Allied Forces, under the Pacific command of General MacArthur and the European command of General Eisenhower fought a bloody war to its final conclusion spawning the guts and determination of a generation of men and women to overcome tyranny.

Places stamped in our memories forever: Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Leyte, El Alamein, Anzio, Normandy. Great battles: D-Day, Dunkirk, Coral Sea, Midway, Battle of the Bulge. Everywhere, great sacrifices were made to finally bring down Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo and Hirohito.

On the home front working in factories and lending support in every possible way; to the military support units; to the hell of combat, people rallied to win the War. It became a defining moment in the history of mankind. It turned the 20^th Century from one of darkness into one of light. And for those of us who inherited this light of Freedom, we need to remember those who made up "The Greatest Generation".

When People talk about the two world wars, Vietnam and Desert Storm; I remember another war:   Korea! Won't you remember, too? The year was 1950; the Cold War between East and West was heating up.  North Korea crossed the 30th parallel, into the free Republic of South Korea.  Communism was the goal.  South Korea turned to the United Nations and the free world was called to arms. Truman mobilized the National Guard; While draftees and volunteers trained in the "ways of war".

Three long years, the U.N. Forces fought their way through the rain, mud, snow, cold and Hell of Korea.  Places like Pork Chop Hill, Chosen, Inchon and Heartbreak Ridge, became front-page news on the home front.  In 1953 a truce was called between North and South Korea.  Thousands of U.N. Forces remain on duty today, guarding the 38th parallel;  While many Korean families continue to be kept apart by the dividing line.  Despite U.S. casualties of 36,760 dead, 103,000 injured, and thousands still listed as MIA's;  Korea was called a conflict, not a war!  America's finest came home to business as usual. The Korean War was seldom remembered and soon forgotten.

Following World War II and lasting nearly 46 years, two great ideological powers were locked in a desperate struggle. At some points during the conflict they threatened to wipe out mankind in a firestorm of nuclear destruction. It was called "The Cold War" even though you could perhaps say; "not a shot was fired". It’s primary thrust was an open and sometimes not so open confrontation between the two great super powers of the time – The United States of America and The Soviet Union.

On Jan 16, 1991, U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf: "Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines of the United States Central Command. This morning at 0300 ... we launched Operation Desert Storm, an offensive campaign that will enforce United Nations Resolutions that Iraq must cease its rape and pillage of its weaker neighbor and withdraw its forces from Kuwait. The President, the Congress, the American people, and indeed the world, stand united in their support of your actions. You are a member of the most powerful force our country in coalition with our allies has ever assembled in a single theatre to face such an aggressor. You have trained hard for this battle and you are ready. During my visits with you, I have seen in your eyes a fire of determination to get this job done, and done quickly, so that we may return to the shores of our great nation. My confidence in you is total. Our cause is just. Now, you must be the thunder and lightning of Desert Storm. May God be with you, our loved ones at home, and our country."

And with that declaration came one of the most awesome displays of modern warfare culminating in a devastating air war launched from the ground and the sea followed by the shortest major ground war in U.S. and World History. It started with the Iraqi Dictator, Saddam Hussein, invading helpless Kuwait on August 2, 1990, and threatening the entire Persian Gulf including U.S. major ally – Saudi Arabia. That nation requested U.S. Military assistance. With that request began Operation Desert Shield and a coalition of some 28 nations led by the U.S. political and military machine to forge an effective Strategic Military Plan for driving Saddam out of Kuwait. On January 17, 1991 Operation Desert Storm began with 696,628 Americans involved. What the Allied Forces did transformed the nature of modern warfare. On February 28, 1991, a cease-fire was announced and a surrender and peace accord was signed at Safwan, Iraq, after only 42 days of fighting. Casualties were 146 Americans killed and 47 wounded. Estimated Iraqi casualties were 100,000 killed and 300,000 wounded.

However, nearly ten years later we discover that more than 100,000 Allied troops were exposed to low level Chemical Warfare Agents including Sarin, Cyclosarin and Mustard Gas resulting in symptoms of neurophysical disorders in ten of thousands of American veterans and the death of several thousand more.