America's North Shore Journal

November 6, 2009, was a typical day for the men of Company F., 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion. With about a week remaining in their tour in Afghanistan, they had been tasked with recovering the bodies of two fellow Marines who had drowned in a nearby river. They entered the town of Bala Murghab, in Badghis province, knowing that there would be a fight. Hospital Corpsman First Class Amilcar Rodriguez described that day to the Marine Times. Rodriguez, a Navy corpsman assigned to the Marine force, several Marines and the Afghan commandos that they were mentoring took positions on a rooftop. Almost immediately they came under accurate and intense sniper fire. Rodriguez was called to attend to a wounded Marine and two wounded Afghans. Rodriguez used his SAW weapon to deadly effect, firing … Read entire article »