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by James Breitweser

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Weeks before Shield became Storm,
join combat hospital in Bahrain. CO
greets: not much use for you right
now, grab shovel and fill sandbags.
Really? We’re Army here, all pull
together for hospital success. As a
Medical Corps officer, expect to
contribute, lead by example,
eat last.

Wander out to sand-pile where
sandbag detail sarge takes charge,
shows how to shovel fill bag to proper
heft, while maintaining mold-ability.
After several awkward attempts, get
precise way to tie off bag so secure,
but single tug releases knot to spill
sand. Perform task day-after-day
until the night the great air armada
passes overhead, heralds onset
of hostility.

Relief short-lived: no casualty
x-rays to interpret. Sent to stack
bags around tents to keep rain out
when comes. During days of aerial
destruction of armor vehicles dug-in,
burying Iraqi soldiers terrified in
trenches beyond sand breams who
wave white futile surrender flags to
ugly strafing Warthogs, pile bags
three high around each tent until
job properly done.

When ground war begins, dash to
battle-station for x-rays to interpret,
grateful release from sandbags, able
now to execute duty here to fulfill.
Standby 100 hours, all it took before
war’s end. Expected POWs? All
cared for by Muslim field units.

Mission complete for hospital: ordered
strike tents, prepare to leave. CO tasked
to take care them plump olive sandbags.
Labor in midday sun, stack sandbags on
pallets head high. Realize while sweat
drips, best paid bag stacker anywhere.
Stack ’em tall, stack ’em wide, then

home to I-Was-There award.

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James Breitweser is a retired Army physician who served at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii and had many deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Kosovo. Following retirement, he earned a Master’s in Communication and Graduate Certificate in TESOL from Hawaii Pacific University.

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