Veterans Month
November 2003
NS Veterans Remember
Jim Phillips
Conductor trainee
Greenville, S.C.
 Jim Phillips holds a present for Saddam Hussein. |
I was deployed to Kuwait as a member of the Marine Corps Reserves in Greenville, S.C., for Operation Iraqi Freedom. I've been a member of the reserves for about 4½ years. My training as a conductor for Norfolk Southern was interrupted when the call to active duty came.
Our job was to supply the front lines with ammunition. We worked to ensure the safety and security of our ammo dumps as well. The days were very long. It was hot. Sandstorms blew so hard it felt like you continually were being hit with BB pellets. You couldn't see. You couldn't breath. Sand was everywhere … in your clothing, your eyes, your mouth. It was inescapable.
If that wasn't enough, I saw "wildlife" like no other. Snakes and spiders were everywhere. You had to constantly be on the lookout for them.
There was a special kind of spider that amazed us. It's called a camel spider, and it can be the size of your hand or as big as a steering wheel. It's not something you want to encounter, if possible.
I returned home after six months, proud to have served my country and my fellow Marines, and am now continuing my training to become a conductor.