SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A retired naval aviator and a retired Marine colonel sat down at Mount Soledad to reflect on their deployments to the Middle East, from Operation Desert Storm to Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Retired Naval Aviator Russ Thompson and retired Marine Col. Jim Gruny served in different branches and never crossed paths during their deployments, but they share a bond forged by the same region and the same era of American military history.
"We've eaten some of the same dirt, but at different times," Gruny said.
Thompson said he ended his career with over 3,200 flight hours. From 1990-1991, he was deployed on the USS Forrestal (CV-59) out in the Mediterranean Sea. During this time he participated in Operation Provide Comfort, providing relief to the Kurdish population in northern Iraq. Thompson said his Airwing also enforced the no-fly zone over northern Iraq, while delivering relief and food to the Kurdish population.
"Being able to take part in something that we felt was important in helping the Kurds in northern Iraq and then helping enforce the no-fly zone over Iraq, I think we actually did something worthwhile as part of the effort," Thompson said.
Around the same time, Gruny's path into the Middle East came by ground. He arrived at Camp Pendleton with the first tank battalion, and three months later, his unit was headed to Operation Desert Storm — the combat phase of the Gulf War in which the United States helped liberate Kuwait from an Iraqi invasion.
Gruny said the mission had bigger implications: "If you allow aggression in the Middle East, it kind of opens the doors to further aggression elsewhere."
Twelve years later, both men found themselves involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the invasion of Iraq aimed at eliminating weapons of mass destruction. Gruny said the mission was driven by concern over the threat posed to American forces.
"I don't think it was a tough call for us to want to go in and do something about that," Gruny said.
Despite the complexity of America's relationship with the region, both men believe their efforts ultimately served a larger purpose.
"I think our relationship with the Middle East is pretty hot and cold," Gruny said. "But to work towards a stable Middle East, I think it's a noble thing to do."
Both veterans also pointed to personal moments that reinforced the meaning of their service.
Thompson recalled a Kuwaiti lieutenant colonel sharing how Iraq's invasion separated him from his wife for month. Because of America's aid, he was able to reunite with her months later. His gratefulness left a lasting impression on Thompson.
"When he would tell that story, that's when it really struck home to me that the things we do, yes, they matter in the geopolitical sense, but they also matter to people," Thompson said.
Gruny remembered a Kuwaiti translator who worked alongside his unit.
"We had a translator in my unit that was from Kuwait, and the reason that he chose to do that was that he remembered what we did in Desert Storm when we came in and liberated his country, and that meant something to us," Gruny said. "He had loyalty to us because of what we did for him, and we counted on him greatly as we moved up towards Baghdad."
The men also shared lighter memories.
During Desert Storm, Gruny named his tank "Baby J" in anticipation of his first child, and he made it home in time for the birth.
"I was lucky enough to get back home and be there for the birth of my first child. So certainly among the happiest days of my life," Gruny said.
For Thompson, the defining moment of his career came during the 2004 tsunami humanitarian relief effort — a mission he believes also helped restore goodwill with the Islamic world.
"Our involvement in the Middle East has obviously colored the way people perceive us throughout the Muslim world, and that goes throughout Southeast Asia as well as in the Middle East," Thompson said. "I cannot describe the devastation that you saw. We were able to literally save tens of thousands of lives through the evacuations that we performed, but in the larger geopolitical sense, too, that was an opportunity to show that for those in the Islamic world who may not have viewed us favorably, that we did good work and we didn't ask for anything in return. So hands down, if you ask me what, what is it I'm most proud of, it would be that."
