#41 - The Lionheart Crew - The First Abrams Tank Destroyed By An IED In Operation Iraqi Freedom
Fri Feb 06 2026
The “Lionheart” tank crew was a four-man United States Marine Corps team from Charlie Company, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Augmented to Alpha Company 1st Tanks deployed to Al Anbar Province, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.On May 8, 2005, Mothers Day, their M1A1 Abrams tank, callsign Lionheart, was struck by a massive improvised explosive device (IED). The blast was catastrophic, completely destroying the tank and marking the first Abrams tank lost to an IED during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Against all odds, every member of the Lionheart crew survived.This is a story about modern armored warfare, the evolving threat of IEDs, and the resilience, training, and brotherhood of U.S. Marines operating in one of the most dangerous combat environments of the Iraq War.It’s also a reminder of the thin line between life and death in combat and the warriors who continue the mission, even after surviving what should have been impossible.Their Names Are:Staff Sergeant Chad Brumpton – Tank commanderLance Corporal Joseph Lowe -- GunnerLance Corporal Mitch Ehlke – LoaderLance Corporal Fernando Lazalde (later Sergeant) – DriverPlease leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts:Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kagan-dunlap-show/id1734065968Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoB0WzZTGwZHj7LJIZDTI?si=3f85eb09f07249e7Kagan Dunlap Show Links:YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@KaganDunlapShowX - https://x.com/KaganDunlapShowInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/kagandunlapshow/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583743284059Threads - https://www.threads.com/@kagandunlapshow?hl=enTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kagan.dunlap.show?lang=enWebsite - https://kagandunlapshow.com/#USMC #OperationIraqiFreedom #M1A1Abrams #TankCrew #CombatStories #MilitaryHistory #AlAnbar #Marines #WarStories
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The “Lionheart” tank crew was a four-man United States Marine Corps team from Charlie Company, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Augmented to Alpha Company 1st Tanks deployed to Al Anbar Province, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.On May 8, 2005, Mothers Day, their M1A1 Abrams tank, callsign Lionheart, was struck by a massive improvised explosive device (IED). The blast was catastrophic, completely destroying the tank and marking the first Abrams tank lost to an IED during Operation Iraqi Freedom.Against all odds, every member of the Lionheart crew survived.This is a story about modern armored warfare, the evolving threat of IEDs, and the resilience, training, and brotherhood of U.S. Marines operating in one of the most dangerous combat environments of the Iraq War.It’s also a reminder of the thin line between life and death in combat and the warriors who continue the mission, even after surviving what should have been impossible.Their Names Are:Staff Sergeant Chad Brumpton – Tank commanderLance Corporal Joseph Lowe -- GunnerLance Corporal Mitch Ehlke – LoaderLance Corporal Fernando Lazalde (later Sergeant) – DriverPlease leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts:Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-kagan-dunlap-show/id1734065968Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4CoB0WzZTGwZHj7LJIZDTI?si=3f85eb09f07249e7Kagan Dunlap Show Links:YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@KaganDunlapShowX - https://x.com/KaganDunlapShowInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/kagandunlapshow/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583743284059Threads - https://www.threads.com/@kagandunlapshow?hl=enTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kagan.dunlap.show?lang=enWebsite - https://kagandunlapshow.com/#USMC #OperationIraqiFreedom #M1A1Abrams #TankCrew #CombatStories #MilitaryHistory #AlAnbar #Marines #WarStories