Greg Jarrett first joined radio station KGO in 1986 as aviation and space reporter, and in 1994, he became an ABC News staff correspondent, covering the O.J. Simpson trial, the Oklahoma City bombing, the capture and trial of the Unabomber, and many other global news events.
Jarrett covered Central America in the mid to late 80's for KGO and ABC, traveling with Contra bands and Sandinista soldiers to get both sides of the story in war-torn Nicaragua. He also went to Honduras during that period to cover "Operation Golden Pheasant," the U.S. rapid deployment force exercise that was meant to keep the border of Honduras secure.
Greg was assigned to various groups during the Gulf War, arriving weeks before war broke out, and ending the war in a fox hole above Basra, in Iraq. As a war correspondent he also arrived in Mogadishu, Somalia weeks ahead of the U.S. Marines, and was one of the first reporters in Baidoa. He went back to Mogadishu to cover the tragedy of "Blackhawk Down."
Following a tradition of "going where few reporters wanted to go," Jarrett went to Bosnia during the height of the conflict. During one of his several trips into the war-torn Balkans, Greg brought back two young children who had been severely injured in Mostar during a mortar attack on a birthday party. Jarrett accompanied the kids back to San Francisco with the help of KGO and the U.S. military via Germany and a C-141 to Andrews air force base.
Greg currently anchors the 3-hour "afternoon news" on KGO radio. Greg is a multi engine rated pilot, a "D" licensed skydiver, and jumpmaster with over three thousand jumps. Greg is married, with three boys, three dogs, and a wife who has nerves of steel and a will of iron.
This communication comes from the ready room of the Marine helicopter squadron to which I am attached. The 364th HMM. "The World Famous Purple Foxes." The squadron flies the venerable CH46, an ungainly but extremely reliable two-rotor helicopter that serves many purposes. From the briefings I have been privy to I have my own view of the primary purpose of this machine. If you have ever seen the old John Wayne movies where the amphibious landing craft, crammed with heavily armed marines, cruises up to the beachhead, and disgorges the charging cargo, then you have my picture of the marine CH-46. The helicopter is designed to take a load of Marines to the fight, let them off, and then return many times to take more marines and equipment, as well as evacuate wounded. This makes the Marines "air mobile."
You have probably heard about the terrible sandstorms we have encountered. A personal experience may help you understand just how bad these things can be. We get 6 minutes under a shower on a "catch as catch can" basis. One evening I was taking my turn under the water. When I got to the shower point, the stars were out. By the time I exited visibility was "zero-zero" You literally could not see your hand in front of your face. The water on my body and the fine, flour-like dust made me appear to be a frosted cake.
This camp is more of an organizational camp. The training for the pilots continues, the helicopters are cleaned of the ever-creeping sand, and plans are made. Should an order come for action, it is my observation that units in place here will be dispersed to staging areas, then to action.
For those of you have been in camps like this you know how important scrounging is. You go to the Brits to see if they have a particular item, and the air force to see if the connector cable you need is in one of their storage bins. Today I found a much needed handset-to-base set phone cable and traded 3 Cohiba cigarillos for it. Great deal! Now I can feed sound directly through the sat phone I carried out here on my back. It is amazing the stuff you remember to pack, and the stuff you forget.
Last night the Sea Bees worked all night with heavy earthmovers to create deep bunkers for us. While the warning sirens reminded us of just how necessary the bunkers may be, one must wonder if the lack of sleep is worth it.
Now, some Marine perspective on the anti war movement. For most of the Marines I have spoken with the right to such activity is just part of the "rights and freedom" they fight for. The vast majority of these Marines tell me they want those who protest with hateful "anti-American" sentiment to understand something. Those here at the spearhead believe that the protestors are giving the Iraqi leadership a tool to convince soldiers and citizens 'on the fence' that America has no resolve for this fight. That Iraqis who might refuse to fight will believe the Marines won't put any heart in the battle. Some of these Marines want those protestors to know they believe more Iraqis and Marines may die because the Iraqis may have more will to put up a fight. The rationale may be difficult for those ideologically bent against war. But, these Marines feel that the protestors for peace could be indirectly causing more death than would be the case if they were perhaps, less vehement in their demonstrations against their own country.
While the Marines know the protestors are, in the main, protesting against the foreign policy of the administration, they cannot help take it somewhat personally. Take it from this correspondent, morale is high in the 364th. However, when it comes to military action, many military experts believe the higher the morale, the fewer people die. All these Marines ask is that you take that into consideration.
Some of you may complain that this correspondent is only looking at one perspective. Obviously I am living, eating, and sleeping with the Marines. You don't have to look far for another perspective. My job in this instance is to give you as clear a picture of life with these Marines as I can.
