Editor’s Note: The original version of this article, ran in the April 19 issue of the Sentry. Due to several errors of fact in that story, a corrected article is printed here.
MCB QUANTICO, Va., April 13 -- When Maj. Joel Poudrier, a Marine Corps Military Transition Team intelligence officer embedded with the Iraqi Army’s 2nd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Division, woke up to the rumbling sound of mortar rounds exploding around the Fallujah Government Center in downtown Fallujah, Iraq, he knew March 28 was going to be a day to remember. But he could never have guessed the day’s events would garner him a Purple Heart.
The Fallujah Government Center houses the headquarters of an Iraqi battalion, Fallujah Police Headquarters, and the Fallujah Police Transition Team, as well as a MiTT and various government offices, making it a frequent target for terrorist attacks.
Although mortar rounds routinely bombarded the center, Poudrier and his teammates, who had been in Iraq for nearly four months advising Iraqi soldiers, patrolling for insurgents and looking for weapons caches, noticed the attack was earlier than normal and there were more rounds falling than usual. The mortars were accompanied by significant machinegun fire, as well, signaling it was time to don protective gear and fight back.
According to a Multi-National Force West press release, the Iraqi police guarding the complex fired at an insurgent in a vehicle to prevent him from ramming his way inside the center’s compound, which caused the suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device to detonate at its position outside the building that housed Poudrier, several other MiTT members, Iraqi soldiers, and a Navy SEAL working with the MiTT.
Before Poudrier could even get his helmet on, a force rocked the building, blowing in a wall, showering everyone inside with rubble and choking them with thick chlorine smoke.
Poudrier was struck hard by debris and knocked unconscious.
‘‘When the wall exploded, I was hit in the head here,” the six-foot-tall Marine said, pointing to a scar nearly four inches long on the top of his head. ‘‘I was the only guy knocked out, but I was only out for a few minutes. Lt. Col. Fisher told me himself and other Marines may have blacked out momentarily as well.”
The bomber was killed, but his truck was filled with canisters of chlorine powder that turned into gas when the vehicle exploded.
Amid the confusion and turmoil, the Marines and Iraqis made it to a safe position outside, and after a head count by MiTT member Maj. Christoper ‘‘Mike” Marise, they noticed troops were still missing and that Poudrier was one of the men who had not come out of the building.
‘‘They came back in for me,” Poudrier said, speaking of his MiTT team members. ‘‘It was Lt. Col. Clayton Fisher and a Staff Sgt. Conway who helped me out of the building while other Marines, Iraqi soldiers and Iraqi police fought off the attack.” Fisher is the commander of the brigade MiTT. Conway is a member of 1st Bn., 24th Marines who was attached to the 3rd Bn. MiTT.
Poudrier was flown to Landsthul, Germany, and later to the United States to recover. Although grateful for not meeting his end in Iraq, the prior enlisted father of two is disappointed he had to return before his tour of duty officially expired.
‘‘I was the only one who had to come home,” he said. ‘‘If I had my helmet on, this would probably not have happened.”
The blow to Poudrier’s head caused some memory loss, a concussion and headaches, as well as some cerebral hemmoraging, but after the doctors give him the blessing, the motivated major plans to return to Iraq as early as this June.
‘‘I want to get back to my Marine and Iraqi brothers who are still over there. They’re like family,” he insisted. ‘‘I consider myself a good Marine and intel officer and I think they need me.”
Poudrier’s MiTT is scheduled to serve in Fallujah until December 2007.
During April 13, just more than two weeks after the attack, Poudrier was presented the Purple Heart by Brig. Gen. Thomas Conant, director of Capabilities Development Directorate, in a small ceremony in the auditorium of Marine Corps Combat Development Command here. Among those present was Poudrier’s family, who he said understands his discontent with being at home while his brothers-in-arms are still in the fight.
‘‘If I didn’t want to get back over there, my wife would think something was wrong with me,” Poudrier laughed. ‘‘We’ve been married a long time. She knows me.”
Being presented with a Purple Heart is something Poudrier said he appreciates, but he would have rather walked away with a Silver Star for saving a Marine’s life.
‘‘Of course I would have rather been the life-saver, but I know that many Purple Heart recipients never even get to see the medal because they are awarded posthumously. And even many who live are not able to return to active duty,” he said. ‘‘It was never a goal of mine to get it, but I am proud and mostly just grateful that I can still return to active duty and hopefully back to my team in Fallujah.”
According to Multi-National Force West, 15 Iraqi soldiers, police and U.S. advisers stationed at the government center were injured in the blast. Numerous Marines, Iraqi soldiers and policemen were treated for symptoms such as labored breathing and nausea, as well as skin irritation and vomiting that are associated with chlorine inhalation. Among those treated were Fisher and Marise, who have since returned to full duty and await Poudrier’s return to the team in Fallujah.