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Article: Backstory: US Marines 'invade' the Pop Tucci diner; A US Marine unit trains in three North Carolina towns to prepare for civil affairs duty in Iraq.(FEATURES)(CURRENTS)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- February 26, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Bill Sasser Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
TRENTON, N.C. -- After a frigid night camped under pine trees at an airfield, the convoy of 20 US Marines rolled into this sleepy town just as businesses were opening. The rumble of their Humvees unnerved some local residents. Even more jarring was the sight of the soldiers leaping from their vehicles with weapons.
In the parking lot of the Zion Lodge, a marine scanned the quiet street from behind a .50-caliber machine gun. One elderly man seemed shaken at the sight of marines striding into the Realo drugstore.
Yet this was no hostile invasion. As final preparation for a one-year ...