112                                  U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 1990-1991

   After the last Marines were gone from Saudi Arabia, observers noted that the
presence  of     half a million Americans  left the  Kingdom  "remarkably
untouched. i'S2  That would not be the case back in the United States. Without
television and with only a few newspapers to inform them of the tremendous
amount of popular support of them at home during the conflict, few Marines
were prepared for the extraordinary welcoming they received upon their return.
For most Marines, that homecoming was the greatest honor bestowed upon them
for their service in the Gulf conflict.