VETWRITER

also known as... Sandy Strait

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INTRODUCTION

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND CHRONOLOGY  by Sergeant Major Karen Murdock

THE VETERANS’ PERSONAL STORIES

Mike Koenig, Military Police Officer, National Guard

Robert McBride, Indirect Fire Infantryman, Army

Patricia McBride, Chemical Decontamination Specialist, Army

Michael High, Tactical Fire Control Specialist ,Army

Karen Murdock, Military Journalist/Media Relations, Army

Michael Bowling, Radioman, USS Nashville, Navy

Jerry Schuster**, Wild Weasel Electronic Warfare Officer, Air Force

Kay Likely, Truck Driver, National Guard

John Liner, Chinook Helicopter, Pilot Army

Glenn G. Camp, Safety Officer, Army

Thomas Abbott, US Naval Attaché in Israel, Navy

Paul Sullivan, Armored Reconnaissance Specialist, Army

Jeanann Madden, Military Police Patrolman, Army Reserves

John R. Trujillo, Helicopter Electronics Technician, Marine Corps

Chris LaSalle, Blackhawk Helicopter Pilot, Army

Victoria Hudson, Tactical Operations Officer, Army

Joseph Threat, Chemical Defense Officer, Marine Corps

Mike Curtis, Flight Medic (Air Ambulance Aidman), Army Reserves

Brian Martin, Paratrooper and Humvee Operator, Army

David Bigelow, Front Line Infantryman, Air Assault Army

Winston G. Churchill, Officer in Charge of Coast Guard Forces, Middle East, and Director of the UN Multinational Interdiction Force

( **denotes pseudonym)

PART TWO: THE VETERANS ADDRESS IMPORTANT ISSUES

CHAPTER FIVE: LOOKING BACK FOR LESSONS LEARNED

EPILOGUE: WHERE THE VETERANS ARE TODAY

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Written by: Karen Murdock, Sergeant Major, US Army

Third Army, Public Affairs Office, Desert Shield/Desert Storm

Prelude to War

Why did Iraq invade Kuwait on August 2, 1990? Did Saddam Hussein wake up one morning and decide to invade his southern neighbor because he was having a bad hair day? No. Actually, the factors that set up Kuwait for the invasion were put into action nearly 70 years ago.

The borders of the countries in the Middle East were drawn by Great Britain in 1922, after World War I. These "lines in the sand" borders deliberately crossed ethnic and religious boundaries to guarantee none of the countries created would create a strong sense of nationalism. About 75 percent of Iraq's population of 18 million are Muslim Arabs, but another 20 percent are Kurds. The remaining five percent is made up mostly of Turks, Armenians, Persians and Assyrians.

Iraq was "born" geographically disadvantaged -- it is virtually landlocked. Except of a 26-mile coastline on the Persian Gulf, Iraq is surrounded by six neighbors, two of which (Turkey and Iran) are larger than Iraq. Iraq could never accept the borders drawn by the British. Iraq's sense of injustice continued to grow over three generations and was a major factor in their eight-year war with Iran.

By denying Iraq access to the sea, the British helped set the stage for the 1990 Kuwait invasion. Iraq was convinced it possessed a right to Kuwait. In early July 1990, Saddam issued a decree declaring Kuwait City as Kadhima and naming a new district of northeast Kuwait for himself. Iraqis believed Kuwait was part of the Basra province and the British had taken it away from them. To the Iraqis, reclaiming Kuwait was simply righting a wrong that had occurred in 1922.

In mid-July, during a national broadcast, Saddam threatened to use military force against any Arab oil-exporting nation that produced more oil than had been allotted under Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreements, causing oil prices to fall. Kuwait had been guilty of this. In early 1990, oil was selling for $20.50 a barrel. By the summer, the price had dropped to $13.60. This drop added to Iraq's financial problems.

