May 12, 1991

Today, marks the anniversary of the day that we (members of the 501st MPs) woke up for the last time in Saudi Arabia. We got up, dressed in desert cameo uniforms, gathered our stuff, and ate a quick breakfast. By noon, we were at the airport and boarding a Tower Airlines 747 for the trip home.

Instead of rehashing stories told elsewhere, I took some time and updated the “501st MPs at War” page. I’ve included dozens of new pictures, cleaned it up, and updated stories and added a few new ones.

But as I look back on that date, I can’t help but think about the changes that have happened since.

Almost one year to the day after our return, I’d find myself out of the U.S. Army. It was something forced on me by circumstances of suddenly finding myself a single parent. I’d find myself locked in a war that seemed to dwarf the Gulf War.

But, if there’s one lesson I learned from the Gulf War, it’s all things come to an end. Hard times pass and they become memories that shape us in different ways. Had it not been for the war, I certainly wouldn’t have met a woman who became the Love of my Life. I certainly wouldn’t have dared write my stories, or even considered anyone might be interested in them.

Coming back represents a divide in my life. A death to the old, and a birth to the new.

I will be eternally grateful for the experiences and the men and women who I served alongside.

For the guys in 6th Platoon, here’s a link to download a picture of us. Print it off, hang it on the wall. And when your grandchildren ask, tell them your stories.

This is what you’ll download. A cropped and enhanced platoon picture.