January
fifteenth, 1991, has been burned into my memory. It was the day the mission
changed from “Desert Shield” to “Desert Storm” and the Middle East was forever
changed.
I sat on the front line, starring across the berm which separated Iraq
from Saudi Arabia to watch the first strikes from coalition aircraft and the
far away flashes from strikes and explosions. The world was attacking Iraq,
they had been warned and yet they chose to hold their ground in Kuwait and
defend their decision. As I stared out
from my armored vehicle, I thought to myself, what it might be like for those
who were receiving the bombing. The soldiers had not made a decision to invade
a sovereign nation, they were only following orders from their commanders and
to now follow orders would have meant a quick and painful death. What did it
feel like for them to watch their fellow soldiers be blown apart within their
armored vehicles and other vehicles around them take a hit as they waited for
their turn to receive steel on steel. What did it feel like for the commanders,
watching from afar as they listened to the terrifying radio messages coming
from the field and then silence? This day was just the beginning of future
horrors to come as the steel rain poured down upon them. Civilian men being
grabbed off the street and bused to the front lines without shoes or weapons
only to receive limited support as the coalition forces hammered their supply
lines and positions with the constant rain of steel.
Their casualties were heavy, ours were few
except for the sights, sounds and the smell of war that will forever be burned
into the memories of those who served. Twenty-six years ago, the world went to
war in the Middle East and it is now more dangerous than ever. What did we
prove, beating a population over a brutal dictator’s decision? Our nation points
fingers at countries and decry the lack of human rights but what has the world
done to the Middle East because of our choice to stand up for a wealthy nation
who chose not to defend itself?
Desert Storm
is just a faint memory for many and the younger generation has no recollection of
the great leaders who orchestrated the operation. We, as a nation, have created
the “Hell on Earth” in the Middle East. We won the battles, we can stand proud because
we completed the task of eviction only to lose the war on human rights by
creating a cancer now eating away the personal securities we once had. So what
does it feel like…?
