| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Monday, April 21 2003 |
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| Camp Victory, Kuwait -- Thousands of troops are just arriving in Kuwait, preparing to begin their military mission in Iraq. No, it's not that they are late or didn't hear that the war is almost over. They are actually arriving just in time for one of the most important and most difficult missions in the war against Iraq: keeping the peace.
In the middle of a fierce sandstorm, my crew and I drove up to Camp Victory from Kuwait City. It is one of six camps set up in the middle of the desert to house thousands of American and British soldiers. Not exactly the conditions they are accustomed to back home, even in their own barracks.
In Camp Victory, we met a group of Hispanic soldiers who prove just how diverse and how committed our troops are to the mission they have been assigned to. These young men are all from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based in Colorado Springs, Colo. It's the oldest cavalry in the United States, and the only one of its kind in the world.
Sgt. Arturo Loredo is very proud of his 16-man battalion and of being part of a regiment that has fought in seven wars, including the Mexican-American war in 1817. "As a son of Mexican immigrants, I am proud of that," he pointed out. It doesn't faze him that they fought against his father's country. His father put an American flag in his front yard the day his son became an Army officer, and it has been there ever since.
Loredo is anxious to go into Iraq and begin his mission. He has no fear and is confident that his battalion can easily resist the enemy. His self-confidence comes from years of experience and previous military missions in Bosnia and Macedonia.
However, for Jesus Ortega, from San Diego, and Israel Figueroa, from Orlando, Fla. -- both only 20 years old -- Iraq is uncertain territory. Neither one of these two young soldiers has ever traveled overseas. Neither has ever been apart from his family for an extended period of time. They have heard horror stories from the front lines. They are prepared for the worst; their main concern is not knowing when they will return.
For 19-year-old Alvaro Razo, this mission is part of his life plan. Since he was 10 years old, he had dreamed of becoming a soldier. In 2001 he returned to Fresno, Calif., from his native state of Michoacan, Mexico, and enlisted in the Army. He did not travel to the Middle East on his own. He brought along with him, hidden inside his helmet, a picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe. On his neck, tangled up with his dog tags, is a rosary, and in his pocket a prayer given to him by his mother. Alvaro says that any fear he might have will dissipate because with faith, things will work out fine.
Keeping the peace in Iraq is not an easy task. After the spontaneous euphoria expressed by some Iraqis as a result of the toppling of Saddam Hussein's repressive regime, their cheers of joy have turned to protests and outrage at the chaos and anarchy that followed the Battle of Baghdad. Many are blaming it on the Americans.
Loredo's self-confidence, Jesus' and Israel's preparedness and Alvaro's faith will certainly help the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment succeed in its mission. But so will swift and smart political decisions in Washington. The Bush administration would be wise to allow an international effort to rebuild Iraq and keep its promise to allow the Iraqi people to forge their own future. |
