ANTHOLOGY AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY                                          2OS

opinion.   No one could afford to hear it either.       Ask Mrs. Dyer what a
hypocrite is.
   If Saddam Hussein controlled most of the world's oil, imagine the power he
would have.   Look at what be has done to his own people.    Children near your
age are forced to carry machineguns and fight.     Since Russia is going through
great changes, the United States is the only country in the world with a military
force strong enough to stop his plan of controlling the oil.   There are many
countries that do not have the money to buy enough oil if it gets too expensive.
Already, countries that need oil for heating during the winter have many
freezing deaths, mostly children.      Do we let Saddam Hussein indirectly kill
people all over the world?       No, we do not!  I am a Marine, and I will stop
Saddam Hussein. You can be very proud of your Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and
Airmen who are here in Saudi Arabia.      We know what we have to do, the risks
to our lives, and how important to the people of the world that we be successful.
   Now that I hope I have answered your hardest question, I will answer the
rest of them.  Several of you wrote, "Is it hot? " I am from Florida and thought
95 degrees at the beach was hot.       Since I got here 59 days ago the average
temperature has been 115 degrees with the high being 120 degrees.    At first it
was unbearable.   It is like looking into the oven to see what is for dinner, but
it stays that hot all the time.  Since my unit is from Twentynine Palms, CA, my
Marines already know how to survive in the desert.      You must force yourself
to drink large quantities of water, even if your stomach hurts.  Just like a car
dies when its radiator leaks out its cooling water, so do humans.   I consider
myself a professional, and I put a great deal of pride into what I do, but the heat
makes you slow and hesitant to work hard. We were forced to sleep all day and
work all night to keep from killing anyone.   Now we are all so used to working
in 115 degrees that 90 degrees feels like winter is just around the corner.  It is
now starting to get very cold at night and soon it will be freezing at night. They
will be issuing winter clothing and sleeping bags to us soon.  All the Marines
here really appreciate how wonderful America is now that we have been here
so long.
   Many of you asked where I sleep.       I sleep right on the sand. I recently got
a 1/2-inch-thick air mat in the mail that I sleep on.  Since there is nothing but
soft sand where we are, I do not worry much about rocks in my back. We have
no tents, and since it does not rain here, we do not need them.    However, I
have woken up recently wet from the dew that forms at night.     Things dry up
in minutes when the sun comes up.       I actually sleep very well and have gotten
quite used to the ground.      I do miss my pillow though; my neck hurts when I
wake up.     If you see pictures of tents in Time magazine, remember I am a
Marine.    The Army has much more money for tents, cots, and other such
comforts.  Besides, me and my Marines are doing fine and would rather spend
taxpayers' money on more weapons than unnecessary personal comforts.
   You asked in your letters if there were lots of people, houses, stores, and
hotels.   Since my Marines are not allowed to associate with or use Saudi
facilities, we really never see anyone.    For hundreds of miles in every direc-
tion, there is nothing but rolling sand.   I have driven through three cities that