Friendly fire may have killed a Broken Arrow US Marine

The military says the deadliest battle in the Iraq war - was compounded by friendly fire - that killed at least 8 US Marines and maybe more. <br><br>A Broken Arrow Marine killed in the battle - Lance

Monday, March 29th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The military says the deadliest battle in the Iraq war - was compounded by friendly fire - that killed at least 8 US Marines and maybe more.

A Broken Arrow Marine killed in the battle - Lance Corporal Tommy Blair - was in a vehicle hit by both enemy and friendly fire - and the military considers the cause of his death "indeterminable."

News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan says Lance Corporal Blair died on the 3rd day of the war. His family always had questions about his death - and this weekend the military confirmed for them it was possible he died as the result of friendly fire.

Just last week - the Marines awarded a posthumous medal to Lance Corporal Tommy Blair. In a ceremony at Veterans Park - Blair's mother was handed a Navy Marine Corps Commendation medal to go along with his purple heart and a medal for combat action. Blair died in a battle over a bridge in Nasiriyah, Iraq.

Blair's mother said last week she always wanted more information about how her son died - but she never doubted he died a hero. A report on the battle - released to families over the weekend - says Tommy Blair's vehicle came under both enemy - and friendly fire.

The investigation helped clarify Blair's heroism in the battle - and does not in any way dispute the story of what he did - but it details how Iraqi RPG's - and then an American "Maverick" missile hit Blair's vehicle - either one could have killed him.

The military says a US Marine on the ground called for air strikes against the unit because of confusion over who was in the vehicles.

The military believes as many as 10 of the 18 Marines killed in the battle died as a result of friendly fire.