Five Years Later: Catching Up With Marines I Met in 2003
With the five year mark of the invasion of Iraq fast approaching, I thought it would be interesting to catch up with the Marines I spent the most time with during my embed in March and April of 2003.
When Photographer Christian Galdabini and I arrived at Camp Ripper in the northern Kuwaiti Desert, we were assigned to join the 3rd LAR (light armored reconaissance unit). We’d be riding with Captain Jon Custis and several other Marines on board an LAV-25, an amphibious light armored vehicle with eight wheels and a Bushmaster 25-millimeter Chain Gun on top.
We watched with nervous anticipation as our crew patrolled the Kuwait-Iraqi border for some 60 hours before the war started, observed as they fired some of the first shots of the war, and spent the next three weeks riding north with the men towards Baghdad, surviving firefights and chemical gas scares, enduring dusty dirty conditions and shortages of food, water and sleep.
I wanted to find out where these Marines were today. Did they stay in the Corp? Did they return for more tours? If they got out, how had they adjusted to civilian life? How had their experiences shaped their lives? Did they have any regrets? And perhaps most important, how did they feel about the war now, with time to digest and reflect?
I think viewers will find their answers and their stories compelling and in one case, heartbreaking.
It wasn’t easy tracking them all down. I knew where to find Captain Custis, now a Major at Quantico in Virginia. He helped me locate Gunnery Sgt. Bill Gwaltney, who manned the Chaingun during the war and is now at Camp Pendleton outside San Diego. Corporal Craig Calucci is there too, promoted to Sergeant, teaching officers about LAV’s.
The other two guys were much more difficult to hunt down.
Sgt. Michael Timmons and Cpl. Jason King had both left the Marines after finishing their service and both were no longer living in their hometowns. While our brainroom searched for records of their whereabouts, I made dozens of phone calls to people with the same names (and possible relatives) in their home states, leaving messages and hoping for a call back.
Days passed and my faith dimmed until one of my messages was returned. It was Timmon’s great-uncle who told me Michael was now married and installing Heating and AC units in Eugene Oregon. I spoke to Timmons that night and arranged a visit. A day later, King’s wife called. They’d moved to Watertown in upstate New York and were dealing with numerous hardships but they too would talk.
I flew to D.C. over the weekend and drove with Christian down to Quantico last Monday morning to interview Major Custis, then drove back to Washington for a flight to Syracuse Monday night. Tuesday morning I met Producer Harriet Taylor and a freelance crew for the 70 mile drive to Watertown and our sit-down with King and his wife, then Harriet and I drove back to Syracuse and flew that night to Chicago and on to Portland. Wednesday we met another freelance shooter and made the 2-hour drive south to Eugene to spend the day with Timmons and drove back to Portland that night. Thursday we travelled to San Diego and screened tape at the local Fox affilate and Friday made the hour drive north to Pendleton to meet yet another crew to shoot profiles of Gwaltney and Calucci.
It was great to see they guys again and reflect on where we’d been and the experiences we’d shared. Each of them have powerful stories to tell, and we’ll bring them to you every night this week on the Fox Report, starting Tuesday at 7 pm ET, 4 pm Pacific.
Rick Leventhal is a correspondent in the New York bureau, but has
covered stories in more than 30 states and 20 countries, from Aruba to
Afghanistan. He has also reported from the field for dozens of World
Series games! 
I was with 1st LAR Bn during the invasion. We had embeded journalists also. It was good that they came. It definately wasn’t a picnic for them. I remember the looks on their faces after one fire fight. They will never forget that day I’m sure. They looked at us like we were crazy. We were sitting in the back of our LAV-25 smiling at them when the fight was over. I met a couple of them. They were cool guys. I hope 3rd LAR treated you good too.
THANK YOU SO NUCH FOR DOING THIS SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is great that we will be able to “follow along” again.
Next time you are in touch - say a really big thank you, please
Having followed you for years ….Leventhal…. we can vouch for the great stories and news coverage you have sent our way over the years. Needless to say, we will be sitting on the edge of our hay bales waiting with much anticipation of your reports this week. We often think about our Military guys that we have met via Fox and other sources, wondering what ever happened to them. They should never be forgotten or given less thought just because they may not now be in war zones. We will always remain grateful to them and to you as well….Leventhal. You, Harrigan, Palkot, all the original war correspondents of Fox are so important to us as you are our eyes and ears. You have all become a part of our lives….like friends, fellow patriots with love of country bonding us. Thanks and we will be watching.