Iraq also accused Kuwait of slant-drilling along the Iraq-Kuwait border and stealing an estimated $2.5 million in oil from the Iraqi side of the Rumaila oil field. On July 18, in a letter from Iraq's foreign minister, Iraq charged Kuwait with "systematically, deliberately, and continuously" harming Iraq by encroaching on its territory, stealing its oil and destroying its economy. "Such behavior," the minister said, "amounts to military aggression." Iraqi troops began moving troops toward the Kuwaiti border.

Six days later, US intelligence satellites confirmed that at least 30,000 Iraqi troops had massed on the Kuwaiti border. Negotiations between Iraqi and Kuwati officials took place in Jedda, Saudi Arabia. As Iraq made its demands that Kuwait forgive Iraq's war debts and hand over to Iraq the Kuwaiti island of Bubiyan, the Iraqi troop buildup continued. The troops now numbered 100,000.

On August 1, 1990, the Iraqis postponed the scheduled negotiations with Kuwait. Saddam continued his making his demands and threatening, "If they don't give it to me, I will take it." And starting at 2 a.m. on August 2, 1990, he made good on his threats as his troops swept across the Kuwaiti border.

One historian suggested Hussein believed that by seizing and controlling the entire country of Kuwait, he could force its rulers to give up the northern area he believed was rightfully Iraq's property. But Hussein badly miscalculated the reaction of Western governments and his Arab neighbors.

Kuwait was not willing to fight. In fact, Kuwait's entire population was smaller than the active Iraqi armed forces. Kuwait's army hadn't even been placed on alert because Kuwaiti leaders had expected another diplomatic solution to the situation. Everything was going just as Saddam had planned it except for one thing: the Kuwaiti emir and all his ministers managed to escape into Saudi Arabia.

News of the invasion brought immediate and negative reactions from the world's economic community. Iraq and Kuwait together controlled almost 20 percent of the world's proven oil reserves. If that oil was taken off the world's market and if Iraq continued its aggression into Saudi Arabia, the results could have been catastrophic. The international community began to respond and condemn Iraq. On the day of the invasion, the United Nations Security Council met and immediately approved Resolution 660, condemning the aggression and calling for Iraq's immediate withdrawal from Kuwait.

The takeover of Kuwait

Torture, killing and mass arrests started the day of the invasion. Men and women were pulled of the streets for questioning. The wrong answers brought pain, mutilation and, in many cases, death. After the war, Iraqi "torture centers" in Kuwait were found to contain, according to many reports, bloodstained saws, axes, pick handles, meat hooks, a power drill, a hand vise, electric cattle prods, carpenter planes to shave off skin, pliers to extract fingernails, and a pair of industrial dryers. There was also a bed frame and a hot plate that had been wired to give electric shocks.

(A personal note: I went to these "torture centers" and saw the people in the morgues who allegedly had been tortured to death. It was awful. One man had about 20 power drill holes in his chest and head. Other men had been bludgeoned to death. I didn't see any dead women. I don't know if that was because they managed to be set free or the Muslim sense of morality caused officials to hide the women from sight to preserve their honor even in death.)

The Iraqis also attacked the Kuwaiti national zoo. Soldiers used caged animals for target practice and carted off elephants, giraffes and monkeys to the Baghdad zoo. Later, when food for the Iraqi soldiers grew scarce, soldiers ate the zoo's sheep, deer and gazelles.

(Another personal note: After the war, we went to the zoo and saw the wanton destruction and the torture the animals had to endure. One elephant had been shot three times and stabbed repeatedly. We got her airlifted to Saudi Arabia where a team of veterinarians were able to save her.)

Iraqi soldiers ransacked the city. Stores were looted. When food shortages developed in the city, the soldiers went from home to home, looking for food, and stole stereos, television sets, jewelry and other personal possessions that hadn't been hidden by the Kuwaitis.

