thedrifter
05-05-03, 05:01 PM
Life From the Battlefront
LU grad writes letter to E-G about experiences overseas
By CARL BURNETT JR., cburnett@nncogannett.com
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
Staff Sgt. Kevin Baer had been in the U.S. Marine Corps for 10 years when he returned to Camp Lejeune, N.C., in January 2001 for duty with Battalion Landing Team 2/2, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Nine months later, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit is heading home after seeing action in Iraq. It is expected to return around Memorial Day.
Baer graduated from Liberty Union High School and has two sisters living in Lancaster and his mother in Zanesville.
The deployment started out as a fairly routine mission.
First Stop Kosovo
"We deployed on Aug. 28, 2002, for what we thought would be a regular six-month deployment," wrote Baer in an e-mail to the Eagle-Gazette from the Persian Gulf area.
The first stop was southern Kosovo in Europe, where the Marines deployed in a sector operated by the Germans.
"This was a unique opportunity for us to share American values and culture with people that have been oppressed," Baer wrote. "Every day the locals, especially the children, would come to visit with us and talk. Several times we had to send Marines out of our perimeter to keep them away from where helicopters would land -- the children loved to play in the downwash."
Baer said when he would lead his unit in the daily run and calisthenics, the local children would run with them and do the exercises along with the Marines, keeping count as best they could in broken English.
"They were all very hungry," Baer wrote. The Marines gave the children Meals Ready to Eat, or MRE's.
"We gave them a lot of boxes and you could see children as young as 5 or 6 carrying these large boxes off to their families along with cases of milk and orange juice we gave them," Baer wrote. "It was an experience that I will never forget."
Rerouted to Persian Gulf
After Kosovo, Baer and his unit returned to the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group. The group of ships included the USS Nassau, USS Tortuga and USS Austin. The ships went through the Suez Canal and headed to Djibouti, taking time out for a maritime interdiction of the North Korean ship So San, which was carrying Scud missiles.
For the next three months, Baer was stationed with a small detachment in Djibouti for the next three months. By now it was March 2003 and the Marines were getting ready to return to the United States.
"We were originally scheduled to return to the U.S. about March 15, however, we received notification that our deployment would be extended for about six weeks," Baer wrote. "The personnel in Djibouti flew back to meet up with our ships in the Persian Gulf area."
With the deployment coming to an end, the Marines sent some of the Marines back to the U.S. to prepare for everyone's return. Just about the time the small group of Marines arrived in the U.S., the coalition forces began their attack on Iraq. The advance parties in the U.S. were turned around and headed back to the Persian Gulf.
Into Iraq
Once the Marines entered Iraq, Baer's unit started conducting security patrols, setting up vehicle checkpoints and making raids on Ba'ath Party Headquarters.
"We were able to capture several Iraqi city and village leaders and members of the Saddam Fedayeen, who were mostly just local Ba'ath party leaders," Baer wrote. "Once we established (a vehicle checkpoint), we were able to interact with the local (people) on an individual level as we had to search each person and vehicle."
Baer said some people became offended and irritated, but most were understanding and cooperative.
"It was apparent that most of the children were understandably scared," Baer wrote. "I quickly realized that if I removed my sunglasses and wore a smile, that helped put them at ease a little."
Baer said they would give the children candy from their MRE's.
"While they liked this, what they wanted most was water," Baer wrote.
At the checkpoint, taxi drivers complained of the delays caused by the searches.
"Our checkpoint was taking too much time and impeding with his ability to transport several vans full of people from Baghdad to various cities in the south and thereby causing him to lose money," Baer wrote. "Despite his irritation, (the taxi driver) thanked us for liberating his country and offered to bring us anything we needed from the stores in the city. (The taxi driver) told me that he hated Saddam because Saddam had killed his father and brother after forcibly taking them from their home in the middle of the night."
