Did you serve in the Operation Desert Shield campaign back in 1990???

jkulysses

jkulysses

Joined
Dec 8, 2010
Messages
2,348
If so then I have something for you. It's not much and doesn't have a lot of value but it is a good functional knife that would make a great user. It appears to be brand new and looks and feels very much like a Schrade 8OT. Old Cutler was Colonials premium line that was created to compete with Schrade. I have several and they are very nice knives. I just feel it would be better off with somebody that actually served in this particular campaign as it would have much more meaning to that individual. As a veteran myself I just know how much something like this would mean to another veteran that was actually there and was willing to fight and die to protect the people of Kuwait and their fellow brothers they were fighting alongside.

Rules:

- Must have served in the middle east during the Operation Desert Shield campaign.

- First person to post that they served during this campaign and what they remember the most about their time served there wins the knife. Pics are always welcome as well! :)

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Not an entry because technically I was only there for Desert Storm, but want to thank all who served :SALUTE:

I made it late to the party (but did get there) while stationed aboard the USS Bainbridge CGN-25, as part of the USS Eisenhower CVN-69 battle group. When the first gulf war broke out, we were already on deployment for counter narcotics operations in the Caribbean and were therefore delayed getting to the gulf.

My chest candy showing Desert Shield/Desert Storm campaign ribbons

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I was an Intel soldier 98C stationed at Goodfellow AFB During both Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I hated that I couldn't join those that were there. Thank you for your service.
 
I was in middle school then, but thank you to all who served during that time. Lots of health issues sustained from those oil fires, among others.
 
Not an entry - I don't really qualify. I was aboard ship on a Med float when Desert Shield started. Got back from that, and was told I was going back over. But pretty sure I got there during Desert Storm officially.

I was a radio tech with a DASC (Direct Air Support Center). Woke up every morning hearing the bombs going off north. They were pounding them good. We went into Kuwait the day after the breach. Remember riding in the back of a 5-ton with about 3 layers thick of sandbags in the bed. I had to take a leak so bad I thought I'd float away during the trip up. Watched 5-tons full of POWs headed back south.

We got some ways into Kuwait at an airport and settled in for the night. I slept under my poncho draped from the front end of a Hummer. Woke up the next morning to EOD blowing up cluster bombs that were unexploded all over the place there.

Setup our comm gear and monitored radio nets that day. By noon it was darker than night. But by then it was pretty much over. We tore down without ever controlling any aircraft I think, and headed back.

I did get to look around some there, and saw bunkers where the Iraqi soldiers slept. Mattresses and blankets on the floor. AK-47s all over the place.

Pretty sure my desert cammies still have oil spots on them from the stuff in the air.
 
Not an entry , ,I got on the boat the day they called cease fire . Left the gulf the next day .BB63
 
I was a Navy Corpsman with 1st Bn 6th Mar during Shield /Storm. Not an entry but I wanted to say that it was an honor and a privilege to serve.
 
I went over with 101st Airborne out of Fort Campbell Ky. We came off our aircraft at around 3am in September, and it was already hot on the tarmac.

I looked up at the sky, and the stars could have belonged to a different planet as far as I could tell. In that moment it really sunk in where I was and why.

I have never before or since felt so completely out of place.

The next several months only served to reinforce my initial impression, that, and to demonstrate how inadequately we were prepared for the environment there.

Deployment with tents and vehicles all in forest green does little to hide your presence, and attracts heat on a sunny day like no other.

One thing for sure, it all looked the same for as far as you could see on a clear day, and it really made me wonder how people could tell where borders were, and why they would fight over it in the first place.

It gave me a new appreciation for things I previously took for granted, like toilet paper, electricity, food that wasn't an mre, and running water. First thing I did when I got home was take two showers a day, and probably did for at least two weeks straight.
 
bonky said:
I went over with 101st Airborne out of Fort Campbell Ky. We came off our aircraft at around 3am in September, and it was already hot on the tarmac.

I looked up at the sky, and the stars could have belonged to a different planet as far as I could tell. In that moment it really sunk in where I was and why.

I have never before or since felt so completely out of place.

The next several months only served to reinforce my initial impression, that, and to demonstrate how inadequately we were prepared for the environment there.

Deployment with tents and vehicles all in forest green does little to hide your presence, and attracts heat on a sunny day like no other.

One thing for sure, it all looked the same for as far as you could see on a clear day, and it really made me wonder how people could tell where borders were, and why they would fight over it in the first place.

