This is a nicely researched and written piece. Although, I disagree with your premise that the 507th Maintenance Company tragedy was caused by the Army’s inability to protect their logistic vehicles or the Marines failure to warn Captain King.

You have missed several salient facts. First, in my research for “Marines in the Garden of Eden,” no one ever mentioned that Captain King stopped at the cloverleaf to speak with Marines. Next, Captain King raced north of the Cloverleaf, past the 50+ armored vehicles of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines (Fred Pokorney’s unit). King never stopped to ask them anything.

I believe that King alerted the enemy in An Nasiriyah to the coming attack and is not only responsible for the loss of 11 of his own soldiers, but shares the responsibility for the death of Lt Pokorney and seventeen other Marines who died later that same day.

If you talk to anyone who traveled Highway 8, they will tell you that the Army convoy was traveling up Highway 1 with their headlights blazing. They could be clearly seen from Highway 8. Captain King had to see the convoy and had to know he was on the wrong road.

Additionally, nowhere in King’s orders, understood or implicit, that he was to cross the Euphrates River. Yet, he led his vehicles across TWO bridges.

If Captain King had been where he belonged, his soldiers would still be alive today.

For the complete story read “Marines in the Garden of Eden.”