Voices of Our People:Dogwood
In 2003 US and coalition forces unleased Operation Iraqi Freedom to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein, expecting an easy victory and a short war.
After a quick seizure of Baghdad, though, the nation of Iraq dissolved into disarray, with an insurgency, led by both Saddam loyalists and foreign jihadists, spiraled out of control.
The deteriorating situation meant that the US would need more forces in Iraq, and quickly, which resulted in the mobilization of National Guard units from all over the country.
As part of that mobilization the 155th Brigade Combat Team from Mississippi would be activated and made ready for war. Their efforts to bring peace to the heart of the insurgency at a remote forward operating base codenamed Dogwood would result in the loss of some of their best and brightest.
Voices of Our People: Dogwood
This is the story of one such Guardsman, Sergeant First Class Sean Cooley, during his deployment to Iraq in 2005. In this podcast episode, Dr. Andrew Wiest provides in-depth context to the story and we learn of the sacrifice and legacy of this remarkable young man as told by his wife and friends. Both the abridged and full length tracks are available.
Check out Dogwood: A National Guard Unit’s War in Iraq by Dr. Andrew Wiest
Andrew Wiest, author of the bestselling Boys of '67, traces the experience of the 150th Combat Engineers of the Mississippi National Guard in their 2005 tour of duty in Iraq, centered on the forward operating base Dogwood. Comprising youth hoping to attain a way out of grinding poverty, women seeking to break barriers, and patriots answering their nation's call after 9/11, the 150th represented nearly all of what America had to offer in 2005.