Operation Desert Shield

On August 7, President George Bush announced to the nation that the 82nd Airborne Division was being deployed to Saudi Arabia. This was the beginning of Operation Desert Shield, the largest deployment of American troops overseas since the Vietnam War. Bush outlined his four principles for the deployment of American soldiers:

1. Immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi forces from Kuwait;

2. The restoration of the legitimate Kuwaiti government;

3. A reaffirmation of the US commitment to stability in the Persian Gulf;

4. America's determination to protect the lives of its citizens.

Saddam's response was to proclaim the annexation of Kuwait, the first annexation of a sovereign state since World War II.

Within days, a large coalition of nations was formed. International troops began to pour into the country, reinforcing the American and Saudi troops.

On November 8, President Bush ordered another 200,000 troops to the Middle East. In response, Saddam sent an additional 250,000 troops to Kuwait. By the end of 1990, these 550,000 Iraqi troops faced an equal number of coalition troops. The message to Iraq was clear -- get out of Kuwait or prepare for war.

The UN Security Council's deadline for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait expired at midnight January 15, 1991. Just before 1 a.m. January 16, reporters at US air bases in Saudi Arabia heard the thunder and felt the ground shake as wave after wave of jets took off, headed for targets north in Iraq and Kuwait. More jets lifted off six US carriers in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.

President Bush announced, "The liberation of Kuwait has begun...Just two hours ago, Allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait. These attacks continue as I speak. Ground forces are not engaged. The US goal is not the conquest of Iraq. It is the liberation of Kuwait."

Operation Desert Storm

With the support of new technology, the coalition air forces achieved its chief objective: to break the fighting capacity of the Iraqi military. By mid-February, the conflict entered a new phase. Coalition forces began to attack Iraq on the ground. Nothing else would apparently force Saddam out of Kuwait. The Iraqi President appeared willing to fight on the ground in what Saddam referred to as "the mother of all battles."

For some coalition forces, the ground war began January 30, when Iraqi tanks rolled into the Saudi beach town of Khafji. US Marines retook the town and forced the Iraqis into retreat the next night. House-to-house fighting raged for more than 12 hours. During this battle, the first Iraqi prisoners were taken as more than 500 soldiers were captured. Thirty Iraqis were killed and another 37 were injured. The Saudis lost 18 and had 29 injured. Eleven US Marines were killed. They were the first Americans to die in ground combat since the war began.

President Bush continued to give Saddam ultimatums: withdraw from Kuwait or be prepared to suffer the consequences. Saddam continued to refuse to back down. At 4 a.m. on February 24, the ground war began in earnest. The coalition poured across the border in a punishing attack against the Iraqis. On February 26, Saddam realized he had been outmaneuvered and was about to be annihilated. Saddam lost more than half his army in less than two days of fighting. He gave the order to withdrawal, starting what became "the mother of all retreats."

The two roads leading out of Kuwait City were jammed with traffic from Iraqis who were trying to leave, some in military vehicles, others in civilian cars stolen from the Kuwaitis. All the vehicles were loaded down with looted merchandise from Kuwait. The roads were turned into the "Highway to Hell" as allied aircraft destroyed the traffic jam.

The President issued a cease-fire order effective at 8 a.m. on February 28. It would be exactly 100 hours since the beginning of the ground war.

The future of Iraq

The Iraqis had deployed 4,550 tanks, 2,880 other armored fighting vehicles and 3,257 artillery pieces. During the war, the Iraqis lost 3,847 tanks, 1,450 fighting vehicles and 2,917 artillery pieces. The Persian Gulf War accomplished its objectives of getting Iraq out of Kuwait and eliminating the offensive military power of Iraq; however, the remaining 1,600+ tanks in the Iraqi army form a core Saddam can use to start rebuild his army.

So what happens now? The problem over Iraq's access to the sea remains unresolved. According to many people, this makes another conflict with Kuwait or Iran inevitable. "Iraq has to export oil to live, and to export oil, we must have a port," said one Iraqi. "Even if Saddam Hussein died today, the source of the problem would not end. It will rise again and again until there is a settlement."

