Nov 28, 2003 By Patty Shultz 5 min read

DUNBAR – Up until a few years ago, Derek Kennedy never considered joining the military. His grades were so-so and his enthusiasm for any structured life was nil.

“I really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” said the 1999 Connellsville Area High School graduate.

But after a few conversations with a Marine recruiter shortly after graduation, he signed on the dotted line and has never looked back.

Today, Sgt. Kennedy is an expert marksman. He can be given coordinates for a target some 20 miles away and align a Howitzer turret to hit the mark.

His artillery unit, Battery R, 5th Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, was one of the first to engage in battle in the Iraqi desert.

Kennedy had been home on leave in January when talk began to surface about military troops being deployed to Iraq.

“I was telling everybody we weren’t going; there wasn’t any way,” he said. “When I got back to Camp Pendleton, just about everything was packed; we were going to go.”

His first thought after receiving his deployment notice was of how to tell his mother, Mary “Sis” Basinger, who was already fretting at their Dunbar home, about his potential departure.

“I knew she was going to take it hard,” he said.

The unit departed the California base at the end of January and joined other military forces that were staging in Kuwait.

As temporary bases were constructed, the troops moved toward the Iraqi border.

“We knew we were going to war, we just didn’t know when,” said Kennedy.

By mid-March, the Marines edged closer to the destination and the mission.

A few days later, the orders were given to the awaiting troops that Operation Iraqi Freedom would get under way at midnight March 20.

Kennedy said the news caused him and those around him to ponder their fate.

“You hate to say it, but you think ‘what if something happens?'” he said. “You wonder if all your training is going to pay off.

“As it got closer to midnight, we got somewhat nervous.”

At 11:55 p.m. the first shot rang out…the war had started and there was no more time for thinking about what could be, it was time to put the specialized training into use, said Kennedy.

The unit’s first engagement was with a 15,000-member Iraqi Republican Guard.

“We were told we took out 7,000 of them and the other 8,000 surrendered,” said Kennedy, explaining that the unit rarely saw its target.

“We’re usually miles away. We’re told where the target is at and I line it up and fire. It’s called indirect firing, because you can’t actually see the target. We’re shooting over hills and buildings.”

With little resistance impeding its movement, the unit reached the outskirts of Baghdad 10 days ahead of schedule and had to briefly cut back on food and water supplies until those at the rear were able to reach them.

Accommodations in the desert were sparse, said Kennedy. At night, they slept outdoors and in holes they had carved out of sand.

The Iraqi citizens, he said, welcomed the U.S. soldiers as they traveled through the small towns.

“They would wave and cheer; try to give us cigarettes, whiskey, food and candy,” said Kennedy. “They told us they appreciated what we were doing.”

In early April, the regiment was ordered to Tikrit, Saddam Hussein’s hometown.

As they entered the area, the soldiers encountered mortar fire.

“(The battle) lasted about two minutes,” said a smiling Kennedy.

He said the weaponry used by the Iraqi Army was antiquated and its soldiers unprepared for the U.S.-led coalition.

“If they were shot at, they would disperse,” he said. “Once they were separated, that (Iraqi) unit no longer existed.”

Most Iraqi soldiers, said Kennedy, fought out of fear of what Saddam would do to their families if they did not fight.

“They told us that they didn’t want to be there, but they were afraid their wives and daughters would be raped or murdered if they didn’t,” said Kennedy.

Many times, the Iraqi soldiers would just be stripped of their weapons and told to move on by the Marines.

Kennedy said it was surprising to inspect the weapons used by the Iraqis and find that many U.S. allies had manufactured them.

“There were 10 or 12 countries, including Germany and France,” he said.

While in Tikrit, the unit was ordered to guard a palace that had one time been occupied by the Iraqi Baathe Party.

Kennedy said the nearly 200-room, official residence was laden with marble and gold.

“It was unbelievable,” he said. “We lit the fireplaces, smoked some cigars and pretended we were at home.”

The three-day mission at the palace also provided the opportunity for the squad to shower and sleep indoors and in beds.

“It was the first time in about 48 days that we were able to take a shower,” he said.

Kennedy said it was unclear just when the Saddam loyalists had left the palace, but he speculated that they were in a hurry as many items, including weapons, were left behind.

“I think they started to pack up and go, but then decided just to take the necessities and go,” he said.

With the major fighting drawing to an end, the unit prepared to return to Kuwait and then home.

Recently, he was able to spend a few days with his family and friends in Dunbar.

His elder brother, John Kennedy, said he saw a change in his brother since their last visit.

“He’s grown up a lot,” he said. “He’s not the skinny, little guy that left here.”

Derek Kennedy said he anticipated that the unit would be returning to Iraq later next year to provide security or some other related mission.

He has no regrets about signing on with the Marines and encourages anyone without a life goal to consider the same path.

“It’s a big step and I knew that when I joined,” he said.

“It helps you to grow up real quick.”