A future American warship is to be named 'USS Fallujah', almost 20 years after the bloody 2004 battles in the Iraqi city infamous for their urban combat.
In an official service announcement, Secretary of the US Navy Carlos Del Toro said: "It is an honor to memorialize the Marines, Soldiers, and coalition partners that fought valiantly and those that sacrificed their lives during both battles of Fallujah."
"This namesake deserves to be in the pantheon of iconic Marine Corps battles and the LHA's unique capabilities will serve as a stark reminder to everyone around the world of the bravery, courage, and commitment to freedom displayed by those who fought in the battle."
The battles of Fallujah were led by the US military in 2004, with the international coalition and newly-formed Iraqi forces assisting them. In retaliation to Iraqi and foreign resistance fighters' public execution of four military contractors employed by the Blackwater mercenary company, the first battle took place from April to May that year and was named Operation Valiant Resolve.
Due to significant infrastructural damage and civilian deaths, US forces were pressured to withdraw from the city and leave it in the hands of local Iraqi forces, until insurgents regained control and a second battle – Operation Phantom Fury – ensued which took place from 7 November 7 to 23 December.
READ: The Sacking of Fallujah: A People's History
This was the heaviest urban combat US forces experienced since the Vietnam war, resulting in the deaths of 100 coalition personnel, thousands of insurgents and an undetermined number of civilians.
The USS Fallujah – an America class amphibious assault ship with the hull number LHA-9 – is set to memorialise those battles, joining some of the world's most versatile warships generally designed to put ashore Marines using a variety of aircraft. Built by the Huntington Ingalls (HII) shipbuilding company, which was awarded the contract in October, construction of the ship is set to start this month.
It will be the first US vessel named after a battle from the post-9/11 era, and follows the long-held tradition of naming warships after prominent battles the Marine Corps won. Previous ships consisted of the USS Tripoli (LHA-7) in honour of the 1805 Battle of Derna during the First Barbary War, as well as the USS Bougainville (LHA-8) named after one of the Solomon Islands in the south-western Pacific where a historic Second World War campaign took place from 1943 to 1945.
READ: Destruction of Fallujah – another legacy of the 2003 American invasion of Iraq