OCEANSIDE, Calif., April 7 (UPI) -- San Diego County residents braced for bad news Wednesday amid reports of a pitched battle in Iraq involving Marines from Camp Pendleton.
A dozen Marines were reported killed in heavy fighting with Iraqi rebels, causing a pall of sadness mixed with anger to settle in around Pendleton as residents waited to find out what units were involved.
The North County Times said off-duty Marines in Oceanside weren't surprised their comrades had run into resistance, and many said they were ready and willing to ship out to join the fray.
There are around 25,000 Marines in Iraq -- 19,000 with units based at Camp Pendleton. Northern San Diego County is also home to many military families, although it is a common practice for wives and children to move back to their hometowns while their husbands and dads are on long deployments.
