thedrifter
05-21-08, 05:57 AM
The long road home
By Scott Bandle
Anthony Smith remembers the huge flies that swarmed the troops in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
"These flies would look for moisture and go to the corners of your eyes and your mouth," said Smith, 48. "When you ate some food, they'd attack and try to eat your meal. It was disgusting."
Andy Kiefer of Bellefontaine Neighbors remembers the desert heat in Iraq during his deployment from 2004 to 2005.
"The temperature outside would be 140 degrees," said Kiefer, 26. "Inside our security vehicles, it would be 170 degrees. We had to wear knee pads. If we touched metal, the heat would go through our pants and burn us. We were always drinking water."
Jon Askins, 26, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, is proud of his duty in Iraq. The Marine served in 2004 as a camp guard.
"Am I glad I did it?" he said. "When I look back, I'm proud. Saddam Hussein treated many of these people very badly. They were happy to see us."
By recalling some of the hardships they faced in the Middle East, these men hope people will remember on Memorial Day the American veterans who were and are in that area.
"For Memorial Day, I want people to recognize the sacrifice the military makes to keep the country free," said Smith, commander of American Legion Post 335 in Spanish Lake and a Bellefontaine Neighbors alderman. "I want veterans to be remembered."
These three North County residents share similar experiences, but they also saw differences in their tours.
Smith was a gunnery sergeant with the Marine Corps. His unit handled missiles and bombs, transporting them to jets every day. The unit was stationed in Saudi Arabia while allied troops prepared to take Kuwait away from the Iraqi army.
Besides dealing with heat, flies and tough living conditions, his unit lived next to the ammunition dump that stored missiles and bombs for the fighter jets. "We were over there for about six months," Smith said. "It became a routine. The bombs are made of steel, so they would be very hot."
The living conditions were difficult to tolerate. The tents were hot, and the was food terrible. The men had to burn human feces to clean the tubs used in the latrines. Mixed with diesel fuel, the fires sent a terrible smell that hung over the camp, Smith said.
Despite the conditions, Smith wanted to be there.
"You're always excited when the time comes," Smith said. "It's what you're trained to do. You want to be part of it."
The decade-plus since Desert Storm made a difference in the experiences Kiefer and Askins had. For starters, they both agreed that the food was good.
"We'd have steak and lobster on Friday," Kiefer said. "For breakfast, we could have pancakes, waffles, bacon and eggs."
Some of the camps offered a variety of meals and had Subway, Burger King or other fast-food restaurants. Some places had swimming pools. Many of the troops saw movies just a week after they were released in the United States.
"I also played a lot of (video games)," Kiefer said. "I got really good at Halo 2 and the Tiger Woods golf video."
However, the danger remained.
Kiefer, a staff sergeant with the Illinois Army National Guard, was a member of the 1344th East St. Louis guard unit attached to the 1644th Transportation Company. The unit delivered supplies from Kuwait to camps throughout Iraq.
During his yearlong tour, Kiefer drove about 55,000 miles with his unit on 34 missions. He sometimes traveled to the Turkish border or as far east as Iran.
The threat of roadside bombs was always present. On Feb. 9, 2005, one killed a friend, Jessica Housby of Milan, Ill. She was riding in a truck in the front end of the convoy.
Keifer, who had first-aid training, went to her side. Housby was put on a helicopter, but it was too late.
"I saw a lot of (improvised explosive devices) go off," Kiefer said "You try and keep an eye out for them. Sometimes, they'd be hidden inside an animal carcass. When you're going 60 miles per hour, it's hard to see them. All you can do is your job and hope you're lucky."
Askins had guard duty at his camp's gate. His team would check vehicles for bombs.
"It was strange," Askins said. "Car bombs exploded in other places, so you didn't know. When we first got there, we saw four IEDs go off. We couldn't identify who did it."
His unit also dealt with incoming mortar rounds.
"After a while, you almost got used to it," Askins said. "Sometimes, you'd sleep right through it. It rattled the newcomers."