Annie & Neatie
Yarnell, Arizona
THANK GOD YOU FOUND THESE 5 GUYS ALL ALIVE & WELL. AS YOU CONTINUE YOUR INTERVIEWS WITH THEM PLEASE TELL THEM HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR THEIR SERVICE & SACRIFICE. WE STILL LOVE THEM & OUR PRAYERS ARE STILL WITH THEM NOW & ALWAYS. PLEASE GIVE EVERYONE OF OUR HEROS THE SAME MESSAGE. ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT COURAGE WITH THEM.
THANK YOU for doing this. A bigger THANK YOU to all military members for taking the vow. If I could hug every single member alive, I would. All I can do is say thank you from the bottom of my heart. You all are heros.
Many thanks - looking forward to the series, how about one from Kelly?. Semper Fi.
Thank you for doing this follow-up on the Marines. We owe these brave men so much. I’ll follow the piece with much interest. My son is in the Corps, and at 23 a veteran of Al Anbar, the Sunami relief effort in Thailand, and operations in Okinawa, Australia and Korea. Please continue to tell the stories of these keepers of the peace. There’s absolutely too much attention given by media to the Marine that goes bad, Code Pink and others like them.
PLEASE THANK ALL OF THESE BRAVE SOLDIERS FOR THE TERRIFIC JOB THEY DO AND FOR THE SACRIFICES THEY MAKE SO THAT WE ALL CAN LIVE IN OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY….. FREE!!! I PRAY THEY ALL COME HOME SAFELY
Thanks for following up on these Marines. Having been a former Marine and seving in Beirut back in 1982-83, it’s nice to see Marines getting recognition for the good they do, versus the bad rap they often receive. “Semper Fi, Do or Die Marines.”
Hey Leventhal
5 years ago today you did an interview in the tent I was in. We stayed up late to do it. I was with 3rd LAR. You were asking ?s about a Marines citizenship and about N.B.C. I was in the background and my friends mom saw me and called my mom but it was to late. I hope that clip is on to night I would like to see it .Thanks for doing what you do.
Calvin Riggleman
Sweet! Looks like I’ve got something to watch tonight at 7. These guys should NEVER have hardships after what they’ve done for us.
Thanks Rick, for all your wonderful coverage of so many events. You and the rest of FOX NEWS keep us updated and informed on all the things that are important to us. Your channel has a tremendous team worldwide! As a retired Navy family, your fairness and concern for our military means a lot to us. I look forward to your series. All our service members deserve the attention you give them. God Bless them all!
Rick - My husband & I followed you and Kelly as embeds almost minute by minute - you, and the boys you were with, became a part of our family. I still remember Shep saying to you, I think you were in one of the palaces at the time, “You look tired, my friend.” And you responded with a “Well - yeah, I am.” I wanted to give you a hug.
It is such a tribute to look up a few of these brave men and get reacquainted again. Thank you for this! Tell them, “Thank you! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! You will never be forgotten.”
What time central zone ? This would be inetrsting to watch?
Rick- First off my son is Sergeant Craig Calucci, I want to personally thank you for the time you spent embeded with the 3rd LAR, during his first tour of duty in Iraq. My husband Mike was watching Fox News and came running to get me the night you were reporting during a sandstorm, and you mentioned that Calucci was there sleeping next to the vehicle and you didn’t know how he could do that. That was the first glimpse of my son and he was alive and well. You have no idea how that made his family feel as we had no contact with him since he left the United States. Every TV in our house was then turned on to the Fox News as we waited to hear or see any signs of Craig. Not long after that you interviewed him late at night, and it was great to hear his voice again. You will never know how much that meant to me as a mother of a Marine in combat. I would also like to thank ALL the Marines, and Service MEN and WOMEN for all they have done and all they are doing for this great country we live in! Keep up the great job everyone!
PS. Any way I can get a copy of the tapes of Craig in Iraq?? Would love to show these to his daughters when they get old enough!
Thank you Rick for all the wonderful work you did when the war started and also for all the great reporting you continue to do. I watch FOX NEWS all the time and certainly was glued to the set during those first days of the war. Be sure and thank all of our wonderful service men and woman for the great job they do for our country - they are true HEROS!!! Sincerely, Ann Dow
Great Reporting, Rick. Some of your best since you left Chicago.
But, when abreviated, it’s “the Corps” not the corp