Economically depressed areas offer few jobs, leading many to enlist. [more]

[more]

As Marines commemorated the lives of five of their fallen comrades Thursday, some say that they may have turned a corner in their relationship with residents of the troublesome city of Husaybah. Marines say formerly truculent residents have begun waving and greeting them cordially, just days after some of the fiercest fighting and after Marines conducted harsh door-to-door searches of homes. [more]

As Marines transport Iraqi prisoners, they are reminded that these people were probably responsible for taking part in an ambush on Saturday. The prisoners could be the ones that killed 4 Marines. But they must guard these prisoners and make sure everyone arrives at the detention center safely. [more]

The day after fighting in Husaybah left five of their brethren dead and at least a dozen wounded, a different, grimmer 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, returned to the city Sunday. They offered residents no friendly waves or broad smiles as they patrolled the streets of the town near the Syrian border. No more polite knocks on the door and careful conversations with the family patriarch. Instead, they methodically entered every Iraqi home along their route to search for weapons and question the occupants about insurgents. [more]

In some of the fiercest fighting in recent weeks, five Marines were killed and dozens of Iraqi insurgents slain in a daylong battle that began early Saturday in Husaybah. [more]

Marines in Iraq not only have to train a whole new police force, but they also must convince the locals that a once-corrupt institution is now on their side. [more]

Out here on the farthest reaches of the U.S. military effort in Iraq, they are calling it "The Silent War," the one where Marines are mortared and maimed, bombed and blown up, ambushed and killed, and almost nobody but they and their families know about it. [more]

Any Marine here who fought during the early stages of the invasion of Iraq will tell you that the Marines' mission now is more complex, more difficult and much more dangerous - even before last week's upsurge in violence in Fallujah, Ramadi and Baghdad. [more]

The convoy of American soldiers is silent and constantly on watch traveling from Fallujah to Ramadi. Other soldiers have died on this road. Enemies are everywhere, and death lies in wait. [more]

The city has “more bad guys” than any other region under his control, says Lt. Gen. James Conway. He’s trying a “no better friend, no worse enemy” approach to subduing the territory. [more]

Excerpts from an interview with Conway on Tuesday, one day before the killings of four American civilians and five U.S. soldiers. [more]

The Pentagon's ban on images of dead soldiers' homecomings at all military bases was breached Thursday, as hundreds of photographs of flag-draped caskets at Dover Air Force Base were released on the Internet by a Web site dedicated to combating government secrecy. [more]

This tiny Southern Illinois village continued to reel Wednesday from the news that one of its own - Jack Montague, 52 - was among three civilian contractors whose bodies were identified in Iraq this week. [more]

Friends, family and former colleagues are mourning the death of Kim Marie Bigley, 47, who grew up in Greene County, Ill., and spent 19 years working for the Illinois Department of Corrections. [more]

Minutes after hearing one of her customers had been killed in Iraq, store owner Pam Harris was on the phone ordering yellow ribbons. [more]

Those who had known Lance Cpl. Torrey Stoffel-Gray all of his life, and those who knew him only as a Marine, came to Patoka Monday to pay tribute to his spirit. [more]

It was her first day at prison, husband of co-worker says. [more]

The Marine Corps said he will be buried with full military honors after his funeral Monday. [more]

Family members of Marine Lance Cpl. Torrey Stoffel Gray of Patoka, Ill., who was killed in the fighting in Iraq, have established a college scholarship fund in his memory. [more]

Several Army National Guard and Reserve units in Missouri and Illinois were called Thursday to extend their tours in Iraq by at least 90 days, putting on hold homecoming plans for soldiers from throughout the St. Louis region. Children stopped making welcome home signs. Parents of one soldier removed the countdown to his unit's homecoming from the unit's Web site. And a parade May 29 that would have welcomed home members of Company B based in St. Peters will become a support-the-troops rally, organizers said. [more]

The family and hometown of Marine Lance Cpl. Torrey Stoffel Gray reacted Tuesday with a burst of mutual sorrow and patriotism to the news of his death in Iraq. [more]

It's too soon to tell whether the cloud will turn into a storm of soldiers quitting. [more]

Citing a spate of recent surveys, the Army admits to "broad concerns" about keeping experienced soldiers in the ranks. [more]

