To VII Corps Veterans and Families on Veterans Day and National Veterans and Military Families Month 2024
On behalf of our VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans Association Board and the President of our Association, COL (RET) Mark Rado, my wife Denise and I want to wish all our VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans and your Families all the very best this Veterans Day 11 November 2024 and in this National Veterans and Military Families Month November 2024.
Each year near Veterans Day I am reminded that we got the order to deploy to Saudi Arabia, except for eight of us,actually no notice from President George H. W. Bush’s address to the Nation on 8 November 1990, just three days before Veterans Day. It essentially was like those monthly Lariat Advance alerts we did every month during the Cold War to keep us razor sharp combat ready. Only this time we were going to Saudi Arabia as the offensive attack option in case Saddam Hussein would not retreat from Kuwait. That makes this of course our 34th Anniversary year.
As all of you know as well as I do, we would execute what would be a totally new mission against a new enemy on different terrain and organized differently than our Cold War VII Corps with US Army units from Germany and the USA and British units from the UK and Germany. All that plus we were to leave our Families in our forward deployed locations in Germany. That no notice start required enormous initiative and adaptation by individuals, units, and Families in our new Corps. You made that happen like the great professionals you were and now proud Victorious Veterans of mobile armored combat. Then we located to the desert, made our plans and did our rehearsals, got desert smart and desert tough and ready to attack, to fight and win. Then together in this new VII Corps team we executed our historic and rapid 250-300 kilometer 89-hour mounted five-division armored combined arms attack as part of the Coalition 24-28 February 1991, and liberated Kuwait. Then together and in accordance with the values of who we are and the values we stand for we executed what turned out to be an unpredicted over six-week humanitarian mission to include moving over 8,000 Iraqis who wanted out of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq to a temporary refugee camp our Engineers built in Saudi Arabia. Time for me does not dim at all my memory of what a great team we were together, the largest armored corps ever fielded by the US Army in combat.
We fought and won together the largest tank battle in the history of the US Army in southeastern Iraq-northwestern Kuwait as documented by the US Army War College. That is a fact. Your courageous and selfless service to our Nation accomplished all that in VII Corps with the greatest combat skill gained from our intense battle focused razor-sharp training, and then with your courage, discipline, battle command leadership, extraordinary initiative, teamwork, will to win, and yes, sacrifice in execution. You were magnificent.
Our grateful appreciation as well to our Families who served with their own brand of courage, those in the USA, UK, and those staying in already forward deployed locations in Germany, the first time that ever happened. All of you made a difference when it counted.
We also honor and remember, as we do at our annual Reunion Memorial Service, when we call each individual name then wait in silence, the sacrifice of those 111 of VII Corps who in President Lincoln’s words, ‘gave that last full measure of devotion’ and their Families who continue to endure the pain of their loss.
I ask we remember those serving today as well, who continue to deploy to the Middle East as needed, land, sea, and air as our Nation stands with Israel and their actions in defense of their nation and people,and as we also protect and defend our forces already stationed and serving in that region as well as those in Europe and the Far East in the Pacific.
As these years have passed, I continue to treasure our wartime service together in VII Corps even more strongly and remain honored to have been your commander. Denise and I both admire and respect the invaluable Family contributions at home. We both continue to treasure our friendships over these 34 years.
On this Veterans Day and National Veterans and Military Families Month I can say from the depths of my soul that I strongly believe there is something profoundly noble and good about choosing to take an oath to support and defend our Constitution with service in our Armed Forces. You have my deepest admiration and respect. You will always have that fulfilling knowledge and satisfaction that you did this as a great team and are a Veteran of victorious mobile armored warfare.
All the best to each of you and your Families and our Gold Star Families this 2024 Veterans Day and National Veterans and Military Families Month. Please save the date for our 34th VII Corps DSVA Reunion 13-16 February 2025 in Washington DC.
JAYHAWK!
Fred M. Franks
General, US Army (Retired)
Chairman VII Corps DSVA Board of Directors