ROBERT and PATRICIA MCBRIDE

One of the more unique and poignant stories to come out of the Gulf War was that many families were faced with the anguish of leaving behind young children when both mother and father were deployed. Corporal Robert McBride and Specialist E-4 Patricia McBride left their 7 month old daughter, Catie, with her grandmother and went off to fight what they called "our little war". Both of them served in critical and yet very hazardous positions with the Army. All during the war they worried and prayed for each other, as well as their baby. Their only real time together was a few short hours at Christmas, exchanging small gifts that later would become priceless to them. In spite of these extreme personal difficulties both soldiers served honorably. And both say they would serve again if they were needed, even if it meant leaving their children again.

ROBERT MCBRIDE

Corporal Robert McBride was an indirect fire infantryman with the Army's 24th Infantry. His unit went well into Iraq, and destroyed Jallibal Airfield, then took on Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard Force commandos. He does an excellent job of telling us about the gamut of emotions a person faces in combat. He ends his story with excellent advice for anyone entering the military on how to survive Basic Training.

How did you react when you found out you were going to war?

I was tired. I had just came off a 24 hour duty so it took awhile to sink in. When it did, I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to go and do what the army had trained me to do. I did my best to swallow the fear of the unknown that we all have inside us and informed my soldiers of what I knew, which was not much more than they did.

I tried to get in touch with my wife. At that point, I really got scared because I knew she would be going also, and that I could not be by her side if she became endangered. I felt pretty helpless at that point and almost lost it. Our leaders set a tempo of preparation that kept my mind off it for a while after that. I do remember questioning my abilities as a leader. I don't know if that was weak on my part or not. I wonder if my father felt the same way in W.W.II?

To sum it up I guess I was overwhelmed with emotions.

What was your reason for going to the war?

It was my job, my duty, and my obligation to you, my friend. Sounds like a bunch of bull...don't it? I swear it's true.

I probably could have gotten out of going, being the sole surviving male in my family but I could not do that to my late father. He would have been very disappointed in me. I could not do that to my wife, daughter, or my son who would not be born until much later. How could they respect me? How could I respect myself?

I joined the army knowing full well that I may have to go to war.

What type of unit were you in?

My division was the 24th Infantry (mechanized), part of the 18th Airborne Corps, a rapid deployment force. My battalion was the 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor, and my platoon was a heavy mortar platoon, the only infantry in the battalion.

How long were you in the war?

All total, with Desert Shield and Desert Storm, seven months.

How much training did you have before going?

I enlisted in the Army on July 7, 1987. I had Basic and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Benning, Georgia, Airborne School, Combat Lifesavers course, numerous live fire and force on force exercises at Ft. Stewart, Georgia, a rotation at the National Training Center, Ft. Irwin, California, and a Bright Star rotation in Egypt.

What was your service occupation during the war?

I was an 11C Indirect fire infantryman. That means I work with mortars. I was the squad leader of a 107mm mortar and had three soldiers under me.

What were some of your objectives on your missions?

Our mission was to penetrate as deep into Iraq as we could without being detected before we hit our first objective. This mission was a success. Our first objective was to attack, secure, and destroy Jallibal Airfield, then on to the reserve forces of the Towacona Division of the Republican Guard Force commandos. They put up limited resistance.

We then pushed farther into Iraq, stopping short of a town called Basra, about midway between Kuwait City and Baghdad. There we set up a blocking force to keep Iraqi forces from retreating from our 7th Corps and regrouping. This also gave them very slim chances of getting reinforced.

What kinds of weapons did you specialize in?

The M30, 4.2 inch, 107mm mortar. This weapon has a 6,840 meter range and can deliver a high explosive shell with a 40 meter killing radius. I fire on the expert level with the M16A2 rifle and the .50 caliber machine gun. I am also qualified with the M9 and M1911 pistols, M249 S.A.W., M60 machine gun, and the M203 grenade launcher.

