Noted General James N. Mattis To Speak At CWU

March 28, 2007

Ellensburg, Wash. - Lieutenant General James N. Mattis, who led U.S. forces in the epic 2003 Battle of Fallujah, will speak at Central Washington University on Friday March 30, at 4:00 pm in Hertz Hall Auditorium (rm 100). General Mattis will discuss "Leaders of Character: Conflicts, Dilemmas and Outcomes," followed by questions and discussion with the audience. The presentation is free and open to the public.

In 2003, Mattis was chosen to lead Marine forces into Fallujah after four Americans were captured and hanged. In the horrific battle that ensued, the Marines were within forty-eight hours of taking control of the insurgent stronghold when the White House abruptly ordered them to stop. Twenty-eight Marines were lost in the operation, along with an additional fifty when the White House ordered them to return six months later.

The operation, which was the largest sustained U.S. military engagement since the battle of Hue in Vietnam thirty years earlier, is the subject of the best-selling book No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle of Fallujah, by Bing West.

General Mattis has been praised as "one of the country's bravest and most experienced military leaders." During his 37-year career in the U.S. Marines Corps, the blunt-spoken and candid Mattis has seen service during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq, during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and in the present Iraq conflict. He presently serves as Commander of the U.S. Marine Forces Central Command and as Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force. He is a graduate of Central Washington University (1971) and the National War College.

Contact: Randy Keith Brazile, braziler@cwu.edu