507th Maintenance Company

The 507th Maintenance Company was a United States Army unit which was ambushed during the Battle of Nasiriyah in the rapid advance towards Baghdad during 2003 invasion of Iraq on 23 March 2003. The most well known member of the unit was Private First Class Jessica Lynch whose rescue from an Iraqi hospital received worldwide media coverage. Sergeant Donald Walters and Private First Class Patrick Miller were both awarded the Silver Star for valor. Sergeant Matthew Rose was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device. Many other members of the unit were decorated as well, receiving the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and/or Prisoner of War Medal.

507th Maintenance Company
Disbanded16 July 2005 (2005-07-16)
Country United States
Branch United States Army
TypeArmy company
RoleMilitary maintenance
Part of11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (2003)
Garrison/HQFort Bliss, Texas, U.S.
EngagementsIraq War
  • Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Troy Kent King (2003–2004)[1][2]

On 16 July 2005, the 507th Maintenance Company was redesignated as Battery E, 5th Battalion, 52d Air Defense Artillery Regiment. In 2006, A monument to the 507th Maintenance Company was placed within the battalion's area on Fort Bliss, Texas.[3] In January 2007, the unit's designation was changed to Battery F.

Overview

The 507th Maintenance Company provided maintenance support to 5th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery, a Patriot missile unit based at Fort Bliss, Texas. Previously, it was assigned to 2d Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, another Patriot missile unit at Fort Bliss which played a major support role in the Persian Gulf War. During its Iraq deployment in 2003, the 507th was attached to 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

History

The Battle of Nasiriyah
Main article: Battle of Nasiriyah

A trail vehicle convoy element of this unit was ambushed during the rapid advance towards Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom on 23 March 2003. The 507th was last in a march column of over 600 vehicles from the 3rd Infantry Division. This element which included the heavier, slower vehicles of the 507th, made a wrong turn into Nasiriyah, a major crossing point over the Euphrates River northwest of Basra. A U.S. Army investigation concluded that this wrong turn was the result of a navigational error compounded by a lack of rest, limited communications and human error.[4]

Killed in action

The following soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company were killed in action:

NameRankAgeHometownNotes
Jamaal R. AddisonSpecialist22Roswell, Georgia
Robert J. Dowdy[5][6][7][8]First sergeant38Cleveland, OhioFirst sergeant of the 507th Maintenance Company.
Ruben Estrella-Soto[9]Private18El Paso, Texas
Howard Johnson IIPrivate first class21Mobile, AlabamaThe first combat death from Alabama during Operation Iraqi Freedom.[10] Posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.[11]
James M. KiehlSpecialist22Comfort, TexasDuring the ambush, James Kiehl manned his vehicle's Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) and did his duty to defend his unit, but was mortally injured. Posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart. [12]
Johnny Villareal Mata[13]Chief warrant officer35Pecos, Texas
Lori PiestewaPrivate first class23Tuba City, ArizonaCaptured alive, but succumbed to her injuries. The first Native American woman in history to die in combat while serving with the U.S. military. Posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and a Prisoner of War Medal.
Brandon SloanPrivate19Bedford Heights, Ohio
Donald WaltersSergeant33Kansas City, MissouriCaptured alive, but later summarily executed. Posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star for gallantry with marked distinction.

Two soldiers from the 3rd Forward Support Battalion of the 3rd Infantry Division, Specialist Edward J. Anguiano, 24,[14] of Brownsville, Texas, and Sergeant George Edward Buggs, 31, of Barnwell, South Carolina, were also killed in action with the 507th Maintenance Company after falling back in the column to assist the 507th with vehicle recovery.

Prisoners of war
Main article: American POWs in 2003 Invasion of Iraq

The following soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company were captured and held as prisoners of war (POWs):

NameRankAgeHometownNotes
Edgar HernandezSpecialist21Mission, TexasAwarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Prisoner of War Medal.
Joseph HudsonSpecialist23Alamogordo, New MexicoAwarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Prisoner of War Medal.
Shoshana JohnsonSpecialist30El Paso, TexasAwarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Prisoner of War Medal.
Jessica LynchPrivate first class19Palestine, West VirginiaAwarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Prisoner of War Medal.
Patrick MillerPrivate first class23Wichita, KansasAwarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and Prisoner of War Medal.
James RileySergeant31Pennsauken, New JerseyAwarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and Prisoner of War Medal.
Wounded in action

The following soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company were wounded in action:

NameRankHometownNotes
Curtis CampbellSergeantBrooklyn, New YorkAwarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Francis CaristaCorporalAwarded the Purple Heart.
James GrubbSpecialistManchester, KentuckyAwarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Tarik JacksonStaff sergeantMiami, FloridaAwarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.
Damien LutenCorporalAwarded the Purple Heart.
Escaped capture

The following soldiers of the 507th Maintenance Company were noted to have escaped capture by media accounts:

NameRankHometownNotes
Adam ElliottPrivate first classAwarded the Bronze Star Medal.
Troy Kent KingCaptainCompany Commander of the 507th Maintenance Company.
Matthew RoseSergeantSalem, OregonAwarded the Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device.
Dale Nace IIIPrivate first classAwarded the Bronze Star Medal. Captain King's driver.
Nicholas PetersonSpecialistDallas, TexasAwarded the Bronze Star Medal.

Notes
  1. Schmitt, Eric (10 July 2003). "AFTER THE WAR: INQUIRY; Report Says Errors and Fatigue Led to Ambush of Convoy" – via NYTimes.com.
  2. "Troy Kent King". LinkedIn.
  3. "Honoring those who have come before". Laven Publishing/US Army. Retrieved 1 June 2006.
  4. "Attack on the 507th Maintenance Company, 23 March 2003, An Nasiriyah, Iraq" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2008.
  5. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10652331 Archived 13 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "1st Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy Obituary (2005) The Washington Post". Legacy.com.
  7. "Fallen Heroes Memorial: Army 1st Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy".
  8. "Army Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy| Military Times".
  9. "Army Pvt. 2 Ruben Estrella-Soto| Military Times".
  10. "CNN.com - Transcripts".
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 February 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. "US Army Spc. James M. Kiehl Historical Marker".
  13. "Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Johnny Villareal Mata| Military Times".
  14. "Army Sgt. Edward J. Anguiano| Military Times".

References
  • The Oregonian, Left Behind, 13 April 2003.
  • Texas Senate Resolution 50, recognizing 13 members of the 507th Maintenance Company
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