Abu Hishma

Abu Hishma (Arabic: أبو هشمة‎) is a small Iraqi town, with a population of approximately 7,000. During the Invasion of Iraq, the orchards outside the village were the site of a number of mortar launches, and on November 17, 2003 Staff Sgt. Dale Panchot was killed when his Bradley vehicle was hit by an RPG. Immediately following the attack, the 4th Infantry Division encased the entire village in Concertina wire, and began hunting for those responsible. The following day, a 500 lb bomb was dropped on the house that had sheltered the attackers, and eight sheikhs, the police chief, city council and police chief were all arrested by American forces. The US Forces, led by Lt. Col. Nathan Sassaman of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, issued...