Saddam Hussein called the 1991 Persian Gulf conflict the “motherof all battles,” implying that the death toll would be enormous. Itwasn’t.

The only thing the “mother of all battles” gave birth to wasmassive Iraqi retreats and surrenders. This would indicate that asecond ground assault on Iraq may have similar results. Hussein isstill not popular and continues to rule tyrannically, not a goodcombination to inspire loyalty in the troops.

However, while the 1991 campaign succeeded magnificently infreeing the Kuwaiti people from his unlawful rule, the order wasnever given to cross into Iraq. The Iraqi military may very welldecide to stand when it is their own homes they fight toprotect.

I don’t believe anyone expects this second campaign to be aseasy. Militaries traditionally fight a lot harder within their ownborders than without.

Add to this that allied intelligence analysts believe Husseinwill use civilians to form “human shields” at major militarytargets, and it could prove to be a very deadly campaign for theIraqi people at the very least.

Freedom does not come without a price and, unfortunately,sometimes that fee can be very costly.

I was there during Operations Desert Shield/Storm as a part ofthe 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, assigned to Task ForceRipper. I joined a force of Humvees mounted with TOW missilelaunchers, used to kill tanks. We disembarked from the ships themorning before the ground war started and swept into Kuwait.

Some memories of the next few days are as clear to me now asthen.

Among the members of our unit, we joked about the “Great KuwaitiRoad Race.” We were not part of the initial assault, and the Iraqiforces were withdrawing so fast we could not catch up to the front.So, for us, it was a race to see who would get to the Iraq-Kuwaitborder first.

When it became clear we would not beat them to the border, wewere detailed to eliminate “pockets of resistance,” military slangfor when an opposition unit gets left behind by its support and thefront moves past and behind it. These pockets can raise havoc amongallied support and rear elements if left unattended.

Allied morale during the 1991 campaign was high.

At some point during our travels in Kuwait we passed an Iraqigovernment road sign, obviously intended as propaganda, that statedIraq had the world’s 3rd largest army. Some enterprising serviceman had crossed out the “3rd” and replaced it with “4th.” Behindhim another service man had Xed the “4th” and put “6th.” Additionalservice men had followed behind and continued the process until thesign was filled with crossed out numbers. The last service man toadd to the sign simply wrote,”What army?”

I can only hope and pray that service men today will be askingthemselves that same question now that President Bush has given theorder to invade.

Write to Scott Tynes at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, Miss.39602.