Battle of Najaf | Pepperbox TV Documentary

The 2004 Battle of Najaf in Iraq was some of the most intense fighting seen by the US Military. during the opening phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. While certain small slices of the battle, like Travis Haley’s role as a rooftop DDM for Blackwater, became gun culture lore the battle—as a whole—has not seen widespread discussion or scrutiny. Once the dust settled, every arm of the US military as well as allied forces from Britain and Poland would be touched by this historic battle. 

This weekend, Pepperbox TV is launching their first feature-length film – a documentary about the Battle of Najaf assembled from more than 20 hours of interviews, and historical footage. We had a chance to chat with Jack Mandaville, the director of Battle in Najaf: Whatever It Takes to hear his experience abut the project.

RECOIL: What was the genesis of your involvement in the project?

JM: I served with some guys during that time who were attached to BLT 1/4 (Freddy’s battalion) during that fight–guys that I have known for over 20 years. As someone who has interviewed living veterans from every war from WWII to the GWOT, the uniqueness of the Battle of Najaf is particularly striking. My main goal is to spread wider knowledge of this gnarly 25 day fight that, unfortunately, many of the American people never heard of.

RECOIL: What sources did you rely on to put this together?

JM: My main sources were from the mouths of the 12 veterans of Najaf I interviewed for the project. I went through Dick Camp’s Battle for the City of the Dead beforehand to set my base of knowledge and questions going into the interviews, but I want the story of the battle to be based around the interviews. Additionally, I’ve relied on other veterans of the battle (like Freddy) in phone conversations to help paint the picture, add context to certain situations, and provide personal photographs. 

RECOIL: How did working on this project affect you personally?

JM: In one regard, it has brought me closer to a lot of the guys I served with who were involved with that battle. It’s personal for me because if I fail telling their stories properly, I fail our 20+ year friendships. We’ve been to each others weddings, seen the birth of each others children, and go out of our way to spend time with each other all these years later. I can’t fail them. And I can’t fail the other men who volunteered their time to make themselves available and vulnerable to be interviewed for this project. And I can’t fail the hundreds of other veterans of BLT 1/4 who were in that fight. It’s a good pressure to have. This isn’t a rah-rah blood and guts combat story, and it’s certainly not some deep political or philosophical statement about war. It’s a personalized glimpse into one of the craziest battles of the GWOT told by those who were there. The scary, heroic, sad, macabre, and funny moments of combat — all the things that come along with it. These men deserve to have their story told that was unfortunately swallowed by the news cycle during that time. 

Battle in Najaf: Whatever It Takes will be available exclusively on Pepperbox TV on August 15^th. 

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