I was just a little kid in '91 and really didn’t have much of a concept of what war was, what it had been, or what was it was going to be. I think I had a pretty good knowledge of history at the time and was familiar with the wars that had preceded the one we were going into. Thinking about that now, I’m surprised that I can’t remember how I felt back in '91. Shouldn’t that have stuck with me? I really can’t remember if I was scared or what.
What I do remember is a kid down the street in the same grade as me. His dad was in the Army Reserves and was sent over. I think he flew a helicopter, I think.
I don’t remember if there was an increase in flags like there was after the September 11 attacks. I don’t remember watching CNN when they apparently made a name for themselves showing the night time bombing. I do remember the Super Bowl, and the increased fanfare that went along with it. I remember the flags on sports teams’ uniforms. I remember buying bubblegum cards of the army and would get cards of Stormin’ Norman and Colin Powell. I remember yellow ribbons on trees. I remember having the feeling that war was high tech, and didn’t even realize soldiers were on the ground, in combat.
I heard the war had ended waiting outside for school to start. This kid was running around saying how the war was over. He lived on my street, and I didn’t think he was that reliable so I didn’t really believe him. I don’t remember when I found out for sure that the war had ended. The reason I remember the kid running around sticks with me (I can still see him dancing around swinging his backpack through the air) is because how impossible it seemed. Everything I knew about war had led me to believe that the Gulf War would be long and drawn out, but it wasn’t. I wonder if I should be more afraid of the current war and if I’m not because I have no memories of an extended conflict. On top of that, the only memories I have of the Gulf War was how fast it was.
For everyone that realized what was going on in '91 what was it like? I don’t remember any protests going on. Did people know that the war would be fast? Was there a sense of fear? What was it like the first time around? How did it compare to other war-time experiences like Vietnam, Korea, and WWII?