Show Notes
Michael Hanthorne served as a motor transport operator, but during the Second Battle of Fallujah, his primary responsibility was as the 'body bag guy.' Brian Moran, a third-generation Marine radio operator, was tasked with coordinating the pickup of fallen fighters and logging all radio traffic to and from the Potato Factory. Cheryl Ites, who joined the Marine Corps in 1974, led this motley crew, overseeing the retrieval and burial of nearly 600 enemy fighters. This is their story.
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00:00:00 Intro 00:02:12 Brian’s Intro 00:09:37 Cheryl’s Intro 00:19:50 Mike’s Intro 00:22:39 Mortuary Affairs Mission Planning 00:29:51 Coordinating Body Recovery 00:36:02 First Night in Fallujah 00:42:03 A Typical Day 01:12:15 Burying Hundreds of Dead Fighters 01:24:45 Fallujah Leaflets 01:36:12 After the Battle
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