Old Iraqi gentleman very cautiously approaches a U.S. Marine at a makeshift checkpoint on the outskirts of Baghdad just a few hours after the ground war had been declared over.  

American Marines receive a jubilant welcome in villages as they advanced on Baghdad 2003.
Six years on it is a very different story. Thousands of American service men and women have been killed and maimed by insurgents. President Obama has now ordered American troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Image for the NBC Publication 'Operation Iraqi Freedom'