The 9 who died in Wanat
In a story from CNN's Special Investigative Unit, Drew Griffin and Jessi Joseph examine the accusations against the U.S. Army of covering up mistakes in the 2008 battle of Wanat in Afganistan.
The July 13, 2008 battle at Wanat, near the Pakistani frontier, was one of the bloodiest since the Afghan war began in 2001. A U.S. force of 49, plus 24 Afghan troops, desperately fought off an attack by some 200 Taliban fighters, calling in air strikes barely 30 feet from their own positions during the struggle. The platoon, in close combat with Taliban fighters, repelled the enemy after nearly four hours of intense fire at a cost of nine Americans dead and 27 wounded.
Find out more about the fallen at CNN's Casualties: Home and Away:
- Jonathan P. Brostrom, 24, of Aiea, Hawaii
- Israel Garcia, 24, of Long Beach, California
- Jonathan R. Ayers, 24, of Snellville, Georgia
- Jason M. Bogar, 25, of Seattle, Washington
- Jason D. Hovater, 24, of Clinton, Tennessee
- Matthew B. Phillips, 27, of Jasper, Georgia
- Pruitt A. Rainey, 22, of Haw River, North Carolina
- Gunnar W. Zwilling, 20, of Florissant, Missouri
- Sergio S. Abad, 21, of Morganfield, Kentucky
Army accused of covering up mistakes in Afghan battle
By Drew Griffin and Jessi Joseph, CNN Special Investigative Unit
It will go down in history as one of the U.S. military's worst battles in Afghanistan. And according to the families of the soldiers who died there, the history written by the U.S. Army is biased and inaccurate.
