Clint Emerson recalls covert tasking to retrieve dead Marines in Iraq

What was said

"Colonel Kelly's direction, we were told like, "Hey, keep this between you guys. Don't advertise it, but we need you guys to go up to the front line and, you know, start pulling dead Marines out these trenches." And supposedly the Fedayeen, those were the guys with the balaclavas and black trench coats, they were sneaking in and like literally cutting throats while Marines were sleeping."

Retired US Navy SEAL Clint Emerson tells Shawn Ryan he and a teammate were instructed, at what he describes as “Colonel Kelly’s direction”, to discreetly go to the front line during the Iraq invasion to pull dead Marines from trenches, so it would not affect morale or the push forward. Emerson adds that they had heard reports — which he labels as “supposedly” — that Fedayeen fighters were infiltrating positions and cutting the throats of sleeping Marines.