Yellow Ribbon America

March 19, 2003, War in Iraq begins

History.com

On this day in 2003, the United States, along with coalition forces primarily from the United Kingdom, initiates war on Iraq. Just after explosions began to rock Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, U.S. President George W. Bush announced in a televised address, “At this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.” President Bush and his advisors built much of their case for war on the idea that Iraq, under dictator Saddam Hussein, possessed or was in the process of building weapons of mass destruction.

Hostilities began about 90 minutes after the U.S.-imposed deadline for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or face war passed. The first targets, which Bush said were “of military importance,” were hit with Tomahawk cruise missiles from U.S. fighter-bombers and warships stationed in the Persian Gulf. In response to the attacks, Republic of Iraq radio in Baghdad announced, “the evil ones, the enemies of God, the homeland and humanity, have committed the stupidity of aggression against our homeland and people.”

Though Saddam Hussein had declared in early March 2003 that, “it is without doubt that the faithful will be victorious against aggression,” he went into hiding soon after the American invasion, speaking to his people only through an occasional audiotape. Coalition forces were able to topple his regime and capture Iraq’s major cities in just three weeks, sustaining few casualties. President Bush declared the end of major combat operations on May 1, 2003. Despite the defeat of conventional military forces in Iraq, an insurgency has continued an intense guerrilla war in the nation in the years since military victory was announced, resulting in thousands of coalition military, insurgent and civilian deaths.

After an intense manhunt, U.S. soldiers found Saddam Hussein hiding in a six-to-eight-foot deep hole, nine miles outside his hometown of Tikrit. He did not resist and was uninjured during the arrest. A soldier at the scene described him as “a man resigned to his fate.” Hussein was arrested and began trial for crimes against his people, including mass killings, in October 2005.

In June 2004, the provisional government in place since soon after Saddam’s ouster transferred power to the Iraqi Interim Government. In January 2005, the Iraqi people elected a 275-member Iraqi National Assembly. A new constitution for the country was ratified that October. On November 6, 2006, Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. After an unsuccessful appeal, he was executed on December 30, 2006.

Yellow Ribbon America was founded in February 2003 as a non-partisan, grassroots effort to unite all Americans to directly help our Nation’s military members and their families in their local community. Our approach is simple – locals helping locals – local businesses, residents, churches and community groups focus their resources on helping military members and their families in their individual communities.

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 By Yolanda R. Arrington, DoD News, Defense Media Activity

This blog is part of a weekly series called “Medal of Honor Monday,” in which we’ll highlight one of the nearly 3,500 Medal of Honor recipients who have earned the honor of wearing the U.S. military’s highest medal for valor.

Born in 1904, Joseph T. O’Callahan was a Jesuit priest and a professor of math and physics before answering the call to serve his country during World War II. O’Callahan served as a lieutenant commander in the Chaplain Corps. His life would forever be changed one morning in 1945.

Lt. Cmdr. O’Callahan served as chaplain of the Navy vessel USS Franklin. On the morning of March 19, the ship was attacked by enemy Japanese aircraft near Kobe, Japan. The bomb attack occurred just 17 days after O’Callahan reported to duty aboard the ship.

O’Callahan faced flames and damaged metal to help his shipmates as the enemy attacked. Wounded himself, O’Callahan made his way through smoky hallways to the flight deck, all while bombs were exploding around him. As debris and fragments rained down and fires raged on, O’Callahan ministered to his wounded and dying shipmates.

He provided In the midst of his duties as chaplain, O’Callahan also managed to organize and lead firefighting crews to the blaze on the flight deck. His efforts helped crewmen push hot bombs and shells off the ship. He gathered a crew to hose down an ammunition magazine so it would not explode on the vessel, causing further damage.

Facing suffocating conditions, O’Callahan served with courage, inspiring fellow service members to continue their fight against the enemy and, ultimately, return their stricken ship to port.
O’Callahan would go on to pen his account of what happened aboard the Franklin. “I Was Chaplain on the Franklin” details his leadership on that fateful day.

Shortly after the attack, O’Callahan rose to the rank of commander in July 1945. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. He was the first naval chaplain to receive the Medal of Honor.

The Navy named a Garcia-class destroyer escort vessel after O’Callahan. USS O’Callahan was commissioned July 13, 1968, in O’Callahan’s hometown of Boston. The vessel departed for its homeport in San Diego the following month. In 1975, USS O’Callahan was reclassified as a frigate. It served the Navy until its decommissioning in 1989.

O’Callahan’s heroism continues to inspire a generation of chaplains.

“Anybody who has ever been through combat knows the importance of having somebody by your side, to your right, on your left and behind you,” said Navy Chaplain (Rear Adm.) Mark L. Tidd, former chief of Navy chaplains, in 2014. “Those relationships that are forged in the crucible of battle are relationships that last long beyond the event itself and on into later life.”

When Navy Capt. Jerome Hinson took on the role of chaplain of USS Harry S. Truman, he noted that reading O’Callahan’s book changed his life.

“What struck me the most about the story was the way he provided ministry to his people and the way he supported the service members in their daily lives,” said Hinson in 2009.
After reading the book, Hinson said, he hoped to serve on an aircraft carrier.

Picture: U.S. Navy Chaplain (Lt. Cmdr.) Joseph T. O’Callahan gives last rites to an injured crewman aboard USS Franklin after the ship was set afire by a Japanese air attack during World War II in March 1945. The crewman is reportedly Robert C. Blanchard, who survived his injuries.
U.S. Navy photo/National Archives