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Marines' Families Await Word From Iraq

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Families of some Ohio Marines waited anxiously Saturday for word of whether their loved ones were injured during a major U.S. offensive in Iraq that has claimed the lives of four members of a reserve unit.

The families of those in the Columbus-based Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment were meeting Saturday with a grief counseling team, hoping to find out who was injured during Operation Matador near Karabilah, a village close to the Syrian border.

"There is a lot of uncertainty for the families," said Navy Cmdr. Roosevelt Brown, the chaplain who leads the stress-management team.

Three members of Lima Company were killed Wednesday when an explosive detonated near their armored transport vehicle, Marine Reserves spokesman Capt. Patrick Kerr said Saturday. Another member of Lima Company was killed last Sunday.

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