Page 127 - 100 Hours to Destiny

night-vision goggles with me and would put them on and scan the area. I
would stand up and turn a complete 360 and just look. I could see my fellow
Marines of Delta Company, but I couldn’t see everyone. We were just too
spread out; the distance was just too great for the NVGs. So, I just focused
on my area. And again, I prayed for deliverance through the night. One of the
TOW gunners came over the net speaking to another Platoon member.
“Desert Crow, Desert Crow this is Caligula.”
“Roger Caligula send it.”
“Desert Crow call me crazy, but I’ve been looking at this thing for a
couple of hours now and if I didn’t know any better, I think I’m seeing what
appears to be buildings to our direct front…far, far in the distance. Not only
that, but I could swear that I’m seeing small arms fire. Gunfire coming from
two different directions as if there was an opposing force engaging another
force with small arms in what I believe to be housing.”
“Caligula, I’m in a small defilade. I copy your last transmission, but
I’m unable to see what you’ve got eyes on. Be advised, keep a watch on that
and if you see movement in this direction report to Delta 6 Actual.”
“Solid copy.”
As I listened to the conversation between the TOW variants Desert
Crow and Caligula a frigid breeze from the east made me shiver, and I tried
to envision just what that gunner in the turret of Caligula was observing.
From time to time the wind would shift and a unique odor came through the
air, as if it were household garbage…. rotting….would permeate the air
during certain wind conditions. It was perplexing, and again I revisited in my
mind the potential that indeed, we just might be near the capitol…Kuwait
City.
The night was extremely dark, one could look skyward and observe
clouds of smoke blocking out the stars intermittently, then they would clear
and the brilliance of the night reemerged. I was very dirty, covered in oil, I
could feel the petroleum on my face and hands, the smell of petroleum was
so strong, then I realized it was in my mouth too…. I reached for my canteen
and took a drink of water in an attempt to rinse the taste of the ever-present
oil from my mouth – it was futile. Fortunately, the two nuclear biological
chemical suits took the brunt for the rest of my body. Little did we know at
the time the level of contamination we were enduring: For this moment was
all about survival, the protection of your brothers and fulfillment of the
mission.
As the night wore on, I became cold and then colder. Gunny was
resting in his Commander's compartment and the chatter on the net was
minimal. Every now and then a Marine would come over the net and make a