Did you leave a girlfriend, boyfriend, or a spouse behind?

Well, I sort of left a spouse behind. She was over there with me, but we did not get to see each other often, and when we did it was never more than a few hours or minutes at a time. We both left our 7 month old baby girl at home with my mother. I missed my wife and child terribly.

What was it like to be in a war?

For me, being in a war was an exhilarating, tiring, and frightening experience. A roller coaster of emotions, fear, anger, joy, anxious, nervous, and so many others. The physical aspect of it was something else, too. We were in actual combat operations for only 100 hours or so, but I was hungry (it's hard to eat behind a .50 caliber rolling over terrain in a mortar carrier), tired, cold, wet, and sore. It's pretty miserable for the most part.

It makes you aware of your mortality when there are people trying to kill you. You notice little things like how the sand feels different on the back of your neck than it does on yours arms, how the wind feels as it tickles the hair on the back of your neck, now the .50 feels so cold to the touch but sort of warms you on the inside.

You feel so alive after contact and so out of control during it. Your heart keeps rhythm with the current tempo of the battlefield. There are sights, sounds, and smells the like of which the movies can never portray.

When you were there did you fully understand why you were fighting and what you were fighting for?

I guess I did, a hostile nation wrongfully invaded another and took its government out of power. We were sent with the blessing of the UN to correct the scene. We did that with our forces and then came home.

What did you rely on the most to keep sane during the war?

News from home about my baby girl. She was growing so fast and looked so beautiful in the pictures my mom sent me of her. I knew I had to keep a level head so I could stay alive and watch her grow up more. She was and is still a very important part of my life.

How long did it take before you ran out of coping skills?

I don't guess I ever really ran out of copying skills. After about four months in the desert it did get hard to deal with the situation at times and I came close to losing it a few times, but something would come up, a letter from a stranger or another soldier having a harder time than me coming to me for advice would put me back on the right track.

Once I borrowed a tape recorder from a friend and recorded a message for my daughter. I think it was about five months into it. I felt I might not make it out alive and I needed her to know how much I loved her. I don't guess that I was coping too well, huh?

What was your Christmas like there?

I will always remember Christmas. My battalion had a Christmas party and my CO made arrangements for my wife to be picked up at her unit and brought tome. We spent the day together and part of the night before she had to go back. It was our second Christmas together as man and wife and she looked so beautiful to me in her D.C.U.'s (desert camouflage uniform), I was proud of her.

We spent part of the day in our platoon A.O. (area of operations) talking and holding each other. We talked about our baby girl, Catie, and that made us sad. It was here first Christmas and we were not there to celebrate it with her. We talked about what was going on in our units and what we were going to do when we got back. I bought my wife a sleeping mat in a nearby town. It was nothing more than a piece of foam rubber covered with some cheap cloth. She still has it today.

A young boy I had become pen pals with had sent me a small artificial Christmas tree and we decorated it. We ate at the "Beach Club." All in all it was a good day despite not having Catie with us.

What was your birthday like there and how old were you?

My 22nd birthday I spent thinking about my life so far and wondered if I would make it to my next one. I wondered how my father felt on his birthday during W.W.II in the South Pacific. No one in the platoon knew it was my birthday and if they did they did not bring it up. We didn't bring up thins like that unless the person brought it up first. I wish I could of had a drink.

How long did it take you to adjust a little to being there?

I guess it took about two month for it to sink in. The first month we did a lot of movement and things were pretty fast paced. Then we slowed down and I accepted my situation.

Describe some people that you best remember.

I remember my section sergeant, a short guy from Ecuador. I could not get along with him on a professional level. My leadership style was very different than his and he could not understand it. As a person I could get along with him just fine. His English was very bad and he could not get American sayings right. I remember him saying, "What goes around, goes around."

