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thedrifter
03-02-09, 08:36 AM
Rell honors Gulf War veterans
By Meredith Blake
STAFF WRITER
Posted: 03/01/2009 07:58:46 AM EST

When Greenwich resident Chris Hughes, 40, served on the front lines in the first Gulf War, he witnessed the devastation and human toll Iraqi forces waged on Kuwait.

Whether it was evidence of torture, or the presence of chemical munitions, the Marine participated in a different kind of war that is often misunderstood by the American public, he said.

He recalled his experiences Saturday, which Gov. M. Jodi Rell declared Gulf War Veterans Day in the state. The special state day is proclaimed every year on Feb. 28, since that is the day that marks the official end of the war in 1991, which began when then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ordered forces to invade Kuwait in August 1990.

"It's just really a way for Gov. Rell and the state to show how proud we are of the men who served," said Adam Liegeot, spokesman for Rell.

The state has been honoring Gulf War veterans annually since 1995.

Hughes, who joined the Marines in 1987, spent a year in Iraq, starting in September 1990. His platoon traveled around the region in search of enemy forces, at times enduring extreme conditions, he said. But he knew why he was there and was proud to serve, he said.

"American warriors fight not because he hates the person in front of him, but because he loves what he has left behind," he said.

The Gulf War was different than other previous wars, he said, in which enemies were clearly defined by violations of treaties.

"It was black and white back then," he said of conflicts that preceded the Gulf War. "But as society becomes more complicated, what is good and bad becomes harder to define. It's changed the whole dynamic of war."


Hughes organizes many veterans' events in town, including the Memorial Day service held at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club every year. Although he was not aware that Rell had made her proclamation, he said it was a nice honor for veterans.

"By highlighting, it helps people to remember it," he said.

Greenwich Police Officer Sean O'Donnell, 39, who returned from his second tour of duty in the current Iraq war last year, said he served with many soldiers who fought in both conflicts and has tremendous respect for them.

"I think it's wonderful that Gov. Rell is acknowledging the sacrifices that young women and men have made," he said.

Although area veterans' groups held no formal events to celebrate this year's occasion, many acknowledged the importance of remembering the veterans not just of the Gulf War, but of all wars.

"It's a big boost for veterans so they don't feel forgotten," said Doc Orrico, quartermaster of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10112 in Cos Cob.

"Anything the state does for vets is a good thing," he said.

Town resident Carl Pierson, who served in the Navy during the Korean War, said it's important that all veterans be recognized.

"Most wars, even the Gulf War, is a forgotten war," he said. "It should be recognized."

Ellie