down and kicking down doors in The United States Of America. I feel like “no man left behind” is not even being held up in our country. Hearing your old school American values and your absolute dedication to your guys is so damn comforting. The idea that these sh*t piles could possibly send our guys to war when our country is almost unrecognizable right now. I can’t think of one democrat who is in power right now that actually represents us everyday Americans. I feel like we have successfully been taken over from the inside and we are all watching but we can’t do anything about it. When Biden made the remark a couple years ago regarding the 2nd amendment and saying basically, “good luck holding the government accountable with your guns when you don’t have F16’s and missiles” shook me and people just let that pass by and kept their heads down. They are literally trying to kill the person running against them. WTF is going on. I am really concerned we’ve lost our country, and that there’s a real possibility that these people will actually send our guys to BS wars and even start using the draft. They didn’t just pass that bill to now include women in the draft for show. I know that sounds crazy or overblown but I’m feeling it. People have this belief that law enforcement and military wouldn’t go against our people may have forgotten the lockdowns. The propaganda machine has so far been successful and for people who believe it hasn’t look who’s currently in power and if everyday Americans actually voted for that? They’ve been able to disregard American voters, gaslight all of us into submission while they’re filling our country with illegal aliens to do their dirty work and further suppress and breakdown average Americans. This is bad. Sorry, I know this is insane, if you’re reading this, someone just tried to assassinate Trump for the second time so I’m a little fired up. Listening to you is comforting because it’s a reminder that we are all still here, we’ve just lost our ability to communicate or to voice our opinions. Ugh. Sorry, this is bad.
Thank you for going over there for the rest of us!
May God rest Sgt. Padilla-Ramirez's soul.
This interview gives this civilian a greater understanding of a phrase I have read and heard about: "Welcome to the suck."
Great story teller.
Just curious and thank you for shedding some light on how jacked up it was
I knew that the lieutenant was going to get promoted, but actually hearing make your blood boil so fucking much. I can't imagine how fucking pissed the guy telling the story is about it.
“Fuck me to tears boys, we got sucker punched” 🤣😭😭
The view count is absolutely typical of today's America. Thank you for your service during AND after!
Very interesting! Never knew about SGT Padilla.
"I'm not making fire engine sounds to go to the bathroom" haha epic !
& God rest Sgt. Padilla-Ramirez's soul, I can't imagine what those savages must of done to him..
One of the best interviews ever!!!!!
He's from Arizona but went to Parris Island?
That poor 18 year old man was bleeding out in a shit hole country and all he could think about was his mom was going to be pissed.. god bless that poor soul..
Superb video of an an excellent story telling ability.
He really is incredible at storytelling, I enjoyed this one a ton.
This guy is a great story teller. Powerful. He should go on to Law School
Amazing story.
It’s weird to have these officers elevated over enlisted just because use they got a bachelor degree.
Incredible interview.
I went to high school in Mesa, AZ too. Mesa High Jackrabbits - Carry On!
I had the exact "emergency" head call thing happen in my platoon. Kid had to do 3 laps around the squad bay first hahaha
That's hilarious.🤣
Thank you for your service
Amazing interview
“One of the few natives to Arizona.” Yup... Born & raised in Phoenix. Oorah, brother. RIP SGT🩶
This is the problem with modern vets, the Vietnam guys will tell you straight-up they’re a lowly bus driver or heavy equipment operator and be proud of it, not curse obsessively bc they lack depth and breadth of vocabulary and admit openly they were scared shitless. Many of the modern warfare guys think they’re all SEALs or SF that know better than everyone else. Very little humility.
Jackass hater
Respect .
Because if it were under your own volition that you didn’t appear at a formation, they’d crucify you. I feel that in that case this organization has a duty to go and bring you back, because that’s what they would do if you left to desert. You can’t say “oh well it’s no big deal because there’s a big bad enemy in front of you”.
Interviewer cool as hell
I was over in Kosovo on a TDY with the 101st on 9/11. My parent unit was at that time the 10th mountain 1-87 Inf. We were ecstatic war was at the front door. Ot sounds fucked up saying that but when you're an airborne infantryman who by the way just finished Ranger School not too long before that you are pumped to go to battle. I ended up doing 9 years total got out in 09 with a total of 4 middle east deployments. No regrets I live my life in honor for the ones we lost that's the least we can do.
Thank you for courageous service to our country in some real kick-ass divisions, Brother Marc. 👍🇺🇸
STRIKE!
I feel like I'm watching General Sam being interviewed in an alternate reality lmao.
I was a contractor in Iraq. I was also a former Army paratrooper. We were in our own convoy traveling down route Irish toward the BIOP. We always travelled much faster than the military convoys. We came up behind a marine convoy. We were well marked, and it was obvious we were Americans. We did the standard signals that we wished to pass. I was in the lead gun truck and watched the gunner in the trail Humvee call in that we were there and wished to pass. He then waved us forward to pass by. We started to pass then the marine gunner turned his turret on us and lit us up.
Luckily our vehicle was very well armored. We swerved to the side of the road having lost both front tires and our engine compartment badly shot up.
