AAR 1ST MARDIV IN SWA

File: 970725_dec96_decls34_0073.txt
Page: 0073
Total Pages: 130
Subject = AAR  1ST MARDIV IN SWA                                          

Parent Organization = MCCDC       

Unit = WDID        

Folder Title = AFTER ACTION REPORT 1ST MARINE DIVISION IN SOUTHWEST ASIA   WDID SWA 0073                       

Document Number =          1

Box ID = BX600145



                                UNCLASSIFIED






              The following article is offered as i'nput to LtGen Boomer's
              request.for interesting ite6a that may have -happened during
              the liberate Kuwait exercise.

                   The let Battalion, 12th Marine -o received'.& Kuwaitee
              national, honorary rank of Lieuteitant, prior to Operation
              Desert Storm. This officer was assigned for purposes of
              interpretation should the unit take Iraqi prisoners or meet
              up'with Kuwaitee nationals/resistance fighters. During the
              actual offensive, the Battalion took many enemy prisoners of
              war and Lt Saud was extremely valuable in the interrogation
              of the prisoners and identification of Iraqi Officers.
                   After the Battalion had moved to the Kuwaitee
              International Airport area and a cease fire was ordered, Lt
              Saud requested to go into Kuwait Ci.,ty to see what damage had
              been done to his home. We received'clearance to go into the
              city and Lt Saud led a convoy of two HMWWV's with the
              Battalion Commander, Sergeant Major, Headquarters Battery CO,
              First Sergeant, 2 Drivers and 2 riflemen. After we cleared
              Lt Saud's home (reports from local Kuwaitees indicated Iraqis
              were still present in some of the homes), we saw that the
              Iraqis had totally demolished the interior.   Not one thing
              was left in intact.
                   As I waited on the street while Lt Saud  took inventory,
              two Kuwaitees came up to us. Both were well   dressed, one was
              a doctor who had to continually escape from the Iraqis for
              fear of being shot. The elder Kuwaitee told me that 50,000
              Kuwaitees died in.Kuwait City and 1.0 to 20,000 Kuwaitee women
              had been raped; but all that was not worth one American life.
              He further said that they would not kill Iraqi prisoners
              because that would bring them down to the Iraqi level. Had
              Iraq invaded the US and committed the same barbaric acts, I
              wonder how restrainted we could be.
                   The other Kuwaitee had a little girl on his right side
              and they were holding hands. He told me his daughter (I
              believe'her name was Mo6na and she was 3 1/2 years old) had
              seen her mother and brothers killed and left on the6street
              for three days. She was wearing a black outfit with red,
              green and white design on the shirt (that I recognized was
              the colors of the Kuwaitee flag). She had a beautiful face
              and as I reach for her hand to say 'hi, what's your name
              sweetheart?' She looked up at me with her big dark eyes, took
              my hand in her little soft hand and said *thank you.' I was
              kneeling by then and I felt my eyes water because it was
              obvious to me she knew what had happened and I have two
              daughters, age 5 and 9 months. The First Sergeant, my
              drive-, and I were greatly moved.
                   If anyone ever wants to know why we fought the egression
              of Iraq, that was why!


                                             R.-W. Rivers
                                             .:LtCol BNCO 1/12
                                  UNCLASSIFIED