Military.com reports that “More than 120 Americans were killed in the two battles of Fallujah, 54 of them in a bloody nine-day span in November 2004 during the second battle, Operation Phantom Fury. Eleven prestigious Navy Cross medals were approved for actions in Fallujah, two of them posthumous.”  

“In addition, Fallujah produced one of the most enduring and iconic images from the post-9/11 wars: journalist Lucian Read’s photograph of a grievously wounded Marine 1st Sgt. Bradley Kasal emerging from what would become known as ‘Hell House,’ supported by two Marines. Kasal would receive the Navy Cross for his heroism on that day.”  

“By impact, scope, and significance, Fallujah, experts argue, has earned its place alongside legendary Marine Corps battles from Iwo Jima to Hue City. So is it time that Fallujah, like those predecessors, be memorialized in the name of a Navy ship?”