Despite these experiences, Askins didn't waste any time settling into a normal routine when he returned home.
"I got back home Oct. 10, 2004, and I was back in class Oct. 19 at Missouri State University," he said.
He now works at Worldwide Technologies and was recently elected to the Riverview Gardens Board of Education.
Kiefer graduated from Southern Illinois University in 2007. He works for the downtown Hilton Hotel.
Smith eventually retired after 20 years with the Marines. He is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Gundaker.
All three men follow the current events in Iraq.
"It's constantly evolving over there," said Askins, who also is in the Marine Reserves. "Guys in 2008 will have a different story than guys in 2006 or 2004."
Kiefer has mixed feelings about Iraq. He's not surprised the conflict continues.
"I really saw some benefits," he said. "We built roads and helped improve conditions. Some of the kids went back to school. In my travels, I met some Iraqis who wanted to spit at me, while others invited me into their houses. It seems to vary from town to town."
Memorial Day celebrations
Bellefontaine Neighbors
10 am. Monday at Klein Park, Bellefontaine and Chambers roads.
Bellefontaine Neighbors, American Legion Post 335 and the Santa Cruz Knights of Columbus will host the 10th annual event.
Special guests will include the U.S. Rangers, Infantry Battalion, D Company-Living History Re-enactors. They will be in authentic uniforms.
After the ceremony, all guests are invited for refreshments at Post 335, 11896 Raymond Ave. in Spanish Lake.
Florissant
10 a.m. Monday at Cold Water Cemetery, 15290 Old Halls Ferry Road, 1.5 miles north of Lindbergh Boulevard.
The Missouri States Society Daughters of the American Revolution will host a Memorial Day ceremony. Events include flag and memorial services, historical re-enactors, guest speakers and a 21-gun salute.
Woodson Terrace
9:30 a.m. Monday in John L. Brown City Park.
The ceremony is at the Robert D. Madden Veterans Memorial.
Ellie
By Scott Bandle
Anthony Smith remembers the huge flies that swarmed the troops in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
"These flies would look for moisture and go to the corners of your eyes and your mouth," said Smith, 48. "When you ate some food, they'd attack and try to eat your meal. It was disgusting."
Andy Kiefer of Bellefontaine Neighbors remembers the desert heat in Iraq during his deployment from 2004 to 2005.
"The temperature outside would be 140 degrees," said Kiefer, 26. "Inside our security vehicles, it would be 170 degrees. We had to wear knee pads. If we touched metal, the heat would go through our pants and burn us. We were always drinking water."
Jon Askins, 26, of Bellefontaine Neighbors, is proud of his duty in Iraq. The Marine served in 2004 as a camp guard.
"Am I glad I did it?" he said. "When I look back, I'm proud. Saddam Hussein treated many of these people very badly. They were happy to see us."
By recalling some of the hardships they faced in the Middle East, these men hope people will remember on Memorial Day the American veterans who were and are in that area.
"For Memorial Day, I want people to recognize the sacrifice the military makes to keep the country free," said Smith, commander of American Legion Post 335 in Spanish Lake and a Bellefontaine Neighbors alderman. "I want veterans to be remembered."
These three North County residents share similar experiences, but they also saw differences in their tours.
Smith was a gunnery sergeant with the Marine Corps. His unit handled missiles and bombs, transporting them to jets every day. The unit was stationed in Saudi Arabia while allied troops prepared to take Kuwait away from the Iraqi army.
Besides dealing with heat, flies and tough living conditions, his unit lived next to the ammunition dump that stored missiles and bombs for the fighter jets. "We were over there for about six months," Smith said. "It became a routine. The bombs are made of steel, so they would be very hot."
The living conditions were difficult to tolerate. The tents were hot, and the was food terrible. The men had to burn human feces to clean the tubs used in the latrines. Mixed with diesel fuel, the fires sent a terrible smell that hung over the camp, Smith said.
