Foreword

This anthology of articles follows in the tradition of an earlier publication of the History and Museums Division, The Marines in Vietnam, 1954-1973: An Anthology and Annotated Bibliography. As with the Vietnam anthology, the purpose of this anthology of articles from the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Marine Corps Gazette, Field Artillery, and Washington Post; messages and briefings from senior officers; and accompanying task organization, chronology, and bibliography, is to serve as an interim reference for use within the Marine Corps and for answering inquiries from other government agencies and the general public concerning Marine activities and operations in the Persian Gulf, until the History and Museums Division completes an intended series of monographs dealing with the major Marine commands in the area. The 26 entries comprising this anthology provide a general overview of Marine involvement in the Persian Gulf conflict. The first five focus on the Marine Corps' contribution to the American effort to defend Saudi Arabia-- Operation Desert Shield. The second group concentrates on the Marine Corps' role in the liberation of Kuwait--Operation Desert Storm. Within these two sections, the entries have been organized to progress from the highest level of organization, the Marine Expeditionary Force, to the lowest, the platoon, squad, and individual Marine. The last three entries deal with the aftermath of the war, and issues raised during the war. Also included is an appendix consisting of an annotated bibliography of articles that appeared in the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Marine Corps Gazette, and Naval War College Review, from October 1990 to December 1991. While excellent articles pertaining to the Persian Gulf have been published in many other periodicals, due to the limitations of time and resources the History and Museums Division confined its attention to the three aforementioned publications. Finally, two additional appendices, one showing the task organization of I Marine Expeditionary Force in February 1991 and another giving a chronology of significant events involving Marines in the Persian Gulf from August 1990 to June 1991, have been included. I wish to thank the editors of the Proceedings, Gazette, Field Artillery, and Washington Post for their cooperation in permitting the reproduction of their

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