While the Army worries about retention, the Air Force has a flip-side problem. It's scrambling to get rid of 16,600 people in uniform, all so the service can get down to the strength that Congress authorized. [more]

Army Reserve Sgt. Bryant Pilant came home to Webster Groves last month from Iraq with a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star for valor - and a feeling that he'd had enough. [more]

Army 1st Lt. Brandan Mueller didn't have to look out for snipers or worry about roadside explosives as he rode from Walter Reed Military Hospital to Washington Dulles International Airport for his flight home Thursday. [more]

After a year spent in the constant company of 100 fellow soldiers in Iraq, the freedom that Hanebrink found himself longing for the most was not one he'd ever heard sung about in patriotic anthems. [more]

Several hundred flag-waving friends and family members clustered at Jefferson Barracks to greet the 318th Psychological Operations Company. [more]

Before Army 1st Lt. Brandan Mueller was activated in January of last year, he had a feeling he'd be called up, but he also had concerns at home - Mueller's wife Amanda was pregnant with their first child. [more]

Army Maj. Gen. Robert T. Dail, operations director of the U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, drew the comparison at a news conference at Scott. Today marks the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. [more]

One year after the start of the Iraq War, area soldiers and their families reflect. [more]

Army Sgt. 1st Class Steve Gottfried, who was killed Tuesday when his Humvee was struck by an explosive near Tikrit, Iraq, was a dedicated career soldier who had wanted for more than a year to serve in the war zone, his son said. [more]

Once again, Lauren Miller of Godfrey is waiting for her man to return from a war zone. Combat veteran Dennis Morris of Granite City is learning how the home front gets by. [more]

Postcards from Iraq | 2004

Tom Miller	Anna Schowengerdt	Julie Blanks	Christopher J. Grose
Godfrey	Golden, Colo.	South St. Louis	Fairview Heights
Ida Morris	Todd Stoeckel	Robert Pruett	Lawrence C. Williams
Granite City	South Roxana	Kennett, Mo.	Alton
Tom Doherty	Nicole Pendleton	Marilyn Kwentus	Kevin Williams
Dorchester, Mass.	St. Louis	St. Louis	O'Fallon, Ill.
Kara Kittrell	Joel Asunskis	Adib Faris
St. Louis	St. Louis	Pittsburgh, Penn.
Bob Zangas
Pittsburgh, Penn.
Killed in Iraq - March 9, 2004

[more]

Read and hear greetings from area servicemen in Kuwait. [more]

View photos from the front by Post-Dispatch photographer, Andrew Cutraro. [more]

View photos from the front by Post-Dispatch photographer J.B. Forbes, who is currently in Iraq with Post-Dispatch reporter Phillip O'Connor. [more]

View photos from the front by Post-Dispatch photographer, Gabriel Tait. [more]

View photos from the front by Post-Dispatch photographer, Andrew Cutraro. [more]

The deaths of four Americans and the public desecration of their bodies in Fallujah last week provided a stark reminder of the dangers faced by United States civilians working in Iraq. [more]

After initially welcoming forces they considered liberators, more and more Iraqis are growing disenchanted with the vast American military presence and the slow pace of recovery. [more]

They gathered March 8 to celebrate the opening of a new regional center where Iraqis will be able to discuss the principals of freedom and democracy. [more]

In an audio postcard that Robert Zangas made for readers of the Post-Dispatch two weeks ago, he said that, other than his family, what he missed most while serving in Iraq was the opportunity to go where he wanted when he wanted. [more]

A Texan has started an agency to help clear Iraq of the rubble left from bombings and lootings. [more]

The four-truck convoy of American engineers sped out of a fortified compound here with ex-Special Forces soldier Bob Marchesello sitting in the passenger seat of the lead vehicle. He sat stone silent, and his eyes scanned the road. The destination was a decrepit electrical plant less than six miles away. [more]

"It's your time to shine," the ex-Golden Gloves champ tells his Iraqi forgotten fighters. [more]

The corps is responsible for about $4 billion worth of construction projects in Iraq. Among them: restoring the flow of oil, rebuilding the power grid and repairing water and sewage treatment plants. [more]

Ida Morris, 52, of Granite City "basically takes care of all of us," says a colleague. In the last several years, Morris has volunteered to help after hurricanes, flooding, a typhoon, and a fire. [more]

After years of prosecuting gang bangers in St. Louis, Dwight Warren is here helping to go after members of a different sort of gang. [more]

