Veterans’ Day (2009)

Nov 1, 2024  

Reprinted from “This Old Town, Remembering Medfield” by Richard DeSorgher with his permission.

Marine in sunglassed aiming gun
Marine Steven Reichert received the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. In the early morning hours of April 9, 2004, Marine sniper, Steve Reichert, and his spotter crawled on top of an abandoned oil storage tank in Lutafiyah, Iraq. Their mission was routine, as they covered their squad’s patrol movement through the small town during the Arbaeen pilgrimage. But what happened became a mission that went down in the annals of Marine Corps history.

On this Veterans’ Day we stop to honor and give thanks to all veterans, including a former Medfield veteran from the (current) War on Terror. He answered his country’s call and was sent to Iraq. His name is Steven Reichert. Staff Sergeant Reichert, a graduate of Medfield High School with the Class of 1998, grew up on Green Street. He became a sniper with the 2nd marine Division in support of Operation Iraqui Freedom II.

On the morning of April 9, 2004, a squad-sized patrol was sent to prevent anti-coalition forces from interfering with a pilgrimage. Staff Sgt. Reichert, a trained sniper/scout, established a position on top of an oil tank with a 50-caliber rifle to cover the patrol’s movement in the town. He occupied this position with full knowledge that he would be extremely vulnerable to enemy fire.

As the patrol moved toward the town, Reichert and his spotter, Corporal Winston Tucker, noticed a dead animal had been placed alongside a dirt road the squad was approaching. Reichert radioed the patrol and redirected them to the east side of the road. Upon inspection it was reported that two wires were leading out of the animal. Suspecting this to be an improvised explosive device (IED), the Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit was called in and the area secured.

Thirty minutes after the area was secured, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the marines and then, seconds later, insurgents began firing on the patrol with machine guns and small arms. Fire was coming from the rooftops in the town. Corporal Tucker spotted a man firing an AK-47 at the patrol from the roof of a house. Sgt. Reichert took careful aim and killed the man at a range of more than a mile away. Three more men were spotted climbing on the top of a building. The last man had a weapon slung over his back. The insurgents then began to move towards the marines. Reichert was able to turn them back with sniper fire

The Marines began to take heay fire from all directions. Reichert continued to fire from his psition on the oil tank. His firing, however, was also mistaken for enemy fire. Reichert kept firing in support of the patrol even though he was now also under heavy fire from friendly machine gun fire. Reichert and Corporal Tucker continued to stay at the oil plant and cover the platoon. The firefight lasted all afternoon, which made it impossible for the platoon to return to the oil plant and pick up Tucker and Reichert until after dark.

At 2100 hours one squad was finally able to retrieve the two Marines. His commanding officer said that Reichert had put himself in grave danger when he stayed behind to cover the platoon without the support of friendly units. He had risked his life for his fellow marines. Reichert was later awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor and has since medically retired from the service. We pause to thank him and all veterans for their sacrifice and service to ourselves and our nation.