7TH ENGR BDE COMMANDER REPT VOL 18A

File: 970815_sep96_decls58_0041.txt
Page: 0041
Total Pages: 49
Subject = 7TH ENGR BDE COMMANDER REPT VOL 18A                             

Parent Organization = ARCENT      

Unit = VII CORPS   

Folder Title = 7TH ENGR BDE-COMMANDER REPT-VOL 18A -FORWARD AND COMMANDERS PERSPECTIVE                         

Document Number =          1

Box ID = BX000313







               Night falls and although a cease fire is in effect we do not
          relax our security. The Iraqi forces are still around, still dug
          in in places and may not have the word to quit. At 2200 hours
          the guards inform me that probable enemy is sighted to our
          northeast, range 2000 meters. I quickly move inside the bradley
          to use the magnified infrared night sights. Sure enough there
          are two groups of men, moving silently in the darkness. The
          sights easily distinguish them. They are moving around, going in
          and out of bunkers in the area. They are armed. As they move
          within 1000 meters of our perimeter a bradley is moved forward
          with an Arabic speaker. We ask them to surrender. They hesitate
          then begin to run away. Since our rules of engagement in the
          cease fire prohibit our engaging them unless they indicate
          hostile threat, we let them go. They are watched for four hours.
          At dawn they surrender 3000 meters away. They are hungry, tired,
          and scared. This was a good occurrence. No one would got
          careless on guard duty.

               A reconnaissance is made of the roads leading to Kuwait
          City. Working eastward there are engineers everywhere clearing
          burned or destroyed vehicles off roadways. Intelligence
          analysist are busy checking bunkers, recovering maps, documents
          and other enemy items of value. Friendly tanks and artillery are
          repositioning, and everywhere there is a bustle of activity as
          logistics forces move fuel, spare parts, ammunition, food, and
          water around the battlefield. Giant forward logistic bases are
          quickly established.

               Moving eastward I am appalled by the destruction and
          carnage. We have truly destroyed his Army. Ahead there is a
          wall of black stretching across the horizon as far as the eye can
          see. I have never seen anything like this. Slowly we enter this
          wall. The visibility drops as does the temperature. There is a
          heavy oily smell. It is 1200 hours, midday, and it is like
          driving at midnight. The landscape takes on a view like a
          strange science fiction movie. The source finally becomes
          visible. Hundreds of oil well fires! Hundreds.of boiling black-
          orange flames shooting high into the sky each producing dense
          black smoke. Iraq has blown up the Kuwait oil fields. It is the
          most awesome spectacticle I have ever seen. We join others who
          have stopped, starring in disbelief. It is almost too much to
          comprehend. Day has turned to night. The heavy black cloud
          covers hundreds of miles of sky. Fortunately, today, the winds
          are out of the west and the black wall is blowing into the Gulf.
          I wonder what will happen when the wind comes from the East?





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