7TH ENGR BDE COMMANDER REPT VOL 18A

File: 970815_sep96_decls58_0045.txt
Page: 0045
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







               We awaken to a strange overcast day. It should be getting
          lighter but it only gets darker. The wind is blowing the
          oilfield smoke over us. It covers hundreds of square miles.
          Everything smells oily and a dark residue is on everything that
          is exposed. wiping ones face with a tissue reveals just how bad
          it is. I wonder what our lungs look like after breathing this
          heavy air? Probably about the same as breathing dust for five
          months.

               I frequently must fly to visit projects or attend meetings.
          Helicopters are the mode of transportation. In the air the
          desert-,takes on a calmer and smoother look. Tracks from hundreds
          of tankg-'and vehicles are still visible in all directions, for
          miles. As we speed across the desert floor, with doors open, at
          a hundred knots, it is easier to see the Iraqi positions. From
          the air our destruction takes on even greater magnitude.

               The constant vibrations of the helicopter are relaxing and
          the wind often cooler. Everywhere the landscape looks the same.
          Along the roads there are great clouds of choking dust as single
          or multiple vehicles move along. T realize how much I hate sand
          and dust and silently repeat vows to never live in a dusty
          environment. From the air there is another unique occurrence.
          The desert is lightly turning green. It is now spring and in
          many places a light cover of grass is visible. This is not thick
          grass and in fact only from a distance does it give a green
          appearance. we all dream of walking barefoot in soft green
          grass, of rolling around like children in soft, thick, green
          grass. I have not seen a tree in over a month. We are sick of
          the flat, barren, colorless desert.

               An accident occurs near my headquarters. A dusty road and a
          careless driver cause instant death of two engineers. The third
          dies later. I arrive minutes after the mishap. A hugh cargo
          vehicle has literally run over a Hummv. It is a grizzly mishap
          and my soldiers are @@orn to pieces. The Battalion Commander
          Doins me as we grimly pick up the pieces. Medics courageously
          work on one victim but it is a lost cause. I know this because I
          have seen death before - too much death. After the helicopters
          leave I return to my TOC. There are no words to describe the
          heaviness of my heart. Commanders never want to loose a soldier
          but can rationalize death in combat. Commanders can never
          rationalize death from an accident. These were fine young men.
          The had served honorably and courageously in battle. Twenty
          minutes before their death they had talked to loved ones on ATT
          phones giving assurances that they were ok. Twenty minutes later
          I helped wrap them in a poncho. And all because of another
          driver's mistake.



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