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American Morning

Fierce Fighting for 7th Cavalry

Aired March 27, 2003 - 9:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Further north now, we believe, anyway, is Walter Rodgers with the 7th Cavalry. He checks in now. And one of the few times we've seen a live picture from him as well. Oftentimes it's by way of videophone or even a telephone. Walt, what do you have for us now?
WALT RODGERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. After 72 hours of fighting furiously and nearly by itself, the U.S. Army 7th Cavalry pushed northward to within 60 miles of Baghdad. It has now been reinforced by the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division. But for 48 hours, the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry was out there, north of the Euphrates River by itself. Crazy Horse Troop was taking very savage counterattacks by the Iraqis.

At one point, when an Apache troop was driving up a road, which has since been called "Machine Gun Alley," it was taking fire from both sides of the road. Mortars, small arms fire, machine guns, of course. One officer here said it's not just that road that is machine gun alley, it's the whole country.

In point of fact, it was a very serious push northward. And joining us now to give you some perspective on that fighting is 1st Sergeant Todd Woodhall, Apache Troop.

Sergeant, when you were going up that road and machine guns were coming in from both sides, describe in it your words, lest they think I was exaggerating.

FIRST SGT. TODD WOODHALL, 3TH CAVALRY: Pretty intense for a lengthy period of time. A lot of small arms flying over the vehicles. We had to go button hatches. A lot of things going over the radio to look left, right, guns pointing in different directions. At times you could see rockets flying over the top of the vehicles.

RODGERS: What's that like? What's it like when an RPG is heading right at your vehicle, over you or around you?

WOODHALL: If you can see it flying, that's a good thing, obviously. It looks like it's not going to hit you, and you hope you don't heart the noise or feel anything hit your track at the time. But a very scary feeling.

At times, I would reach in and get my cross out, say a few prayers, and hang on and keep on going. But it will wake you up and keep you very tense and scared for a short period of time.

RODGERS: And the armored vehicles, they were getting dinged with constant small arms fire?

WOODHALL: Yes, sir. Afterwards, we would look at bags and see that things were shot. Marks on the sides of the tracks where we had been hit with small arms fire or heavier machine guns. The commander's tank had lost a box that had been shot off. Numerous rockets overhead, very scary.

RODGERS: And then last night, when we were just northeast of an Najaf and we heard that a large armored column of Iraqis was moving in the position which was rather thin of the Apache Troop that night, that a large armored column was coming the way of Apache Troop, what were you thinking then?

WOODHALL: At the time I was pretty concerned. The commander took charge of the situation and helped us through it all. Very nerve-racking, exciting, but scary. Got everything set and prepared for the worst and hoped that we could pull through that thing. And everything seemed to work out right.

RODGERS: Tell us what it's like sitting in the dark, like we were last night, and hearing over the radio 1,000 vehicles moving south toward your position and you don't have anywhere near those numbers.

WOODHALL: I guess all you can do is hope that the guys up front with the big tanks, the Bradleys, they are doing the right thing. The training kicks in, they're pulling the trigger on time. But myself, back in the column a little bit, it definitely makes you think twice about what you are doing here.

RODGERS: What did you think of the Air Force bringing in those B-52s last night?

WOODHALL: That was a blessing, but it was awful loud and awful close to you. It makes a big difference. And booms going off, and you're wondering how close they're going to get, how close that enemy is getting to you.

We're getting reports as things are coming in they're this far away, this far away. And we're just wondering when we're going to pull the trigger. And with the dust, you know being there, that you couldn't see 100 meters at times it was so dusty. It was very hard to see out there.

RODGERS: First Sergeant Todd Woodhall, Apache Troop, U.S. Army 7th Cavalry. We've been talk with him about last night's engagement. In fact, the past 72 hours of engagement. Furious fights, often the 7th Cavalry was out there by itself, until it was reinforced. Back to you, Bill.