I remember my gunner, a city boy from Minnesota. He was a sick pup, all he wanted to do was smoke him (an enemy soldier) at close range with his .45 and a full mag, among other things I will not talk about here. He was a good troop and would do whatever I told him to.

My driver is another kid I remember well. He was from my home state of Texas and had a bad Spanish accent, but could not speak a lick of it. He always had a smile on his face and a good thought in his head. He had a strong will, too. He drove and stayed awake for the entire 100 hours along with me.

My best friend there was a fellow from California. He could play a guitar like all get out. He had a good sense of humor and a hard life. He was going through a divorce during the operation and I really admire him for the way he handled it. Talk about a guy who could cope.

Did normal happenings like sleeping or eating come hard to you?

Sleeping did not come hard, but I did however sleep very light and could go from a sound sleep to wide awake in an instant. The food was bland, but it was filling and evening chow meant mail call, so that was always looked forward to. M.R.E.'s (Meals Ready to Eat supplied by the Army) were not good at all and they were the luck of the draw, some were better than others. We did a lot of trading and experimenting with them. Once we purchased some burgers from a local town, made a grill out of some wire mesh we found, and grilled them over some scrap lumber. They were a good break from the cook's warmed up T-rats and under-seasoned A's (T-rations and A- rations). The Army purchased some t.v. dinners and Lunch Buckets. They were very good comparatively. During Desert Shield we ate three times a day, T-rats for breakfast, M.R.E.'s for lunch, and T's or A's for dinner. During Desert Storm we ate when we could and the food was always cold.

What was the local people's reaction to seeing you and the other troops?

The Saudi's loved us. They knew we could save them from Iraq if they decided to attack. They were always friendly toward us even though they did not understand us. The store keepers really liked us when we came to town with our money.

The most amazing thing I saw with people was when we drove through a small village in Iraq, the people waved and smiled at us. We were living in their country, and they waved and smiled at us. It surprised me so much. I threw out two cases of M.R.E.'s to them.

After the cease fire and we were on the way back to Saudi we came across a group of Kuwaitis. They were blowing their horns, waving American and Kuwaiti flags at us. Man what a sight to see!

What was the hardest thing to deal with personally?

The hardest thing for me to deal with was the fact that my wife was in country and had a nasty job to do in the event of a chemical attack. You see, she was a chemical decontamination specialist. If we had gotten slimed she would have to go in and clean us up. In other words, she would deliberately expose herself to chemical agents so we could drive on with the fight.

I worried about her a lot and even prayed that if only one of us could come back alive that it would be me coming home with a flag draped over my casket.

Was it hard being away from home a long time?

Yes, I had gotten accustomed to having my wife and baby at my side and living in my own house. I had been on deployments before, but then I had a specific date when I was coming home.

What was the hardest thing for you to do?

The hardest thing for me to do was decide who on my track I would use for unmasking procedures. You see, in the event of a chemical attack we would go to MOPP4 and try to get to a clear area, if the mission allowed us to do that. Once we think we are in a clear area, we would do a 256 kit (a chemical detection kit) and if the kit showed a clear status we would then go to the next step. The kits are not perfect and may have not detected an agent so a predetermined soldier is disarmed and breaks the seal on his protective mask and exposes himself to the outside air. There are more steps to this, but you get the general idea. He is observed and if he shows no signs of chemical agent poisoning the rest of the element can unmask, It took a lot of thought for me to decide who on my track I would put in that danger. I'm glad I never had to put my decision in effect.

Were there any discipline problems during combat?

Yes, I had a problem with my assistant gunner once. He wanted to take the actuator rings of the H.E. rounds because they have a habit of getting stuck in the tube and causing misfires. If the rings are removed the rounds do not fly right and impact erratically. He and I very nearly came to blows over this but my section sergeant stepped in and the situation was resolved. The rings remained on.

What kept you going when you were fighting so far away from home?

