Michael Gardner Personal History
Michael Gardner Personal History
I arrived in Friedburg, Germany just before the Thanksgiving Holiday in November of 1990, assigned to the MOS 11C ( "4 deuce" ) Mortar Platoon. Throughout the next month of training and maintence and getting acquainted with the battalion and my new "brothers", it came time to perform our duty. 1st Sgt announced just prior to Christmas that CNN relayed that the 3rd AD would be heading to Saudi Arabia. Landing "in country" of Saudi on January 5th, 1991 and being housed at the MGM hotels. January 14th, 1991 I was "volunteered" to leave the Mortar Platoon and a new assignment of Scout was needed of me. I took the M60 machinegun and .45 APC, that CPT. Coy had me qualify with back in Germany in November (raining, puddles of water and sand, and a bit cold, his quote "You will be a RANGER soldier") and ride out in the middle of B. F. E. with the Scout units and I would set up and occupy a perimeter as an advance recon unit to await the rest of the battalion a few days later.
2 weeks later re-attached to the Mortar Platoon. I believed the Mortar Platoon was attached to the 4/67 Armor Bat. to maintain security for the "tankers". Under the direction of Cpl Blas T/C, SPC Nagy gunner/asst. gunner, and SPC. Hunter gunner/asst. gunner, I drove the M106 (Vietnam era M113 APC) through the rock, brush, sand desert objectives along with the whole Mortar Platoon.
No showers for a month, too many MRE's, too many flies, and too much sand, but we played some hellacious volleyball games on the down time. The observations of many killed, the A10 Thunderbolt destroying tanks, the Apache Helicopter serving air support, I remember the worst and the best of achievements. Upon the flow of the ground war, the move into Kuwait City, and the flight home to Germany in May, I am honored to have served with this unit and brothers we once were, even for a short time. Thank you all.
To Sgt. Livingston-I still have my dog tags with me at all times.
Upon leaving Germany I was sent to Fort Riley Kansas, to the BIG RED ONE to continue my active duty status. Ending in 1992. Then onto the Kansas National Guard Junction City Kansas, then to the Illinois National Guard Bloomington Illinois completing my Army Service in July 1997.
"Go Ballistic" in Iraq 2003.
Veteran Cpl. Michael D. Gardner