HEMMER: Wow. What a night and what a story. Walt, thanks. We know from earlier reporting from Walt Rodgers the 7th Cav are going to get some rest right now. A bit of down time, possibly 48 hours. But you never know what happens when the sun goes down. Walt, thanks again. In a moment, Brigadier General David Grange is going to be back with us. We'll talk about the last 12 to 24 hours. I'll let you know what we are learning right now on the battlefield and the strategy that may come next. Back in a moment with that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired March 27, 2003 - 9:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Further north now, we believe, anyway, is Walter Rodgers with the 7th Cavalry. He checks in now. And one of the few times we've seen a live picture from him as well. Oftentimes it's by way of videophone or even a telephone. Walt, what do you have for us now?
WALT RODGERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. After 72 hours of fighting furiously and nearly by itself, the U.S. Army 7th Cavalry pushed northward to within 60 miles of Baghdad. It has now been reinforced by the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division. But for 48 hours, the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry was out there, north of the Euphrates River by itself. Crazy Horse Troop was taking very savage counterattacks by the Iraqis.

At one point, when an Apache troop was driving up a road, which has since been called "Machine Gun Alley," it was taking fire from both sides of the road. Mortars, small arms fire, machine guns, of course. One officer here said it's not just that road that is machine gun alley, it's the whole country.

In point of fact, it was a very serious push northward. And joining us now to give you some perspective on that fighting is 1st Sergeant Todd Woodhall, Apache Troop.

Sergeant, when you were going up that road and machine guns were coming in from both sides, describe in it your words, lest they think I was exaggerating.

FIRST SGT. TODD WOODHALL, 3TH CAVALRY: Pretty intense for a lengthy period of time. A lot of small arms flying over the vehicles. We had to go button hatches. A lot of things going over the radio to look left, right, guns pointing in different directions. At times you could see rockets flying over the top of the vehicles.

RODGERS: What's that like? What's it like when an RPG is heading right at your vehicle, over you or around you?

WOODHALL: If you can see it flying, that's a good thing, obviously. It looks like it's not going to hit you, and you hope you don't heart the noise or feel anything hit your track at the time. But a very scary feeling.

At times, I would reach in and get my cross out, say a few prayers, and hang on and keep on going. But it will wake you up and keep you very tense and scared for a short period of time.

RODGERS: And the armored vehicles, they were getting dinged with constant small arms fire?

WOODHALL: Yes, sir. Afterwards, we would look at bags and see that things were shot. Marks on the sides of the tracks where we had been hit with small arms fire or heavier machine guns. The commander's tank had lost a box that had been shot off. Numerous rockets overhead, very scary.

RODGERS: And then last night, when we were just northeast of an Najaf and we heard that a large armored column of Iraqis was moving in the position which was rather thin of the Apache Troop that night, that a large armored column was coming the way of Apache Troop, what were you thinking then?

WOODHALL: At the time I was pretty concerned. The commander took charge of the situation and helped us through it all. Very nerve-racking, exciting, but scary. Got everything set and prepared for the worst and hoped that we could pull through that thing. And everything seemed to work out right.

RODGERS: Tell us what it's like sitting in the dark, like we were last night, and hearing over the radio 1,000 vehicles moving south toward your position and you don't have anywhere near those numbers.

WOODHALL: I guess all you can do is hope that the guys up front with the big tanks, the Bradleys, they are doing the right thing. The training kicks in, they're pulling the trigger on time. But myself, back in the column a little bit, it definitely makes you think twice about what you are doing here.

RODGERS: What did you think of the Air Force bringing in those B-52s last night?

WOODHALL: That was a blessing, but it was awful loud and awful close to you. It makes a big difference. And booms going off, and you're wondering how close they're going to get, how close that enemy is getting to you.

We're getting reports as things are coming in they're this far away, this far away. And we're just wondering when we're going to pull the trigger. And with the dust, you know being there, that you couldn't see 100 meters at times it was so dusty. It was very hard to see out there.

RODGERS: First Sergeant Todd Woodhall, Apache Troop, U.S. Army 7th Cavalry. We've been talk with him about last night's engagement. In fact, the past 72 hours of engagement. Furious fights, often the 7th Cavalry was out there by itself, until it was reinforced. Back to you, Bill.

HEMMER: Wow. What a night and what a story. Walt, thanks. We know from earlier reporting from Walt Rodgers the 7th Cav are going to get some rest right now. A bit of down time, possibly 48 hours. But you never know what happens when the sun goes down. Walt, thanks again. In a moment, Brigadier General David Grange is going to be back with us. We'll talk about the last 12 to 24 hours. I'll let you know what we are learning right now on the battlefield and the strategy that may come next. Back in a moment with that.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com