Like many Iraqis, Catholic Relief Services' foreign staff members live and work in buildings surrounded by 6-foot-high concrete walls and iron gates. The exact number of Americans working with humanitarian organizations in Iraq is almost impossible to ascertain. [more]

Samera Abass brushed the flies from her 2-year-old son's face. The small, pale child with the distended stomach groaned in pain. A tumor is growing inside of Mohammad Mahdee, an advancing form of leukemia that has hospitalized him for most of his short life. [more]

Post-Dispatch readers first met John Bolduc and Kevin Morehead in December 2001, when the newspaper chronicled the efforts of their 10-man Special Forces team, a St. Louis doctor and others to save the lives of two small boys in Afghanistan. [more]

Two Special Forces soldiers, John Bolduc and Kevin Morehead, led their detachment into Afghanistan, where they killed hundreds of Taliban and provided humanitarian assistance to impoverished villagers. [more]

John Bolduc and Kevin Morehead were among the first U.S. soldiers to fight in the Afghanistan war. [more]

The commander of an elite Special Forces team that killed hundreds of Taliban in Afghanistan leaves the Army to return to his family, while his friends head for more danger in Iraq. [more]

After an 11-month tour of duty in Iraq, an engineering unit that calls itself the "Fighting Fifth" returned Thursday to its home at Fort Leonard Wood for a hero's welcome and the embraces of spouses, families and friends. [more]

in postwar chaos, bringing normalcy and “order ... to our lives” [more]

Relief organizations, humanitarian groups and people who have worked to help Iraq through its years of trouble say Baghdad is teetering on the verge of collapse. [more]

Neighborhood reflects security concerns that threaten Baghdad's recovery [more]

Spc. Matthew Hooks is part of an Army unit that fought its way from Kuwait into Iraq. [more]

Senior Air Force Master Sgt. Roberto Pineiro, an intelligence specialist, is one of the members of a team that includes 10 U.S. Customs agents... [more]

The soldiers are encountering occasional hostile fire, and unexploded munitions continue to pose a threat. Meanwhile, supplies to repair equipment are sparse. [more]

The bridge over the Tigris River here is somewhat like the Eads and Poplar Street bridges in St. Louis... [more]

Early this week, U.S. Army engineers are expected to assemble the floating bridge that will temporarily span the Tigris River. [more]

Soldiers seize weapons and cash as they work to secure a military complex on the northern outskirts of Baghdad. [more]

Combat engineers from Fort Leonard Wood arrived too late for the main fighting. Now they’ll patrol a Baghdad suburb. [more]

The soldiers watch for looters and worry about the occasional potshot fired by fanatics. [more]

First Sgt. Martin Kelley had expected an "easy day" on Wednesday... [more]

Soldiers enjoy the scenery but remain on lookout for suicide bombers [more]

Episode recalls ambush in which Iraqis killed, captured U.S. soldiers [more]

Spc. James Toller has given the name "pale horse" to the 75-ton Army portable bridge that he drives. [more]

Some of their vehicles were damaged and some were missing parts. [more]

Two companies of the 500-soldier unit arrive in Kuwait after leaving Missouri last week. [more]

Warm embraces — and good food — met 800 Marines upon their homecoming last week to Twentynine Palms, Calif. Some had been profiled in the Post-Dispatch. [more]

For the military, it was to be a grand experiment, or at least that was the way it was being touted ... [more]

For a lot of Marines in the 7th Regiment, it was the war that wasn't. [more]

Smoke from burning buildings rose for the third day and night above Iraq's capital city Friday. [more]

Everywhere the squad of Marines went, it was met with joyous Iraqis, smiling and waving as though these particular men had awakened them from a long, painful nightmare. [more]

Everything was going well. [more]

Suicide bombing attempts, unending assaults mark day [more]

Staff Sgt. Matthew St. Pierre of Vallejo, Calif., discovered the clothing early this morning. [more]

Presidential home has three bedrooms, about 1,600 square feet. [more]

U.S. soldiers often areasked if they're Kuwaitis, Syrians or even Iraqis [more]

Everyone sensed that disaster could be only moments away. [more]

The streets of this river city came alive Thursday as residents began to adjust to the presence of hundreds of Marines. [more]

The only force now between them and Baghdad was a brigade of the Republican Guard. [more]

