Jan. 13th, '91
0745 In the air, the rotor wash and vibrating hull help still my shakes. Had 'em since finding out we're headed further north. Brigades been ordered to a place called Hafer al Batin. From what I hear, it's a town 'bouts 40 miles from the junction of the Saudi/Kuwait/Iraq triborder, other than that, don't know squat about the place. Rumor # 7569 has it that we're being chopped to 7th Corps. Something's up, I have a bad feeling.
We landed at Al Quysamah airfield outside Hafer al Batin. Word came down the Iraqis are planning a spoiling attack. Bad news! Source is reliable. The axis of advance is straight down the Wadi al Batin, into Hafer al Batin across Tapline road into King Kahlid Military City. Sitting here, I can look out and down into the wadi. It ain't nothing but a big ole shallow canyon. I reckon it's a good five miles from side to side. Orders are to retain the Al Quysamah airfield. This ain't good. This mean's no retreat; hold at all costs! Peay named the wrong place Bastonge.
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2030 We're already into routine: Dig for four hours, pull guard for four hours, rest for four hours, do it all over again. Word is Six Iraqi Armour divisions, including two Republican Guard divisions will be attacking down the Wadi, if this is true we're outnumbered something like 20 to 1 in men and like 1000 to 0 in tanks.
What's really disturbing is that this place is loaded with REMF types, we're the only American combat outfit, supposedly there's an Egyptian Division and a Saudi Brigade at the border. We're counting on the Saudi's fighting hard, there are serious doubts about the Egyptians. Brigade keeps morale up by flying apaches over the Wadi.
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Jan 14th, 1991
0745 It started raining, torrential fucking downpour. If that ain't bad enough, words come down that residents are flocking out of Hafer al Batin. A sure-fire sign that the Iraqis are coming. Word's out - the fan belts are bailing. I'm so scared my asshole's numb. I try to hide it from my squad, I think they're picking up on it. I'm jumpy, I lost my sense of humor.
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1130 7th Corps engineers passed through and are up front digging an anti-tank ditch across the width of the Wadi. We've been so busy digging in primary and secondary firing positions for our TOWS that we haven't even dug our own foxholes. What fun digging in this slop. If there is a God, I pray that this is a fucked up joke. I pray that the Iraqi's aren't coming. I pray this is just someone's sick idea for training.