It gave me a new appreciation for things I previously took for granted, like toilet paper, electricity, food that wasn't an mre, and running water. First thing I did when I got home was take two showers a day, and probably did for at least two weeks straight.
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Winner. Thanks for your service.
 
bonky said:
I went over with 101st Airborne out of Fort Campbell Ky. We came off our aircraft at around 3am in September, and it was already hot on the tarmac.

I looked up at the sky, and the stars could have belonged to a different planet as far as I could tell. In that moment it really sunk in where I was and why.

I have never before or since felt so completely out of place.

The next several months only served to reinforce my initial impression, that, and to demonstrate how inadequately we were prepared for the environment there.

Deployment with tents and vehicles all in forest green does little to hide your presence, and attracts heat on a sunny day like no other.

One thing for sure, it all looked the same for as far as you could see on a clear day, and it really made me wonder how people could tell where borders were, and why they would fight over it in the first place.

It gave me a new appreciation for things I previously took for granted, like toilet paper, electricity, food that wasn't an mre, and running water. First thing I did when I got home was take two showers a day, and probably did for at least two weeks straight.
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Well Russell first I want to thank you for your service! I think this knife belongs to you if you want it. :) Just shoot me an email and I could get it shipped out today.

Thank you to everybody else that has commented or shared a story in this thread! I served in the U.S. Army from 99' through 03' so I luckily never had to go to war but we did lots of training in the desert of California getting ready for war, especially after September 11th, 2001. I was in 1/41 Infantry for most of my time stationed at Fort Riley, KS but I did get attached to 2/70th Armor for a few months which is a tanker unit. Learned a lot and also had a lot of fun while I was in. Met some of the best and worst people while I was in as well. :)
 
Thank you to John and Jake both for your kind words. A mighty fine knife and a stockman (my favorite pattern!) to boot!
I certainly appreciate the generous offer, but didn't intend my post to be an entry. Besides, as much as I would like to accept it, I would like to read some other DS/DS veteran's experiences and perspectives. I'm sure there are more of us out here, am I right?
 
I have no intention of shutting this thread down and would love for more DS/DS veterans or any veteran from any country to share some of their stories and experiences but according to the rules of this GAW you now own this knife Russell so send me your address already so I can get it sent off to it's new home. :)
 
I ended up in Korea putting down student riots that year. But I've done three tours over this past 10 years so it all evens out.
 
jkulysses said:
I have no intention of shutting this thread down and would love for more DS/DS veterans or any veteran from any country to share some of their stories and experiences but according to the rules of this GAW you now own this knife Russell so send me your address already so I can get it sent off to it's new home. :)
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I know better than to disagree with a tanker, you guys are harder to budge than an M1 Abrams :)
Seriously, I'm honored to receive it and will place it next to the Uncle Henry 885UH that I carried while I was there. That same 885 also went on a deployment to Iraq with a close buddy for good luck. I'm not saying that it worked for sure, but they both made it home safely ;)

Thank you very much.
 
My hat is off and my heart is covered for all who served our great Nation. Bless all of you. An American.
 
Old Hunter said:
Well said, and says it all!
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Amen Colonel. I was a little long in the tooth for Desert Shield (USMC - Viet Nam '65-'66) but I can appreciate the sacrifices made by those who were there. It matters not whether you stood off shore on a ship providing support, spent time in theatre but never fired a shot or were in the thick of it, ALL made sacrifices.

All gave some. Some gave all.
 
DS/DS and deployed, I kept hearing about guys in my company in the process of getting a divorce or breaking up with a girlfriend. So I did an informal survey and found about 70% of those with a significant other (so didn't include single guys Lol), were going through a breakup. I was shocked. At a time when a service member needs family and relationship support the most and with so much already going on ... it was an unwanted distraction at times. Deployments are tough on relationships. Back then ... no email and computer stuff with folks back home. Everything was snail mail, a rare phone call or the occasional INMARSAT call where ham radio operators in the U.S. acted as go betweens and hooked a phone up to their radio and whomever you were trying to call ... so the calls weren't private and it took a little practice for the parties on each end to talk without confusion ... saying "over" at the completion of each turn talking and the ham radio go between operator listening carefully enough to key his mic at the right times.

It got HOT most days. Some of our days were up to 115*F. Anything below 110* (every degree mattered) was a downright cool spell. But interestingly, it wasn't near as bad as it could have been maybe somewhere else. There, humidity is 0.0%, so it was a very dry heat. I didn't sweat so much as I thought I would (I'm from the deep south) or it evaporated so quickly because of no humidity ... but every breath I took was like I imagine breathing in an oven at that temp might be. Lots of hot air.

I've never seen so many Sea Snakes in any of the oceans I've been in, as I did in the Persian Gulf. I didn't expect to look overboard and see snakes !!!
 
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