Commanders said if Saddam plans to use chemical weapons, he will use them soon. [more]

Americans question everyone they encounter, searching house after house. [more]

Gunnery Sgt. Dennis Stieber is the connection to the sluggish supply lines. [more]

Increasingly, the soldiers reported sporadic sniper attacks, isolated mortar assaults and ambushes. [more]

Marines heighten their guard and threaten Iraqis who claim to be giving themselves up. [more]

Marines were poised for their second major offensive Sunday. [more]

A number of them express disappointment at finding the site deserted. [more]

They established their positions and pointed their weapons toward Iraq. [more]

Musicians, teachers and bartenders impress active-duty Marines [more]

As rumors of imminent attack swirl, “you don’t know what to believe” [more]

The 19-year-old based near the Iraqi border apparently killed himself. [more]

Maj. Hal Sellers sat in his small tent here at the U.S. military facility closest to the Iraqi border. [more]

People clogged the street as they kicked off the annual two-day celebration. [more]

At a U.S. military base just miles from the Iraqi border, front-line troops are starving for news. [more]

That stands for Kuwaiti Field Chicken - Marines on the edge of war in Iraq put their trust in the birds. [more]

Going through the minds of nearly all Marines stationed in Kuwait is the almost certain prospect of combat. [more]

Life at the U.S. military base closest to the Iraqi border ricochets between boredom and tension, anxiety and tedium. [more]

Noncitizens have fought in nearly every U.S. conflict since the birth of the nation. [more]

The Marine commander leading U.S. forces in Kuwait grew up in St. Louis. [more]

As the pace toward war with Iraq quickens, Americans, Indians, Filipinos and other foreign nationals consider leaving. [more]

Preparations for battle are intense, with no let-up, until fighting becomes "muscle memory." [more]

As U. S. warplanes bombed Baghdad, thousands of Marines dug in here for a third day. [more]

Troops and equipment are pouring into a staging area in the Kuwaiti desert. [more]

He cites Kurdish children gassed by Saddam as reason for "a just war" [more]

The resources and suggestions on the Internet, collectively called "On the Homefront." [more]

Search this database for information about war casualties, POWs, MIAs and the the circumstances surrounding them. [more]

Review this summary of events in the U.S.-led war with Iraq. From AP. [more]

Get the latest conditions from accuweather.com. [more]

Click here for updated stories and grapics from The Associated Press. [more]

Review this summary of events in the U.S.-led war with Iraq. From AP. [more]

Review this interactive satellite image of Baghdad and zoom into specific features of the city. From AP. [more]

Get details about the population, economy and more in the Middle East region in this interactive graphic. [more]

See a detailed map of downtown Baghdad from the AP. Includes information about key buildings in the city. [more]

Complete details about Iraq's terrain, population, economy and history in this interactive graphic. [more]

Get the lay of the land -- and where our military is based right now in the region. [more]

More details about the F/A-18 fighter jet. [more]

Get background on the weapons, planes and ships at the disposal of the U.S. military. [more]

Learn more about weapons inspections in Iraq in this graphic from the AP. [more]

See images from Powell's presentation on Iraq before war broke out from the AP. [more]

Post-Dispatch reporter Ron Harris chronicles a portion of the dangerous journey through the Sunni Triangle in Iraq. (RealPlayer plug-in required to view video) [more]

Hear him report from the front line. Requires RealPlayer. [more]

Hear him talk about supply lines, boredom and moral. Requires RealPlayer. [more]

Hear Ron discussing the mood of the troops. Requires RealPlayer. [more]

The Marine stationed with the 3rd L.A.R. discusses his readiness for the coming battle. Requires RealPlayer. [more]

[more]

The 25 members of Iraq's Governing Council unanimously approved a landmark interim constitution Monday with a show of hands at a meeting before a planned signing ceremony. [more]

President Bush on Monday cheered the signing of an historical constitution in Iraq, a step toward plans to transfer of power to the Iraqi people by July 1. [more]

Iraq's top Shiite cleric criticized the nation's newly signed interim constitution on Monday, saying it will not have legitimacy until it is approved by an elected body. [more]

A timeline of events in Iraq since the start of the war leading up to the signing Monday of an interim constitution, and future dates for the country's return to self-rule: [more]

Factions jockey for power as transition to self-rule looms. [more]