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J. P. Blecksmith

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James Patrick Blecksmith
Nickname(s)J. P.
Born(1980-09-26)September 26, 1980
Pasadena, California
DiedNovember 11, 2004(2004-11-11) (aged 24)
Fallujah, Iraq
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service / branchUnited States Marine Corps
Years of serviceApril 2003 – November 2004
Rank2nd Lieutenant
Unit3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division
Battles / warsIraq War
Operation Phantom Fury
Operation Iraqi Freedom II
AwardsBronze Star
Purple Heart

James Patrick Blecksmith (September 26, 1980 – November 11, 2004) was an American military officer who became the first officer killed during Operation Phantom Fury in Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

Biography

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Blecksmith was born in Pasadena, California, on September 26, 1980. He attended Valentine School in San Marino through 2nd grade before his family moved to Seattle, Washington in 1989. After two years, the family returned to Southern California, and Blecksmith enrolled at Flintridge Preparatory School, where he graduated in 1999. Upon graduation from high school, Blecksmith entered the United States Naval Academy in June 1999.[1] Blecksmith's father, Edward, had served in the Marines during the Vietnam War.[2]

United States Naval Academy

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Although heavily recruited, Blecksmith saw limited action on the field for the Naval Academy. He fit the prototype of the 21st-century quarterback at 6'3" and 216 pounds, with a strong arm, but Navy ran a triple-option offense, where the quarterback was more of a runner than a passer.[2] As a backup quarterback, he completed 3 of his 4 passes, returned 2 kickoffs, and caught a pass as a wide receiver during the Army–Navy Game in 2001.[3]

Military career

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After graduating from the Naval Academy in May 2003, Blecksmith was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

Death

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On March 31, 2004, Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah ambushed a convoy containing four American private military contractors from Blackwater USA, who were conducting a delivery for the food catering company ESS.[4]

The contractors were dragged from their vehicles, beaten, and set on fire. Their burned corpses were then dragged through the streets before being hung over a bridge crossing the Euphrates River.[5] Photographs of the event were released to news outlets worldwide, causing outrage in the United States and prompting a campaign to reestablish American control over the city.[6]

This led to an unsuccessful U.S. operation to recapture the city in Operation Vigilant Resolve, followed by a successful operation in November 2004 called Operation Phantom Fury (known as Operation Al Fajr in Arabic). Blecksmith's India Company was the first to enter the city and begin house-to-house search operations in the Jolan District. On November 11, Blecksmith was killed by small arms fire while leading the third platoon in clearing buildings. A bullet entered his left shoulder and deflected down to his heart. Operation Phantom Fury resulted in the deaths of over 1,350 insurgent fighters. Approximately 95 American Marines were killed, and more than 1,000 were wounded.

Legacy

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On Veterans Day, November 11, 2006, exactly two years after Blecksmith's family received the news of his death in Iraq, the Marines renamed Pasadena's Marine Corps Reserve Center in his honor.[7] The San Marino Tribune announced that proceeds from its annual 5K Run & Walk, scheduled for Monday, July 4, would benefit the J.P. Blecksmith Leadership Foundation at Flintridge Preparatory School in La Cañada.[8] On April 20, 2005, James Patrick Blecksmith was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his courage and bravery.[9]

In season 4 of NCIS, actor Mark Harmon wears a J.P. Blecksmith memorial t-shirt in the episode "In The Dark." Additionally, in the September 29, 2009 episode "Reunion," Harmon (as Gibbs) again wears a J.P. Blecksmith memorial t-shirt in an early scene.

References

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  1. ^ "J. P. Blecksmith". JP Blecksmith Leadership Foundation. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Kindred, Dave (December 13, 2004). "The joy of victory, the reality of losses: I have to confess I wondered why that man just kept smiling". BNET BusinessNetwork. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2008.
  3. ^ "Blecksmith gone, not forgotten". U.S. Naval Academy. Retrieved May 26, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "The high-risk contracting business" Archived 2012-02-15 at the Wayback Machine, Frontline, PBS. Accessed May 13, 2007.
  5. ^ Fisk, Robert. Report Archived 2006-12-29 at the Wayback Machine, The Independent, April 1, 2004. Accessed May 13, 2007.
  6. ^ Chandrasekaran, Rajiv (2007). Imperial Life in the Emerald City. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-9168-9. p. 305.
  7. ^ "Shipmate: December, 2006". USNA 2003. Retrieved May 26, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Tribune's 5K Run to Benefit Blecksmith Leadership Fund". San Marino Tribune. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2008.
  9. ^ "3rd annual JP Blecksmith Memorial 5K in San Marion, Calif". Triathlete Magazine. June 3, 2007. Archived from the original on January 12, 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2008.
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