Ask Lemmy

I'm a Gulf War veteran. While you would think that the conflict theatre would have be a life-shaper it was three events that happened immediately afterwards that truly shaped who I am today.

The first was days after we departed the conflict area. Given an opportunity to disembark for a day prior to setting sail out of the Gulf several of us had opportunity to "hit the malls" in UAE. As we were leaving we were approached by a group of men near our own age. They were Kuwaiti university students. Up until that moment we were just a bunch of tired jarheads looking to pick up a few creature comforts for the trip home. The enthusiastic thank you from these gentlemen for our assistance in "liberating their home" made us realize that despite any politics that may have brought us there, we did a good thing. We touched some lives in a positive way.

Weeks later our expeditionary brigade stopped moving across the Bay of Bengal for reasons unexplained. We sat for days with little information until it was announced that we were being diverted north to Bangladesh. What would become known as Operation Sea Angel was a response to one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in history. We spent the next several weeks engaged in humanitarian efforts, removing debris, distributing food and rendering aid, twelve to sixteen hours a day, every day. Being close to these people, seeing the pain and misfortune that was inflicted upon them through no fault of their own other than they lived in a certain geography, was a profound experience. We were once again able to touch lives in a positive way.

Only weeks later we finished up three overly-drunken days of liberty in Olongapo City, Philippines and then boarded up for the remaining float to Honolulu and then finally, San Diego. Only days after we departed we were advised that Mount Pinatubo had erupted. While we never returned it is my understanding that the Olongapo and the Naval Base at Subic Bay were mostly devastated. The thought that the vibrant city we had just departed was gone, in an instant, is still something that I think about to this day.

I left the Corps in '92. I felt I had done all that I needed to do there. I have since spent the remainder of my life in civil service of one form or another. I'll never be rich, though I'll be able to retire at a reasonable age. Most importantly, however small it may have been, I know I've done some good.