20 Years Ago Today!

[wmebert]

Today marks the 20th anniversary of "Our" War. So far I haven't heard a single mention of it anywhere in the news. We are truly the 2nd "Forgotten War". There were over 400,000 over there! How can we forget that?!?

[wmebert]

Well, I did Google it and found a few mentions of the anniversary. They say it actually started at 2330 hrs GMT on the 16th. I guess my memory is off by a day. Of course since I was sitting out in the desert with no exposure to media of any kind I wasn't really sure what day it was most of the time anyway....

[Elevenbravo87]

The VFW magazine this month was all about Desert Storm.

Your right though we are the 2nd "forgotten" war.

[Bakaruda]

No problem I think we all suffer from CRS. I hope all of us have a great day tomorrow and remember those we did not bring home with us.

[redfish]

I remember when it started for me. It was about 0300 on the 17th. 24 ID was moving and I was out in middle of nowhere on the side of a dirt road laying out on a cot gonna sleep a few hours. I had been up 3 days without sleep. I had been asleep about an hour when some MP's woke us up talking about all the planes going over. I was pissed and hollered at them I couldn't care less about it!!

[Redleg13f2h]

Pulling perimeter guard and waiting for vehicles to get in country....

The real day would be the 24th of February. That's when we went into predator mode.

[Dagger X-Ray]

I landed in Saudi 20 years ago today.

[Redmaxx]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ALL MY STORM BROTHERS AND SISTER!

[chillimoe71]

i was on gaurd at ao bastone! the view with an-pvs-7's at the planes in formation going north with the stars as a back drop is something i will never forget, or be able to discribe with any real accuracy! B co 2/327 inf

[Dagger X-Ray]

Welcome to the forums Moe

[sgt Jake]

I am proud to have served with finest fighting force in the world! Happy anniversary brothers and sisters! Rest in Peace fallen comrades!

[sgt Jake]

"Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of the United States Central Command, this morning at 0300, we launched Operation DESERT STORM, an offensive campaign that will enforce the United Nation's resolutions that Iraq must cease its rape and pillage of its weaker neighbor and withdraw its forces from Kuwait. My confidence in you is total. Our cause is just! Now you must be the thunder and lightning of Desert Storm. May God be with you, your loved ones at home, and our Country." -- General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, USA Commander-in-Chief U.S. Central Command, in a message to the command, 16 January 1991



And so for 306,730 American men and women soldiers began a 43 day journey which would end in 148 americans dead and 467 wounded. Iraqi forces would suffer 50,000 dead , 71,204 prisoner of war, would lose 133 aircraft, 3,700 tanks, 2,400 assorted armor vehicles, 2,600 artillery, 19 ships, and have 42 divisions of thier armed forces rendered combat-ineffective. Happy 20th anniversary.

[wmebert]

I had gotten over there in mid-September so when the Air War started I was already in-country for 4 months. We were up on the Kuwait border along Tapline Road for our 2nd training trip in the desert. Once the Air phase began we were pulled back to Camp Eagle II to get our combat load of ammo & equipment and then we were flown out of King Fahd Airport in C130's to some remote airfield and took our positions on the Iraq border.

Redleg is correct. The 24th is when it started for the Army folks for the most part. Although we did take some artillery as well as overwatched an Iraqi Border station maintained by Iraqi soldiers and some elements of the 101st went in a few days early to take out a unit that was along the MSR, the major fighting and movement began on the 24th of February. I still have my OPORD from the 1st offensive operation in my "War Box". Those dates I remember because I wrote them down. Unlike the Air War where we got a radio transmission from the LT saying the "War started".

Oh yeah, one night during the period we were on the Iraq border our M-8 alarms went off around 3 am. We donned full MOPP 4 and did the M-256 kit and it came back positive for nerve agent. We waited a few minutes & did a 2nd 256 kit and that one came back clear. Kind of makes you wonder.....

[redfish]

wmebert, y'all got there about when we did with 24ID. We landed Sept. 3rd in Saudi. We also pulled up on the Iraqi border about Feb. 1st. We were way up north as were the 101st. There were a few skirmishes with Iraqi's and a few patrols into Iraq before G-Day. Wow, we also had our chemical detectors go off in the middle of the night. Twice I think. Nothin' better than being woke up by someone standing over your hole in mopp 4 screamin' GAS GAS GAS!!!

[redfish]

Gettin' close to go day folks! Two weeks and 3 days.