December 25, 2020

“Of Christmas Past”

By Jim Culp

It is a bright and sunny morning here in Kansas City, Missouri. It was 9˚F when I woke up at about 8:30, and now at 10:37… it is a balmy 16˚F. The sun is shining though, and it’s another winter day.

But today is special to some of us, and I don’t mean Christmas. We remember a day 30 years ago, when we arrived in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. We were the bridge builders of Echo Company, First Engineer Battalion. My platoon had an acting platoon sergeant, and a green to the gills First Lieutenant. I was a young sergeant (E-5), and was barely just the age of 24. I had left the previous morning, and kissed my one-year old baby Jessi and my wife goodbye. I hitched a ride with one of my buddies, Todd Comstock; to head up the hill to our unit. It was a cold morning, and a few inches had fallen the previous night. We flew for hours and hours that seemed like years. I think Brent Ellis has a great account of the flights and times.

Here we were in Dhahran, a city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The monarchy of this kingdom had long ties to the current president, George Bush. The King had been promised protection from the Iraqi Army, who was now occupying Kuwait; a tiny nation to the northeast that had more oil than porcupines have quills. My section was made up of about 11 or 12 guys. We had three Sergeants, and most of the troops had been with us for a while. We had some green-horns, but all of them performed pretty damned well despite the circumstances.

These men were and still are my brothers. I would put any of them up against the best that anyone has. They endured some hard stuff, and definitely endured some of the stupidest shit that the Army could possibly dish out to a group of troops.

I know each and every one of them to this day, and am proud to call every one of them my brother.

-Jim

RIP Michael J, Walmsley, SGT, USA

-Jim  

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 December 24, 2020

It’s a beautiful morning here in West Missouri. It’s sunny, and 15˚F. We had really bad wind the last 30 hours or so. I am very happy to be alive and in relatively good health. I am also thankful that I it’s not 1990.

30 years ago today, we were preparing to leave for the Middle East. We would be part of Operation Desert Shield, the defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a very short time. We’d then move into Northern Saudi Arabia and Southern Iraq as part of Desert Storm.

When you have experienced something like this, you’re very glad to 1) have made it back alive, and 2) to live in relative freedom when you return home. I say it this way, because if the citizens of the USA don’t start working to change/remove/replace our current system of government, we won’t know freedom much longer. The government envisioned by the Founding Fathers no longer exists, and it is time for us to revitalize a third party, the Reform Party. Whether you like Donald Trump or Joe Biden, you’re voting for the same crooked and broken system. This system of quid pro quo in the Congress, as well as the ability of the President to appoint judges that are his cronies; needs to be cast away like last night’s stale beer bottles.

May you have a blessed 2021. If you have loved ones out of country in service, may they return home to you, like I did in 1991 and 2004. Please heed my words; the time is coming when there will be no turning back.

-Jim  

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