Cars and trucks came through the checkpoint with coffins on top and injured people in them and while the Marines had only limited medical supplies, they tried to help.
"Our Navy corpsman only had enough (medical) supplies to treat us in case we were injured, however on several occasions I had them treat some of the sick and injured," Baer said.
One teenager came through with dirty bandages wrapping a hand and when the corpsman treated it, the found second- and third-degree burns from a fire on his hand and forearm.
"All of these people were fleeing Baghdad to be with family in the southern cities or were just trying to get away from Saddam's regime," Baer wrote. "I learned from working at this checkpoint that the Iraqi people are very modest and family-oriented."
Baer also said the people of Iraq were glad to see the Americans.
One raid on a Ba'ath Party office that held a weapons cache ended with a large crowd gathered outside the compound. Marines added to their security perimeter and heard the crowds chanting.
"Once I was outside, it was clear how much relief we had provided," Baer wrote. "They all cheered and sang, stuffed flowers in the equipment we were wearing and thanked us saying, 'We love America'."
Many of the people came forward with information about the Ba'ath party people and locations.
"It was readily apparent that the Ba'ath party terrorized the people of Iraq, forcing them to live in compliance through fear," Baer wrote. "On every convoy, the streets were lined with citizens waving and cheering."
Living conditions
Baer said the living conditions in Iraq for the Marines were not the most pleasant.
"Before we left the ship, we were ordered to wear chemical protective suits. These suits were much hotter than our normal camouflaged utilities," Baer wrote. "Temperatures rose well over 100 degrees, while we patrolled, dug fighting positions and constructed road blocks."
At night the temperatures went down to the 60s, forcing Marines to wrap-up in sleeping bags and sweatshirts.
"As our clothing dried, white salt stains appeared on our shirts and pants from sweat," Baer said. "We were not able to shower for 23 days. If we had time and enough water, we considered ourselves lucky to pour a canteen over our head and arms to some of the dirt off us. A moist towelette, provided in every MRE, was our main source of hygiene."
Mail came, but only intermittently.
continued.......
LU grad writes letter to E-G about experiences overseas
By CARL BURNETT JR., cburnett@nncogannett.com
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
Staff Sgt. Kevin Baer had been in the U.S. Marine Corps for 10 years when he returned to Camp Lejeune, N.C., in January 2001 for duty with Battalion Landing Team 2/2, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Nine months later, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit is heading home after seeing action in Iraq. It is expected to return around Memorial Day.
Baer graduated from Liberty Union High School and has two sisters living in Lancaster and his mother in Zanesville.
The deployment started out as a fairly routine mission.
First Stop Kosovo
"We deployed on Aug. 28, 2002, for what we thought would be a regular six-month deployment," wrote Baer in an e-mail to the Eagle-Gazette from the Persian Gulf area.
The first stop was southern Kosovo in Europe, where the Marines deployed in a sector operated by the Germans.
"This was a unique opportunity for us to share American values and culture with people that have been oppressed," Baer wrote. "Every day the locals, especially the children, would come to visit with us and talk. Several times we had to send Marines out of our perimeter to keep them away from where helicopters would land -- the children loved to play in the downwash."
Baer said when he would lead his unit in the daily run and calisthenics, the local children would run with them and do the exercises along with the Marines, keeping count as best they could in broken English.
"They were all very hungry," Baer wrote. The Marines gave the children Meals Ready to Eat, or MRE's.
"We gave them a lot of boxes and you could see children as young as 5 or 6 carrying these large boxes off to their families along with cases of milk and orange juice we gave them," Baer wrote. "It was an experience that I will never forget."
Rerouted to Persian Gulf
After Kosovo, Baer and his unit returned to the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group. The group of ships included the USS Nassau, USS Tortuga and USS Austin. The ships went through the Suez Canal and headed to Djibouti, taking time out for a maritime interdiction of the North Korean ship So San, which was carrying Scud missiles.