The thought of reuniting with my family and the way my crew needed me for guidance kept me going.

Describe the type of battles you fought in.

The battles I was in were short, violent armor battles with lots of artillery and mortar preparation of the battle area.

What do you remember the most about the war?

How short it was once the ground war kicked off.

In spite of the fighting did you have very many good times or very much fun?

Yes, I had fun, sometimes I felt like a kid playing war. Well, maybe just once I did, for a little while.

What were living conditions like for you?

For most of the seven months we were there we lived out of our vehicles. I think we lived out of tents for about a month or so before the ground war kicked off.

The battalion had a rec area set up where we went twice a month. It started out as an ice chest where you could buy a cold soda for a quarter and eventually evolved into a small tent compound with a t.v. tent where you could watch whatever movie they had on tape and a small store where you could buy candy, soda, ships, tobacco, and non-alcoholic beer (YUCK).

Were alcohol or drugs used where you were at?

As far as I know, no. Some of the guys tried to make their own wine, but none of their attempts were successful, and they blew up several canteens in the process.

What is the best thing you remember during the war?

The best thing was hearing the cease fire come over the radio. It was a wonderful thing to hear.

Did you make friends with any of the local people? Tell about it if you did.

Not really a friend, but I did make an old man happy. At our first position a Bedouin came up to us and tried speaking to us and was clearly upset about something. I had a basic Arabic book and through it ,and gestures, I found out that there was a cemetery nearby and he did not want us to go there. We relayed it to higher and marked the area off limits. The man was pleased and left happy. We never saw him again, I guess we won his trust.

Did any amount of training ever prepare you for actual combat?

Training did pay off for me, it helped give me the confidence I needed to do my job. But on the other hand, no amount of training can prepare you for the realism and shock of contact. That is something that has to come from your heart.

Were communications home open and free or did censorship occur often?

Censorship is involved in all operations like that and it is every solder's duty to censure himself. I do not think our mail was opened and read before it went out. I now have the letters I wrote my grandfather. I got them when he passed on, and they did not appear to be opened by anyone else but him. We got to make a few phone calls while we were there, and to knowledge they were not monitored. We were told we could not say certain things about our situation, like locations, time lines, and troops strength. We mostly adhered to that.

What was it like fighting?

It's the biggest adrenaline rush you could ever have. I thought until our first contact that nothing could top jumping out of an aircraft while in flight. It is also painfully frightening at times.

Did you agree with what you were fighting about?

Yes, I did, the cause was just as far as I could see. I was doing my job, what I was sworn to do.

What did you do while waiting?

We played cards, football, soccer, wrote letters and learned each other' life stories. The battalion had a rec area set up where a person could catch a movie on the VCR when it was our turn, or just plain relax and read a book. I got hooked on a series of books by Robert Fulghum.

Were you scared?

Yes. I would be lying to you if I told you otherwise. Fear is good in contact, it will keep you alive as long as you don't let it totally envelop you.

Did you ever have to give medical aid to another soldier? If yes, please explain.

Yes, but his injury was not combat related. He was loading a battery into a truck and he dropped it. Some of the acid splashed into his eyes. He started running and screaming, so I tackled his young but, took out my canteen and washed his eyes out. I reassured him that he would be OK and got him to the medics. They finished taking care of him and he went on to be a Desert Storm vet.

Was there much close friendship in your platoon? Did most members like and respect your leader?

We had a pretty tight platoon. We equally got on each others nerves from time to time and we liked our platoon leader about as much as any infantryman could like a tanker. He was sort of a geek.

How do you think American's feel about today's armed services?

People forget soon what we meant to them then, especially around a military installation. I see soldiers getting ripped off downtown all the time and getting disrespect. That's a shame.

However, when you get away from post, especially in small town American, people still look up to servicemen and women and give us the respect we deserve. It is a hard life we lead and we lead it by choice.