Despite the conditions, Smith wanted to be there.
"You're always excited when the time comes," Smith said. "It's what you're trained to do. You want to be part of it."
The decade-plus since Desert Storm made a difference in the experiences Kiefer and Askins had. For starters, they both agreed that the food was good.
"We'd have steak and lobster on Friday," Kiefer said. "For breakfast, we could have pancakes, waffles, bacon and eggs."
Some of the camps offered a variety of meals and had Subway, Burger King or other fast-food restaurants. Some places had swimming pools. Many of the troops saw movies just a week after they were released in the United States.
"I also played a lot of (video games)," Kiefer said. "I got really good at Halo 2 and the Tiger Woods golf video."
However, the danger remained.
Kiefer, a staff sergeant with the Illinois Army National Guard, was a member of the 1344th East St. Louis guard unit attached to the 1644th Transportation Company. The unit delivered supplies from Kuwait to camps throughout Iraq.
During his yearlong tour, Kiefer drove about 55,000 miles with his unit on 34 missions. He sometimes traveled to the Turkish border or as far east as Iran.
The threat of roadside bombs was always present. On Feb. 9, 2005, one killed a friend, Jessica Housby of Milan, Ill. She was riding in a truck in the front end of the convoy.
Keifer, who had first-aid training, went to her side. Housby was put on a helicopter, but it was too late.
"I saw a lot of (improvised explosive devices) go off," Kiefer said "You try and keep an eye out for them. Sometimes, they'd be hidden inside an animal carcass. When you're going 60 miles per hour, it's hard to see them. All you can do is your job and hope you're lucky."
Askins had guard duty at his camp's gate. His team would check vehicles for bombs.
"It was strange," Askins said. "Car bombs exploded in other places, so you didn't know. When we first got there, we saw four IEDs go off. We couldn't identify who did it."
His unit also dealt with incoming mortar rounds.
"After a while, you almost got used to it," Askins said. "Sometimes, you'd sleep right through it. It rattled the newcomers."
Despite these experiences, Askins didn't waste any time settling into a normal routine when he returned home.
"I got back home Oct. 10, 2004, and I was back in class Oct. 19 at Missouri State University," he said.
He now works at Worldwide Technologies and was recently elected to the Riverview Gardens Board of Education.
Kiefer graduated from Southern Illinois University in 2007. He works for the downtown Hilton Hotel.
Smith eventually retired after 20 years with the Marines. He is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Gundaker.
All three men follow the current events in Iraq.
"It's constantly evolving over there," said Askins, who also is in the Marine Reserves. "Guys in 2008 will have a different story than guys in 2006 or 2004."
Kiefer has mixed feelings about Iraq. He's not surprised the conflict continues.
"I really saw some benefits," he said. "We built roads and helped improve conditions. Some of the kids went back to school. In my travels, I met some Iraqis who wanted to spit at me, while others invited me into their houses. It seems to vary from town to town."
Memorial Day celebrations
Bellefontaine Neighbors
10 am. Monday at Klein Park, Bellefontaine and Chambers roads.
Bellefontaine Neighbors, American Legion Post 335 and the Santa Cruz Knights of Columbus will host the 10th annual event.
Special guests will include the U.S. Rangers, Infantry Battalion, D Company-Living History Re-enactors. They will be in authentic uniforms.
After the ceremony, all guests are invited for refreshments at Post 335, 11896 Raymond Ave. in Spanish Lake.
Florissant
10 a.m. Monday at Cold Water Cemetery, 15290 Old Halls Ferry Road, 1.5 miles north of Lindbergh Boulevard.
The Missouri States Society Daughters of the American Revolution will host a Memorial Day ceremony. Events include flag and memorial services, historical re-enactors, guest speakers and a 21-gun salute.
Woodson Terrace
9:30 a.m. Monday in John L. Brown City Park.
The ceremony is at the Robert D. Madden Veterans Memorial.
Ellie