From Three Block War: U.S. Marines in Iraq, author Matt Zeigler ‘chopped’ Fallujah 5K; which chronicles the hard-core ground assault of 1st Battalion, 8th Marines during Operation Phantom Fury, the second battle of Fallujah in November 2004. Hailing from the swamps of Camp Lejeune, the proud warriors of 1/8 proved 2nd Marine Division was second to none! Unlike other Marine and army units that assaulted Fallujah in amtracks, tanks, LAVS, Humvees, Strykers or Bradleys, the 1/8 assaulted on foot the entire three-mile depth of Fallujah; which became known as the ‘Fallujah 5K.’ Fallujah’s treacherous streets and alleys thrived with mujahideen wielding AK-47s and machine guns. While keeping alert for ambushes and IEDs at street level, snipers took aim from above inside the towering minarets of mosques. But even when they were caught by machine-gun crossfire, One-Eight overcame all obstacles in the bloody streets of Fallujah.
