By Linda Taaffe

A war photo of a U.S. Marine sitting on an amphibious vehicle in front of a road sign pointing to Baghdad has brought national attention to one Los Altos family. Tim Fennell said strangers from all over the country have been calling his family, offering to mail them the photo of his son Marine Lt. John “Matt” Fennell, 24, ever since The Orange County Register first published it April 2. Matt’s company, Alpha Company, was among those leading the drive to Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom when photographer Mark Avery snapped the photo March 31. Matt’s wife, Sandy, an ensign in the Navy also stationed in Iraq, had lost track of her husband’s whereabouts. She asked Avery to send a photo of Matt to her. Newspapers and magazines worldwide have reproduced the photo online and in print.

Fennell said photo captions identified Matt as a Los Altos resident. Using that as a starting point, people tracked down the family’s telephone number.

“People have called and said, ‘There’s a photo of your son in my local paper. Do you want me to send it to you?,’” Fennell said.

That photo and accounts from journalists embedded in Matt’s company have been virtually the only contact Fennell has had with son since he left for Iraq in with his son since he left for Iraq in February.

The 200 Marines of Alpha Co., 1st Battalion, 5th Marines camped in a municipal dump outside Baghdad with no electricity or running water. The area’s open space made it an ideal defensive position, according to media accounts. Fennell’s son had no telephones or e-mail access.

In the last letter Fennell received dated April 7, Matt said his company was on the outskirts of Baghdad looking for a way to cross the Tigris River in their amphibious assault vehicles. His battalion was ordered to seize the Al Azimaya Presidential Palace that Saddam Hussein was rumored to have been hiding in, according to media accounts.

His company had traveled nonstop, with no rest, for one week leading the dash to Baghdad, Matt told his father. His unit was among the first to storm the city, according to media accounts.

His 200-person unit was also the first Marine rifle company to cross the Iraqi border from Kuwait at the start of the land war. His assault vehicle, which carried between 12 and 20 infantry, was the eighth to enter the country. As platoon commander, Matt was in charge of 12 vehicles. His company’s first mission was to seize a pumping station and oil fields, he told his father.

Once in Baghdad, his battalion was part of the group that was searching for Saddam Hussein when they were ambushed by hundreds of fighters leaning out of rooftops, alleys and doorways, according to media accounts. The battle endured for nearly four hours.

In the end, one Marine was dead and 23 were wounded. They lost one track vehicle, which Matt climbed aboard and shot the radios with his pistol to destroy the encryption devices, according to media accounts. It was then blown up with a thermite grenade.

Fennell said he had still not had contact with his son last week. Since the reporters left Matt’s company, Fennell has been unable to track his son. Fennell said he believes his son could be in Iraq for at least another two weeks.

“The war is not over for us until he comes home,” Fennell said.

Matt is a 1997 graduate of St. Francis High School in Mountain View. He attended the University of San Diego, on a Navy ROTC scholarship. Fennell and his wife, Loretta, have custody of Matt and Sandy’s 1-year-old daughter until the couple return from Iraq.