The March Up: Taking Baghdad

Mr. West and General Smith (Ret.) discussed their book, The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division, published by Bantam. The story is a first-hand account of the 1st Marine Division’s advance on Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom. They moved further from the sea than any U.S. Marine unit in history. The two co-authors traveled and experienced combat with several marine units over the course of several weeks. A former marine, Mr. West was the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs during the Reagan administration. Major General Ray Smith (Ret.) is one of the most decorated marines since World War II. He is an expert in infantry and urban warfare, and commanded marines in Grenada and Beirut. The book describes how a military campaign comes together and what happens on the battlefield. The authors showed slides as they described the operation. After their presentation, the authors answered questions from members of the audience. close