What Does it Feel Like

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…?