For the next three months, Baer was stationed with a small detachment in Djibouti for the next three months. By now it was March 2003 and the Marines were getting ready to return to the United States.
"We were originally scheduled to return to the U.S. about March 15, however, we received notification that our deployment would be extended for about six weeks," Baer wrote. "The personnel in Djibouti flew back to meet up with our ships in the Persian Gulf area."
With the deployment coming to an end, the Marines sent some of the Marines back to the U.S. to prepare for everyone's return. Just about the time the small group of Marines arrived in the U.S., the coalition forces began their attack on Iraq. The advance parties in the U.S. were turned around and headed back to the Persian Gulf.
Into Iraq
Once the Marines entered Iraq, Baer's unit started conducting security patrols, setting up vehicle checkpoints and making raids on Ba'ath Party Headquarters.
"We were able to capture several Iraqi city and village leaders and members of the Saddam Fedayeen, who were mostly just local Ba'ath party leaders," Baer wrote. "Once we established (a vehicle checkpoint), we were able to interact with the local (people) on an individual level as we had to search each person and vehicle."
Baer said some people became offended and irritated, but most were understanding and cooperative.
"It was apparent that most of the children were understandably scared," Baer wrote. "I quickly realized that if I removed my sunglasses and wore a smile, that helped put them at ease a little."
Baer said they would give the children candy from their MRE's.
"While they liked this, what they wanted most was water," Baer wrote.
At the checkpoint, taxi drivers complained of the delays caused by the searches.
"Our checkpoint was taking too much time and impeding with his ability to transport several vans full of people from Baghdad to various cities in the south and thereby causing him to lose money," Baer wrote. "Despite his irritation, (the taxi driver) thanked us for liberating his country and offered to bring us anything we needed from the stores in the city. (The taxi driver) told me that he hated Saddam because Saddam had killed his father and brother after forcibly taking them from their home in the middle of the night."
Cars and trucks came through the checkpoint with coffins on top and injured people in them and while the Marines had only limited medical supplies, they tried to help.
"Our Navy corpsman only had enough (medical) supplies to treat us in case we were injured, however on several occasions I had them treat some of the sick and injured," Baer said.
One teenager came through with dirty bandages wrapping a hand and when the corpsman treated it, the found second- and third-degree burns from a fire on his hand and forearm.
"All of these people were fleeing Baghdad to be with family in the southern cities or were just trying to get away from Saddam's regime," Baer wrote. "I learned from working at this checkpoint that the Iraqi people are very modest and family-oriented."
Baer also said the people of Iraq were glad to see the Americans.
One raid on a Ba'ath Party office that held a weapons cache ended with a large crowd gathered outside the compound. Marines added to their security perimeter and heard the crowds chanting.
"Once I was outside, it was clear how much relief we had provided," Baer wrote. "They all cheered and sang, stuffed flowers in the equipment we were wearing and thanked us saying, 'We love America'."
Many of the people came forward with information about the Ba'ath party people and locations.
"It was readily apparent that the Ba'ath party terrorized the people of Iraq, forcing them to live in compliance through fear," Baer wrote. "On every convoy, the streets were lined with citizens waving and cheering."
Living conditions
Baer said the living conditions in Iraq for the Marines were not the most pleasant.
"Before we left the ship, we were ordered to wear chemical protective suits. These suits were much hotter than our normal camouflaged utilities," Baer wrote. "Temperatures rose well over 100 degrees, while we patrolled, dug fighting positions and constructed road blocks."
At night the temperatures went down to the 60s, forcing Marines to wrap-up in sleeping bags and sweatshirts.
"As our clothing dried, white salt stains appeared on our shirts and pants from sweat," Baer said. "We were not able to shower for 23 days. If we had time and enough water, we considered ourselves lucky to pour a canteen over our head and arms to some of the dirt off us. A moist towelette, provided in every MRE, was our main source of hygiene."
Mail came, but only intermittently.
continued.......