UNIVERSITY While servinu \nth th<‘ I s Marines durimt the Persian (odt H«ir f /mmih student about the i ultur.il :nisunderstantlint;s betw een f/it’ W i'st and Mobile l .ist Photo b\ Nn«!rr K jinrn I fit/1 Hams learned mure War service changes student’s perspective on differing cultures By Came Dennett Emerald Reporter Andy Harris thought In- would lie able to make it through thf last vi*ar ot Ins six year commit merit to the Marine dorps Reserves without inn dent Then on Dei 8. Ditto. he found himself head ing to damp Pendleton in California for a month of intensive basil training to prepare tor a tour of duty in the Persian C.ulf Harris, a Hntversity politic al si lem e major, was given 10 days notue. leaving little time to wrap up his life in Kugene Students in his position were given the option ot t.iking finals early or w ithdrawing from si hool Harris took the middle road, taking a few finals early and withdrawing from other classes he wasn't doing as well in 1 lams said his reserves training did a lair job ot preparing him tor dut\ hut it was the training at damp Pendleton that made it clear he was going to war "The training was pretty intense he said At that point, we knew were headed tor Saudi Ara bia The full days of training began with a a a m wake-up and included training in demolitions w eapons urban combat and mine detei lion and removal knowing they were heading for the lighting brought home the realities of rvar and military serve e to many' of his i o trainees. 1 lams said "I think there were a lot of scared people he said "Morale was pretty low "Vie had heard all about the mother of all bat ties.' tile i hemical weapons, the St oils and the Republican Cuard, he said A lot of us didn t know tor sure if we were coming bai k When his unit arrived in Saudi Arabia they immediately went to work building fortifications ,iiid setting up helicopter landing pads At the same time, training continued for their expected mission of taking out mines when ( S led forces eventually entered Kuwait The mission ivns never realized however "When we finally did go into Kuwait we found almost no resistance, lie said Harris said his unit also served as a reserve force in i ase ot a high casualty rate a si enario that never materialized Harris’ unit oxperiem nd very little danger he said A few people in his unit were shot at, but he was nowhere near at the time " The only Iraqis I saw were either captured or dead.” he said. One reason his unit saw little action. Harris said, yvas because the allies tei hnology excceded expectations as successful air strikes eliminated the need for heavy ground action Harris said Ins unit did have a stare the night that the Iraqis came across the Saudi border and took the town of hhatji His unit was relaxing when they got word that the Iraqis were heading toward them, .mil the\ quit kI\ put mi < hemit .il protec live gear Ihe Iraqi furies instead headed fur hhafji. about seven miles away from where the unit was camped, vet Harris unit remained on alert tor mm h nt the next two days "We were very i lose to them and we i on Id see them lighting in the distance lie said We i nuld see the Hashes from the artillery in the night sky Harris said his gulf experienie on leased Ins desire to leave the military .mil his cultural knowledge ot Persian (iuIf nations "It made me realize even more how little tin derstanding the vast maturity of people have about the rest of the world he said I think that until we learn to In- more open minded about other ways of thought we will continue to get into these kinds of i onflii Is Harris said prior visits to I lord World i nun tries gave hill! a different perspei live I think I learned not to be so i ritual of other i ultures. he said "We weren't brought up with the only way of doing things Harris said Ills opinions on cultural differences go against the military's attitudes and that many of the soldiers believed the l ulled States was completely m the right I hey naiv ely felt that it was a blai k and w lute situation right against wrong." he said Harris said the Marines do encourage soldiers to think for themselves but they also try to drum into our heads the military line lie said it the 1' S military had more respect tor Islamic t ulture. it may have projei ted a better image to the i ivilian population in the gull re gion Maybe more people would have realized that war is not just about statistics ' he said "It s about real people (list like themselves Harris said he is not sure it his experience m the gulf has had a major impact on him It has made me aware of the tac t that I should make the most ot inv own life and opportuni ties he said Harris returned home on May 1 lie still had a place to live, but it was too late to register tor 1 lasses and lie found he no longer had a |ob He has taken the opportunity to speak to a lew i lasses about his experience "I was somewhat concerned about how I would be received." he said "While I am a Marine I ni not the Marine (lorps Nonetheless Harris said he has been received well by friends and fellow students alike "The people that know I was there even the ones who were against the war respei ted my de i ision.' he said Oregon DAILY EMERALD ft I 1 . ,.,H III. V ■ ,1 . ■ . . ' • ! m i *. . M I ill I Of M/*n*gsny f (Mot F ditwial t cjilo* Politic* l diloc Qiaphtc* I c1t!o» Suppl#rn®nl» I <1ito» In Touch f dlto» ‘»- ■, Hu<! n. {' wj-.i Mr* - Layf^v l Akehnh A'- m M.-iN' k< N»w« l ditor f dllonal Fdito? r »’ M < • ' Sporla f di!o» A ' f nl«rtainm#nl Fddof ■ - • Supplements A*.%t Fd • . ' *■ Nighl t diiof A-mooat© Editor* Community Student tionernment A< tivilie* Higher tducatkwv'Admim*trAlton , Reporter* ' i . S» »*• . 1 . ' * ‘ 1 " " fir- * i M • H. •; •• Nr i •• V. - .} *J• ■ •!' . I > • Tt .ipp** Rpb<*M Photographers < \ A *• > ■ At1v#rti»mg • A . V » •- - i • " *«* - , • t, • k m N • r . * ' i V ••*»*> • . . . Hi ' i M.« . i Kiift*• * mtr K '»! •*-.-< Cla»*ifMKl .. ‘V - V.» . ;• - * , V M Business h »!f . • ' Production i !■ i , i •• -'* '• '• '* M* ‘ 1 A > • • ■ ii «f . • | Mi- ,i 1 M- ' M , , ’ 1 ► I u'. ■ M-I-*.I . M «'. t -•• ' -•• M t-t’ A I Rom be '* ' Jennifer Round l> R Jennifer Smith A■ •'.inphi--is. 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