Details were scarce when Camp Pendleton Marine Maj. Douglas Zembiec, known as the "Lion of Fallujah" for his bravery, was killed in Iraq in 2007. But a new report from the Washington Post clears up the mystery - Zembiec was working for the CIA when he died:
Family members and former intelligence officials say Zembiec was working with a small team of Iraqis on a “snatch and grab” operation targeting insurgents for capture.
Just moments after warning his men that an ambush was imminent, he was shot in the head by an enemy insurgent; he died instantly.
He took on the most dangerous missions himself, was wounded by shrapnel, repeatedly dared the enemy to attack his Marines, then wrote heartfelt letters to the families of those who were killed in combat, and won the respect of his troops and his bosses.
It was Zembiec's ability to thrive in combat that prompted him to apply for a position with the Ground Branch of the CIA’s Special Activities Division. According to AmericanSpecialOps.com:
The Special Activities Division (SAD) is the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) covert paramilitary operations unit. They are one of America's most secretive and lowest profile special ops organizations.
The Post reports Zembiec volunteered to deploy to Iraq with the Ground Branch in March 2007. He died two months later.
