One of my favorite pictures, this polaroid shot is of several members of the night crew posing for one of my infamous "Kodak Moments." We are gathered around a Sea-Bee (naval engineer) built picnic table near a line of hootches (tents) at ASP #3 near Al Mishab, Saudi Arabia. Back row: Quinn, Cerqua, Artus, and Villegas. Front row: Colicioppo ("Oppo") and Gulnac. All corporals but Artus (a sergeant). These guys were the best, and funniest Jarheads I ever had the privilege of working with. Quinn was a take-no-prisoners laugh riot, who would do ANYTHING for a laugh--but also knew how to take care of his ammo. Cerqua, a second-generation Marine, had a dry wit and a sharp mind. Villegas could turn any day into a comedy session--or story hour--but he knew his ammo backwards and forwards. Oppo was the funniest man in country. A native New Yorker he had no problem turning every situation into its own private joke--brilliant guy. Gulnac, a little more reserved than the rest, but a great man--he could drive any fork any time, and picked up Ameslan like a first language.

May 1991, one of our last times together.

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Another shot of the ARAMCO party. They knew how to take care of a gaggle of hungry jarheads. Chips, cookies, hamburgers, hot dogs, candy, soda. They couldn't pass it out fast enough. As you can see there was a lack of "casual wear" among the Marines. You had a few desert uniforms, a lot of forest uniforms, and your PT (Physical Training) gear. Blue jeans and T-shirts? Not many.

I remember working up a major tan once I got to ASP#3. The war was over, and during the 12 hours off we got practically every day, there was letter writing, eating, and beach volleyball.

ASP #3 (Al Mishab) April 1991.

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And what do you do after you win a war and your wife has a baby while you are gone?

You go to Disney World! Corporals Emminger show off their baby bunny, Brittany. Emminger could have been more proud of that sweet little girl, but we would have had to smack him...

Disney World Summer 1991.

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Breakfast! Hot out of the metal container with a sprinkling of sand!!

Nothing says loving like a spoonful of rice and some mystery meat at 0600.

A Marine would drive a hummer (chow truck) around with breakfast "food" and plates all over the vast ASP (Ammunition Supply Point). By the time he covered the acres of sandy berms the temperature of the "food" was right around that of dorm pizza.

But it was still better than MREs (Meals Ready to Eat--also known as the three lies).

ASP #3 1991.

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Did I hate Saddam for setting fires to the oil fields? Well, it was a stupid move on his part, to be sure. But it was hardly the 10-year ecologic disaster the tree-huggers predicted. And it did show the world that he was no master tactician, just a ruthless thug.

Being so close to the fires, the smoke provided a bit of relief from the hot sun. I did hate the fact that the white Japanese cars the civilian inspectors used were spotted with pin prick sized oil stains. I figured I was breathing it too.

Those green conex boxes were used to store ammo and tools used by American, civilian inspectors. They went over each large round for tests to see if the unused, undamaged stuff was suitable for shipping back to the States. If the ammo did not pass, we destroyed it. Loudly. That cream colored structure behind the conex boxes was the quoinset building that was constructed to keep the civilians out of the oppressive Saudi sun. Everyone else could fry.

ASP #3 April or May 1991.

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