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The Gulf War (the first one fought back in 1991) can probably be summarized in just a few sentences. The U.S.-led Coalition forces won big. The Iraqi forces lost big. A bunch of oil wells got set on fire. General Norman Schwarzkopf emerged a hero. President George Bush’s approval rating topped 70%.
But I suppose there’s more to it than that…probably a lot more. A lot more than I’m capable of writing.
It’s true that this six-week battle, which ended with a cease-fire on February 28, 1991, was one of the most lopsided affairs in military history. In fact, the term “war” should be used somewhat loosely, because it implies two (or more) enemies fighting against each other. Other than their invasion of Kuwait in August of 1990 (accomplished without much warfare itself), the Iraqis did very little actual fighting. The U.S. and her allies assembled behind their “line in the sand” a staggering array of firepower…and the Iraqis spent most of their time (after January 16, 1991) absorbing it and trying to stay alive.
It’s also true that this was the first conflict where the world was really given a front-row seat to the action. We watched bombs hit buildings. We saw bridges explode in real live color. Cameras on the streets of Baghdad caught cruise missiles in flight, heading towards a target. We watched Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams and General Chuck Horner give briefings, with their maps and pointers. Then we’d see the camera footage. And then there would be endless questions from reporters, most of which the briefer wouldn’t be able to answer anyways. In a developing video-game age, the Gulf War was the video-gamest thing of all.
It’s also true that, occasionally, coalition forces would sustain losses. Aircraft would get shot down, there would be accidents or, more often, incidents of “friendly fire” would cost lives. But only about 400 coalition lives were lost, the most concentrated of those being when a Scud missile hit the barracks in Dhahran.
But unfortunately, it’s also true that, while we “stomped the other guy real good” in this one, there was this sense of incompleteness that hung over the whole affair. Saddam Hussein was still in power. There was a cease-fire, but peace and stability still seemed beyond our grasp. Oil wells were burning out of control. Guys were coming home with strange ailments.
And it’s also unfortunately true that circumstances, little more than 10 years later, would see us back again, fighting another war. And while that war was won almost as easily, with that liberation of Iraq came an occupation and peace-keeping mission that has been far more costly, in dollars and more importantly, in lives lost.
We didn’t see peace on February 28, 1991. We also didn’t see it yesterday, and there’s every possibility it we won’t see it today.
I’m reminded of a lyric buried deep in my music collection, and it seems appropriate, so I’ll share it…
Maybe one day before someday
There will be peace in the land
Maybe one day before someday
We will stand hand in hand
Maybe one day before someday
We will step across the line and love one another
The way we oughtta love
Someday…
