MARINES MAKE READY ABOARD THE USS PELELIU, 2001-11-20 (photo)

U.S. marines of the 15th marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Peleliu make their preparations, November 20, 2001, for a landing somewhere in Afghanistan. From the middle of last week, amphibious landing craft and helicopters ferried people and equipment to a staging post in an undisclosed country in the Arabian Sea region. On November 25th six CH53 Super Stallion launched off the deck of the USS Peleliu amphibious assault ship at dusk to make the four-hour, non-stop flight to Afghanistan. Hundreds of US marines have set up a base outside the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. REUTERS/POOL TV NS/