"During the actual battle,(Reaching Highway 8 and turning East),Jim was on my vehicle. I remember while advancing forward at one point we were getting incoming mortars. I had timed everything just right on the movement and right after we pulled out of the position, it got hit with shells. I distictly remember Jim's eyes were as big as tires as he tried to figure out how I knew the exact time to move. He was as white as a ghost."
--Doug Heaton--
"The day of the cease fire we had just completed a halt after moving all day and most of the night prior. 2/7 Task Force had been ordered to conduct a halt and we were ordered to establish a screen line forward about 10K in front of the Task Force. We all pulled out our radios and listened to BBC. President Bush was on and he was declaring an immediate cease fire. We could hear cheers being yelled out across the desert. We knew we were going home soon. I broke out my Saudi propane stove and started brewing coffee. Mezger and the rest of the crew removed their kevlars and we all were giving each other high fives. I looked out into the desert and I saw several guys breaking out the homemade port-a-poties we had made and they settled into the plastic half barrel to make themselves more comfortable. Suddenly in the distance we hear BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. The whistling sound of incoming and the explosion following at first did not register. Heck, we were in a cease fire mode! Then again BOOM, BOOM, BOOM rumbled out of the desert to our direct front. Again the distinct whistling sound of incoming bore down on us. Three explosion landed in our close proximity and all began yelling out "INCOMING! . One of those on the homemade pot took off running back to his HMMWV with his pants around his ankles. All the rest of the night these three round volleys distrubted our short lived cease fire."
--Steven Mulig--
"Couple of weeks before we crossed the border we were assigned to rotate out with the Infantry Companies to observe an outpost across from the Saudi town of Nisab. Under our watch, we never saw any activity in or around the Iraqi outpost. We did observe a pack of dogs, about ten in all, that would roam back and forth across the border. The Infantry companies would report eight to ten Iraqi soldiers were roaming back in forth across the border. Due to the lack of confidence in our Scouting abilities, the chain of command decided to drop a copperhead into the outpost to clean it out. The morning after the copperhead was launched into the outpost Lt Allen was given the mission to take pictures of the BDA (Battle Damage Assessment). He was given a Polaroid instamatic camera to accomplish the mission. The outpost was approximately 700-1000 meters on the other side of the berm dividing the two countries of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. With this type of camera you have to be real close in order to get a good picture so, Lt Allen called upon A Section to escort him across to capture the photos that the HQ wanted. We did just that. We cleared the route to the outpost. We cleared a shed and a small trench line around the outpost. We then entered and cleared the building. The damage was nothing more than a huge hole in the side wall where the copperhead penetrated. We then moved to the top of the building where the Iraqi Flag was solo flying on the flag pole. Myself, SFC Chatelain, and Lt Allen lowered the flag and retrieved the flag for proof of our clearing the building. We took the required pictures and returned safely back to the Saudi side of the border. Lt Allen then called the HQ and informed them of the mission being completed and of the capture of the Iraqi Flag. We were ordered instantly to report to LTC Ware with the flag. We were chastised for crossing the border and taking the flag. The reason for this was that B Company 2/7 Infantry had a mission laid on that night to raid the outpost and take out the Iraqi patrol that was supposedly there and we had jeopardized there mission. LTC Ware retained the Flag and later we were told that he personally gave it to MG McCaffrey. The history books went down to say that B Company captured the flag but in reality we, the Scout Platoon, took that Flag. There are photos of the Flag in the photo section of this web site."
--Steven Mulig--
"I have a little story for you. As you know I work for a resort. In this resort we have a large exclusive housing area. Part of my job is to provide any of our residents with personal security should they request it. This includes if they are travelling. Well one of my Principals is non other than Gen. Swchartzkopft. I have been in is home numerous times and was always intrigued by an Iraqi flag that was framed and hanging from his living room wall. The last time I was over there I asked him where he got it. He tells me that it was given to him by Gen. McCaffrey after the cease fire. I told him the story of how that flag was captured. As the General is not a very trusting person, he had doubts that I knew what I was talking about. So I brought him the newspaper article that Kim's (Steven Mulig's In-Laws) parents sent. He was in shock. It truly is a small world. So if anyone is wondering where the flag went, it is here at the resort. I am also enclosing a pic of the General and myself."
--Jim Mezger--