The marine convoy continued on and left us. On route Irish!
Were formed a new convoy with our remaining two trucks and returned to Rustamiyah with no casualties.
Unfortunately, this type of thing happened many times to our contractors. In one notorious incident, among contractors, our guys were pulled out of our trucks, by marines, at gunpoint. The contractors were disarmed and stripped in public. These were obviously American citizens. This was not a mistake. This was intentional humiliation.
At one point, in the Falluja area, one our convoys was intentionally used as ambush bait by the marines. The marines had not told them that the route they were using was on heightened alert for ambushes. Turns out, the marines were paralleling them and waiting for the ambush to happen. The ambush happened and some of our guys were wounded.
We never received explanations or apologies for any of these incidents. I lost all respect for the modern Marine Corp at that point in my life, and still have none.
Thanks you for sharing that story with us brother. Hope you are well 🙏🏼
@@UrbanValorTV Thanks. These incidents hit all of us hard. We were working for the State Department, after all. Not a private firm.
Was chata there?
Thank you sharing you're story. God bless our nations Warfighters!!
Contrarian viewpoint, in the terrible reality of a wartime event, especially in a piss-poor-planning wherein the Ground Troops rightfully advised the convoy, basically, we are outnumbered, outgunned, who told you to cross the bridge without aircover or tank support, etc? Yet your convoy attempted to cross the bridge, and met ??? immediate fire and attack by the enemy. Result, one Marine is missing. And the person in charge makes a calculated decision, we are in a disaster situation, we have one Marine missing, our convoy is 250 vehicles, loaded with supplies. Can we limit this catastrophe to one Marine? Horror!
That has to be insane, being in basic then you hear the news and it’s like damn we really are going to war this is real life right now.
I was in bootcamp during the Baltimore riots as a recruit from Baltimore.
I work with a Marine at the VA this guy served and saw action. How can I get him to open up and discuss his actions.
Shameful behavior from bad leadership/non-leadership. Should be courts marshaled
Also: Jesus Wept, please don’t distance yourself as you served honorably as a real Marine…for what it’s worth from nobody like me…
Thank you!
I had only been in for 4 months when we rolled onto Iraq and I had no idea just how bad our leadership was, nothing to compare it to.
The only thing worse was Afghanistan 2013.
The more of these stories I hear,the more I see what everyone meant when they say the corps has a leadership problem .Holy shit.
This guy is really good at remembering dates.
Generation Kill is this generation's Band Of Brothers.
12:00 What the Marines don't know is that the Air Force had been at Al Jaber since 1992 doing Operation Southern Watch. That base was the central hub for all airflow through the theater for more than a decade. It's not like they just showed up like you did. They were doing everything they could to keep Air Force people happy through that decade because the deployments were pointless and stupid. "Keeping Saddam in the Box" is what our patches said.
this has got to be the craziest story on this channel
One of my best friends and room mates at MOS school had a girlfriend (later became his bm if im not mistaken) in the air force she said she was able to keep her iPod in basic training. Shout out to my brother Salas, one of the best Marines I ever served with. Blake Ops loves you devil dog, wherever you're at these days.
How did he end up in Parris Island from Mesa AZ?
I’m curious as to how many were killed from friendly fire. I think a lot more than people want to acknowledge
Promoted and given a silver star"!!! Sounds about right.🤦🏻♂️🤢
Every soldier is thinking "if something happens, will I be left behind"?? Talk about a buzz kill!!
Gelopeno lol this dude is hilarious thank you for serving this country brother i have nothing but respect for you GOD bless America
Appreciate your support brother. 🙏🏼
Love it. It doesn’t beat the Hispanic Drill Instructors that called the Hispanic recruits by their last name, but in English . Watch the vid with Linares on here.
A video I recently saw comes to mind. It was about a WWII and wars thereafter practice called fragging where subordinates would take out a superior who acted contrary to the best interest of those under him and caused preventable death of some of those under him or endangered them through bad leadership.
Fresh out of college never even went to basic.
Sounds kinda just like what happened in the Kabul evacuation and the 13 lives that were lost that day, smh all to bad leadership most if not all of it could of been avoided.
Same 3381 open contract
You were talking about out Padilla Weren’t you. I knew him. He was my classmate in the police academy and my friend.
Plz interview Ryan Mcbeth
Marines stealing other Marines’ .50 cal is some pure grunt shit lol
So much has changed from those days, so many sacrifices, by so many, the flag was respected, this country had a purpose and respect, fast forward to present day, only to see a country divided, with a demoralized and weakened Armed Forces, where patriotism is second guessed and weeded out, where do we go from here…..Smfh!👊🇺🇸
just subscribed Semper Fi ..
💯
"Rambo..
What mean "expendable"???"
😅
Sorry I had to. You made me think of that. Maximum respect to every single veteran. 🇺🇸
Its so fucked. There is always another chance to kill the bad guy. You have to look out for your own. Sorry you guys had to go through that.
its sad all these videos dont have a million views
Cant thank all U.S. VETERANS,& ACTIVE enough for yalls courage and service.