WEBVTT

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On November 7th , 2004 , Operation

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Phantom Fury began as a US-led

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coalition force launched a campaign to

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take the city of Fallujah back from

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resistance fighters and foreign

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extremists . After the First Battle of

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Fallujah , the city became a stronghold

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for Iraqi resistance fighters and

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foreign volunteers . In November ,

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coalition . Forces surrounded the city ,

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making it impossible for insurgent

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forces to enter or leave . On November

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8th , 12,000 coalition troops ,

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including US Marines with First

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Battalion 8 Marines , moved into the

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city after intense artillery fire and

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air strikes . 18 was on the front lines

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of the battle fighting their way into

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central Fallujah . While going house to

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house and street to street , 18 cleared

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buildings , engaged snipers , and

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cleared IEDs in the most horrific urban

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combat seen by Marines since the Battle

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of Wei City . Although the US lost the

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lives of 90 service members with 560

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being wounded , the city of Fallujah

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would ultimately be won by coalition

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forces through an overwhelming force

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and superior intel that pinpointed

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enemy strongholds . Brutal house to

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house fighting collapsed the insurgency

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command structure and exhausted their

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resources . 18 played a significant

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role in the success of Operation

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Phantom Fury . Their relentlessness and

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sacrifice made them a force to be

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reckoned with during one of the most

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intense battles of the Iraq war .