I am leaving for basic training in 13 days. Do you have any suggestions for me?

I am glad you asked and I have some good advice for you to take with you:

1. If you aren't already, start doing some push-ups and sit-ups in the morning and maybe try to run some. You are about to enter a very physical world.

2. You are about to find yourself surrounded by strangers and find yourself out of control, so enjoy these 13 days with your friends and family.

3. Your recruiter should have given you some sort of "welcome packet". Study it, the more you know when you get there, the better. There is a lot to learn in a short time.

4. Get an address book and plenty of letter writing stuff. Letters will be your primary form of communication.

5. When you arrive at basic training you will probably hear about a person called "Jody". Jody is the person who might take your place with your love interest. Jody is real and if you get that "Dear John" letter while you are there, don't let it get you down. The person who left you doesn't deserve a service member anyway.

6. When you arrive at basic training do your absolute best at everything. The Drills can tell who is trying and who is not.

7. Do not "brown nose", we hate that.

8. Be patient with your peers, if they are having problems grasping something and you are not, then help them out. The service is all about teamwork.

9. Listen and take notes. Do not be afraid to ask questions. The only stupid question is the one left unasked.

10. Go to church services even if you are not religious, you will need the break.

11. Leave any prejudices you have behind. There is only green.

12. Try to learn things from your peers. I think they will surprise you.

13. If you think you are doing something wrong, you probably are. Use your head and do the right thing.

14. Don't think you are slick, the Drills have seen it all before.

15. First impressions are lasting ones, try to make a good one.

16. Drink lots of water and eat all you can, you will need the energy.

17. Pay attention to detail, the little things are important in the military.

18. If you feel you are being singled out, take a look at yourself. There is probably a reason. If you still feel you are being treated unfairly don't be afraid to speak one on one with the Drill Sergeant. They are there to help.

19. Don't deal your peers dirty, no one likes that.

20. Pull your share of the weight and don't be afraid to be a leader.

21. If you get scared, don't be ashamed. Let that fear work for you.

22. You are not alone. If you need help, ask for it.

23. No matter how ridiculous something seems that the Drills tell you to do, do it. They know what they are doing.

24. Don't challenge the system. You will lose.

25. Be open with your peers, they can help you.

26. Stay motivated, it will help time go by.

27. Never give up!

28. Keep a good attitude.

29. When it gets hard and you think you can't make it, remember there have been thousands and thousands of people like me and your Drill that have done it before you, and just as we did it, so can you.

(The rest of Robert's answers are in Part Two: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.)

Part Two: Chapter 3

GULF WAR ILLNESS

Provided by Paul Sullivan, President of Gulf War Veterans of Georgia

Documented Types of Exposures (among the most suspected causes):

Biological and chemical warfare agents

Oil well fire smoke and gases

Untested Pyridostigmine Bromide pills

(anti-chemical warfare agent pills)

Pesticides/insect repellents

Investigative vaccines such as those for Anthrax

and Botulism (against biological warfare)

Illnesses from sick Iraqi refugees and prisoners

Contaminated food and water

Fine sand

Insect bites

Radiation from uranium-tipped ammunition

(made from depleted uranium)

Any and all combinations of the above which may

overwhelm the body's natural defenses.

Symptoms and Diagnoses:

The Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense have protocols for examining and treating ill Desert Storm veterans. Among the symptoms and diagnoses to consider are:

multiple chemical sensitivity various cancers

new or unusual allergic reactions leishmaniasis

giardiasis mycoplasms

chronic fatigue syndrome enlarged lymph nodes

Epstein Barr virus fibromyalgia

enlarged heart herpes

neurotoxicity various immune disorders

malaria brucellosis

Q-fever peripheral neuropathy

sandfly fever schistosomiasis

mitochondrial encephalomyopathy thyroid dysfunction

vasomotor rhinitistuberculosis

heavy metals in blood and hair viral hepatitis

various heart diseases

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