I’M OFF TO A WAR ZONE – KUWAIT – JUNE 1991

As I did throughout my career, once I was focused on and committed to an assignment. I pretty much lost sight of everything else around me. To say I developed tunnel vision was, perhaps, an understatement. My whole life became the job and all else seemed to fade in importance. I was so damn lucky to have a partner that jumped in and shouldered all of the family responsibilities. That made it easy for me to focus in on my work, at the exclusion of all else. I would say, looking back, that I was probably not the best husband or dad during these periods.

It is hard to understand now when I look back on that part of my life, that I could get so single minded of purpose. At the exclusion of normal life around me. In a way, I expect it was that trait, which made them want me for this type of situation in the first place. I suppose I was much like a bull in some ways. My mantra was “lead, follow or get out of the way”. Because once turned loose I just kinda plowed thru or over the obstacles in front of me, but never around. That may sound a little self serving. But I think it is a pretty honest and accurate description of my work ethic. Anyway, I jammed all of my gear together and headed for San Fransisco. In order to see, what all of the fuss was about.

And indeed I soon found out!. We were prodded, pricked, twisted and run. Then, we were evaluated, examined and questioned. After that we were instructed, frightened and molded. Once a certain point was reached we were deemed fit to travel into Kuwait. There, to join those, already there, to see what we could do to try and normalize a very destructive situation. We were given a lot of information in order to prepare us for what we would encounter. We were warned of the dangers and prepared for what we would encounter. However there was nothing they could say, or show you, that even comes remotely close to the real thing.

Ok off we go, on another plane destined for our staging area in Dubai. In Dubai we stayed at the Chicago Beach Hotel, which to this time was the nicest and fanciest hotel I had ever stayed in. It was huge and very opulent. I could have easily just stayed there and watched the others go to work. (A note: this hotel was the nicest, largest, most exotic hotel I ever lived in, to that point in my travels. A few years after my stay, they raised this hotel to the ground and replaced it with the Burj Al Arab, shaped like a sail and the world’s only 7 star hotel at that time). Another round of tests, some more information and then “come on guys saddle up, your asses are headed to Kuwait City, good luck”.

It all somehow, seemed like a dream, I just kinda plodded along with the rest. This was yet another example of something that my big mouth had no part in getting me into.

Accompanied by all of my gear, we board a flight to Kuwait City. There were no scheduled flights into Kuwait, at this time, so all personnel movements into and out of Kuwait were done by charter. As we progressed along the coast of the Persian Gulf you could start to see an area of, what appeared to be, heavy cloud in the distance. As we got closer and started our descent, we entered this thick black cloud of smoke and for the last 10,000 feet of descent we were in complete darkness shrouded by a thick black, roiling smoke.

I remember this being, quite focusing. It was to late to resign and get out of this mess, so I just had to grind my teeth and do the best I could to help the pilots control this landing, using the pedals on the floor under my seat. I liked to have worn a hole in the floor, I pushed so hard on my imaginary brakes. Truly, I can say that I saw nothing coming into the airport, no lights, no runway, nada, but all of the sudden with a huge jolt and a large screech we found the runway. I was happy for that, crapping myself that I was now here, apprehensive, nervous, and not looking forward to the job ahead.

As luck would have it, I was sitting in seat 1 and would be the first off the plane. I can say that I was starting to feel a bit itchy and sticky. Well we wait for a while and eventually the door opens and the steward, invites me to get off. I step out onto a loading ladder and immediately withdraw back into the plane. It was so hot when I went outside, I thought the plane might be on fire. I get shoved from the back and out I go again. Geezus, you gotta be kidding me. It’s dark, smoky, smells like oil on fire, and HOT. I found out later it was 123 degrees F when we unloaded.

We left the plane and gathered in a group at the bottom of the steps. We were met by a gentleman from British Royal Ordnance who was tasked with telling us “how it is”. He starts out by saying, forget all that shite they told you in San Fransisco. It means squat out here. For example they have told you that there are about 600,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance laying around out here. Well let me correct that. “THERE ARE MORE LIKE 6,000,000 PIECES OUT HERE”, he yells at the top of his voice. “They are all over!” “You over there” and he points at one of our guys “you bloody fool, you could be standing on one as we speak”, or “you”, “you” and he points at our feet. “They could be anywhere you walk”!

I notice our loose group is now tightening up a bit and drawing itself into close proximity of our new teacher. “You are all going to die if you don’t watch where you step, each and every minute”. “We will go into the work areas with you each day and sweep the area to insure it is clean. We will tape it off for you so you know it is safe to work in”. “Now you idiots, listen up, we will sweep each work area, every day, because if the wind blows at night and the sands shift, a whole new set of mines or unexploded ordnance can be exposed.”

All I can think is MMMAAAAMMMMAAAA, get me out of here. “Now get on the bus and let’s find you a place to sleep”. I noticed our line-up was very “tight” and steps were very “light”, and away we went into the aftermath of the war zone. Just writing this scares the crap out of me all over again!