European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday october 23, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3 crisis lit the Gulf s o legionnaires claim desert operations help them unwind in saudi Arabia apr the Camp of the fabled French foreign legion is in one of the bleakest stretches of desert facing the iraqi Border a Flat hard terrain with no Dune or tree to interrupt the horizon. Movement on the Flinty surface releases great Clouds of Fine Reddish dust that Billows into the air. There a not even an Oasis swimming Hole for recreation but that does no to weaken the spirit of the legionnaires. A there will be plenty of time to swim when we reach the Tigris and euphrates a said it. Col. Michel Germain whose men Are poised to Advance to the legendary iraqi Rivers if necessary. A we were trained to go anywhere do anything in the worst experience shows. When a mortar platoon packs up to move in a a a Flash Drill the Only noise is the barked commands of the officers and the Clang of Metal on Metal As the weapons and 120mm shells Are slapped into place on the armoured vehicles. In two minutes the position is completely erased. Aside from the weapons company there Are three companies of Rifleman the so called a killers of the last 300 meters a among the 1,042 men of the 2nd foreign legion regt. The total French continent numbers 4,000, including an infantry regiment and 42 helicopters All under saudi command at Headquarters in Riyadh. The legionnaires look different from most of the tens of thousands of troops in the multinational forces deployed in saudi Arabia. They Are older on average. There is no flab. Legionnaire John Garcia 20, departed his native Bronx n.y., eight months ago and signed on for five years. He had left the . Army in disgust after two years in Korea. A i wanted the real thing a he said. A they have All the commercials and stuff but when you go through it its really nothing. Its Slack. There a a lot of red the legion is no longer the last Refuge of criminals. Candidates Are carefully vetted before undergoing intense training at Camp de la Courtine in Nimes France a John Garcia 20, from the Bronx n.y., left the . Army to join the foreign legion. 90 Miles West of Marseille. The 60 nationalities at the Camp have been folded into a unified Force through the training. All Learned French the language of their orders. All have experience in Chad Guiana Djibouti or other former French colonies. Most appear eager to fight Iraq. A we need operations like this from time to time to unwind a says Cpl. Adrian tape 35, originally from the Ivory coast. They train constantly trying to get a sense of distance in a land without reference Points. A sweat saves blood a Germain said. The troops have a penchant for exotic headgear. Some Heads Are swathed in Long scarves like those of the bedouins with Only their Ray ban sunglasses exposed. Others Wear Burlap strips for camouflage that look like dreadlocks. In Camp the men pass the time playing cards. The company commanders share tents with the men. The legionnaires have heard reports of morale problems among the american troops. A a they be lost their discipline a Garcia Marine has experience at sitting waiting a Marine it. Steve Kirtley talks while sitting under camouflage Protection in the saudi desert. In Eastern saudi Arabia a this is Marine it. Steve Kirtley a second time in a Middle East crisis with no rotation Date out. But last time As a hostage in Iran he was less confident of getting Home. A i done to understand Why some of the younger marines Are so set on going Home right away a said Kirtley of Little Rock Ark., shaking a close cropped Blond head that is fit for a recruiting poster. At 32, he leads a combat Supply company. On nov. 4,1979, he was asleep at the Marine guards quarters at the . Embassy in Tehran when 5,000 iranians stormed the Walls and seized the 52 americans inside. As a Young Corporal he spent 444 Days helping Calm others while he was just As worried himself. It has made him a better Man he said but he still does not like waiting around. A i sit and i think about the waiting a he said of his experience now in the desert. A a it a kind of like being a hostage. We re Here and we done to know when the hell we re going Home. But we have it a Little better. At least i know in a going after Iran Kirtley lectured to potential recruits. He decided to be a Drill instructor in san Diego. Then he was accepted for officer training at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He was stationed in Hawaii and Camp Pendleton Calif. For the last 62 Days he has been within striking distance of the iraqi Border with the 1st Marine expeditionary Force. Kirtley is a movie makers Marine 200 pounds of sculpted bulk with Corn coloured hair on a sunburned neck. As a football player he performed As a lineman for the University of Florida including a Gator bowl. Strict saudi customs done to bother him. He does no to drink anyway and says his wife a letters Are All the female companionship he needs. Kirtley a past has made him a celebrity among the older hands. For most younger marines americans last hostage crisis is vague history. A they want to know about it a he said. A they ask what happened what i did How it mostly Kirtley is concerned with getting freight on the Road. His trucks move ammunition water food and fuel to Marine units scattered across a wide sweep of arabian Sands. He Speaks proudly about How the service support group has driven 500,000 Miles while moving 27 million pounds in two months. Kirtley a unit is better off than some with hot food and a Small Post Exchange nearby. Outside his camouflage netting tent a smaller shelter is jokingly labelled in Large letters a a Hob a a in a luckier with a company to command a he said. A i can sit around at night and worry about things. It keeps me he also thinks about the occasions he is missing. His birthday was oct. 18. His wedding anniversary was aug. 23. Asked if he had a word for his Mother in Little Rock Kirtley allowed himself a rare Brief smile. He replied a Tell her a i mom. In a doing a Little better than the last time i was Here and i Hope to be Home a Gulf Mission is personal affair for Captain by David Tarrant staff writer with the . Forces saudi Arabia a even before he was deployed to operation desert shield capt. . Weintraub found himself personally involved in the persian Gulf crisis. Just after Iraq invaded Kuwait on aug. 2, the member of the 8th inf div in bad Kreuz Nach Germany got a Call from his sister in Law Gail and his brother Alvin of Little Rock Ark. Gail a brother had been a maintenance technician with an american aircraft company in Iraq for two years when the Gulf crisis erupted. After trying unsuccessfully to Call her brother from the United states Gail wondered whether Weintraub could try calling from Germany. But when Weintraub called Baghdad Iraq that evening an operator told him that she make a connection. He had simply hoped to pass along a message that his family was thinking about him and wondering if he was All right. Soon afterwards Weintraub himself was deployed to desert shield and attached to the staff of the 12th aviation brigade out of Wiesbaden Germany. In the meantime it has become apparent to the Weintraub family that Gail a brother is probably a hostage in Iraq one of the thousands of westerners Saddam Hussein likes to refer to As his Weintraub is aware of the irony of possibly being involved in military action that could endanger the life of Gail a brother whose name he did not want published for Security reasons. But the 29-year-old native of Palm Beach fla., is upbeat that a peaceful Resolution to the crisis can be found. A the Bottom line is Faith in the system a Weintraub said. A personally i done to think we re going to have a fight. But if we have to fight i feel the government has thought it out so carefully Well be Able to save their lives and execute our Mission. Weintraub is also confident that the state department is continuing to exhaust All of its resources to help free the hostages held in Iraq and Kuwait. Gail a brother a is being Well taken care of in a confident of that a he said. A i think he has food and he has but Weintraub also knows personally that no amount of reassurances can replace a letter or a phone Call from a loved one. He left behind his own family in Germany his wife Kathleen and his two daughters Melissa 2, and Patti 7 months. A they write me every Day a he said
