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Desert Shield/Storm?

Seeing a lot of Vietnam vet posts. Haven’t seen any about 1990,91 Desert Shield/Storm commentaries. I was in 1st LAI Bn TOW plt. We got airlifted out on Labor Day weekend to Saudi Arabia. I suppose some of what I remember most are the exaggerations of the media. Like, I never drank 5 gal of water a day and after getting climatized I drank the same amount of water as I drank back at Pendleton. As far as actually busting caps, I never did, I was the guide and drove the platoon hummer wherever Capt. Freda wanted me to go. When we were sitting in Kuwait airport I found out that about 2/3 of the platoon never fired a shot either. And they were up with the forward units. I was with he supply train about 10 miles back. We sat in the middle of the burning oil wells for about 3 days before moving into the airport and then it ended. Just over a 96 timewise. I’ve only seen a couple of guys wearing Desert Storm covers since then and when I asked them where they were at or which units they were in it seemed like it was a big secret they couldn’t tell me anything. So if there are any Desert Shield/Storm vets out there with more interesting accounts to tell (and you’re not sworn to secrecy) go ahead and write in I would like to read them. And no, I’m not writing a book. R/S Sgt. Pete
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Comments

MIKE G - April 24, 2022

I was in the Command Group of 7thMEB, we left 29 Palms about a week after Kuwait was invaded. Ended up, as a Gunny, driving a LtCol around, who was part the 1stMarDiv, General’s Staff. He was pretty cool because we were always in-between units, we never stuck around very long. We also sat in the burning oil wells checking on the POW camps. When we did convoy into the the Kuwaiti Airport we were on the tarmac like sitting ducks. The Col decided, I asked him not to, to get out of the vehicle and talk to the Division Chaplain. As I was running behind the vehicle a round cracked over my head, I threw the Col back into the vehicle and told the Chaplain’s Assistant, some 2ndClass, to follow me. We drove out of the convoy and into the buildings. I ended up taking the 2ndClass with me to clear the buildings. He didn’t have any ammo and had only FAM fired the M16. He and I cleared some of the buildings until we came into a waiting room and encountered a grunt unit coming our way. The next morning I went out looking for a friend of mine with LAI’s. Every morning either he or I would bring the other a cup of coffee. So, I drove up to where they were at with a canteen cup of coffee. Got out of the vehicle and strolled up to their building, he came out yelling at me and pushed me inside the building. They had been taking sniper fire all morning, sure enough a round hit the building. That was the most excitement I encountered.

Michael Romans - April 15, 2020

Good day Sgt. Pete, I enjoyed your post regarding DS/DS. I too was over there but do not really talk much about it. Not because I witnessed anything bad, but honestly didn’t see much at all. I had five other Marines of my fathers siblings to include him. Of the five one was in Korea and retired SgtMaj., two were combat vets of Vietnam, my father was Korea era and their sister, my aunt. Growing up and hearing their stories always left me in awe. I was assigned to support VMA 231 at Camp Abdul Ariz airbase (aka the Skud bowl since to was a soccer field with an airstrip next to the Persian Gulf.) My parent unit elements of MALS 32 just finished seven and a half months in Iwakuni and then arrived there on Jan 1st. We were told to expect the worst, that we would loose aircraft and our base was a target. Well we did loose one plane that I remember, Capt. Russell Sanborn but was taken pow. We flew a lot of missions but after speaking with some pilots the impression I got was it was like we were beating up on our little brother. I don’t recall any hostile activity against our base. In short I don’t speak much about it because I have not much to speak of. Especially in wake of what our vets now have under gone my time there was no worst that my time at CAX. I do mention that I did serve, and did what was asked of me. My personal belief is that maybe many don’t talk about our time there is because we either dont have much to talk about or it pales to what the vets have gone through for the last 18 years! Thank you for your service and for bringing this up. I enjoy hearing others experience from our war/conflict and would enjoy hearing more. If anyone would like to read a great book about the gulf war I wouldn’t encourage one reading it. It’s called “Bravo Two Zero” by Andy McNab. He was an SAS operative and the book is about their mission during the war. It was a enlightenment to me since it outlines some of the bad things that happened in that war that we were never told about. Thank you again, Semper Fi. Cpl. Michael Romans

Isaac - April 15, 2020

Semper Fi Sgt. Pete. I’m Isaac, call sign Mitymouse (spelling is intentional). I was a doc fresh out of FMF training from 1st CEB sapper school. Our team was boots on ground Nov. 23, 1990. We were attached to Recon units patrolling the north part of Saudi/Iraqi border betweens Rafha north to Arar. 2nd Tank battalion joined us a couple times. Made contact 3 times. No hostile engagements, except we did have friendly contact with one of our own Patriot missiles when it lost its target and locked on to a tank in our patrol. No fatalities but 4 injured including me. I was the second doc to be injured over there… So I was told. We shot rounds but in designated target ranges. They ploy was to maintain moral with the marines up there. In regards to water consumption, we consumed roughly 5 bottles of water per day my entire deployment. My sapper team was in country 3 months only.

John Murphy - April 15, 2020

Hey Sgt. Pete I was with 81’s- Task Force Shepard and Papa Bear.

Paul 0311 - April 15, 2020

Interesting story. About the guys wearing the covers and then not wanting to have a conversation was exactly the point I was trying to make in the last newsletter that ended up being morphed into something else. My point “If you don’t want to talk,don’t wear the cover!” unless they were posers. Paul

Harry - April 15, 2020

Yes,Did pop a few caps TNT &C-4 also a few “Claymores” around perimeter at Liberty Bridge. Also liked to make homemade hand grenades using empty C-Rat cans and soda cans packed with C-4 nails and other stuff. With cap, igniter, and about a 10 or 12 inch fuse. fun fun! Harry PS I,m trying real hard to”Get Over Myself”

Murray hermanson - April 15, 2020

Way to be on top of things Harry, I thought I was only one reading these Stories this early. I was going to post earlier today when I first read these stories, but I keep refraining from it. Don’t want it to look like I have nothing else to do. Pete, I know a lot of Desert Strom Vets that ware they’re Hat’s. I think it is just the numbers game why you don’t see as many. There just aren’t that many. Pete, as far as busting a cap, Harry and I busted a lot of caps, Blasting caps. I think Harry did, I know I did. I know you were talking about firing your rifle, not many do and it’s not that often. To tell you what I think some of us were just used as bait. When I fired my rifle it was always with no one in the sites, just return fire. Except once and I was quickly told to stop firing. Pete I am sure that there will be posts by your era Marine but they are busy with their lives now. Us Vietnam era are getting old now and have nothing else to do. Have a good rest of your life. Murray

Harry - April 15, 2020

Hi Sgt. Pete Not far from my home there is a Memorial dedicated to the casualties of the 14th Quartermaster Detachment based in Greensburg Pa.The 14th suffered the highest casualties of any single unit in the Gulf War. 13 Killed and 43 Wounded. 81% of the unit! (A Scud Attack) I have visited the Memorial a few times. There were a couple former Marines in that unit. On 26 Feb 19 the future site of the National Desert Storm/Desert Shield Memorial was dedicated in Washington DC not far from the Vietnam Vets Memorial. I have already sent in a donation. They need a ton of money before they can brake ground. They have set up a web page to donate. Sgt Pete you guys and gals that served in the Gulf are “Not Forgotten” Semper Fi Harry

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