A US soldier who was involved in a firefight in Iraq is seeking redemption and forgiveness from a family that lost three members in the chaotic battle on a Baghdad street.

In the midst of a fierce gun battle, Lance Corporal Lu Lobello's unit opened fire on three cars killing the drivers, all members of the Kachadoorian family who drove into the intersection.

After the war, back in the United States, Lobello, like many of the other soldiers in his unit, was deeply troubled by the civilian deaths.

Now, the Marine has become like a son to the family, visiting several times and talking often by phone.

(READ more of Dexter Filkins' story from the New Yorker)