9781422277140

The mechanical problems forced the unit to fall further behind the main part of the convoy. Then a bad situation got worse. Captain Troy King, who was leading the 507th early that morning, tried to catch up to the rest of the invasion force, but his driver missed two important turns. Instead of motoring toward Baghdad, the 507th was now heading straight to Nasiriyah and into the clutches of some 6,000 enemy fighters, including 5,000 Iraqi soldiers and nearly 1,000 militia members. Tough Day in Nasiriyah Lynch and her comrades rumbled over a bridge across the Euphrates River and into the center of the city early in the morning on the 23rd. At around 6:45 am , the convoy crossed a canal on the city’s northern fringe. By this time, Captain King realized he and his troops were in the wrong place. He looked at his GPS, and quickly ordered the convoy to retrace its steps in an attempt to get out of the city. He ordered the men and women of the 507th to arm themselves and prepare for battle. Private Lynch grabbed her M16 and tried to put a round in the chamber. The gun jammed. Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, 38, was with Lynch in the Humvee at the rear of the column. He tried to fix the gun. It was too clogged with sand. Then the shooting started. The Iraqis watched as the convoy attempted to turn around. Sensing the Americans were vulnerable, the Iraqis attacked, blasting the 507th as the trucks and Humvees tried to snake their way through unfamiliar streets. Ene-

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