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Desert Storm VII Corps Veterans and your Families,

On Memorial Day, Monday 29 May 2023, this special day across America, at our overseas American Cemeteries and wherever our military is currently serving, we honor and remember our men and women who died in military service to our Nation.

On this most special and sacred day, in this our 32d Anniversary year of our VII Corps Victory in Desert Storm that as part of the Coalition that liberated Kuwait, Denise and I, on behalf of our Association President Mark Rado and our VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans Association Board, want to thank you and your Families for your own service and our service together in VII Corps during Desert Storm. Together with all of you we honor and remember this Memorial Day and every day our own Fallen, those 111 of our VII Corps Desert Storm Soldiers who in President Lincoln’s words, “gave that last full measure of devotion” and remember their Gold Star Families.

We said at the end of Desert Storm over 32 years ago that “we will never forget” and we have not forgotten our VII Corps comrades nor as a Nation all those who have fallen in military service.

This year at our 32d Anniversary Reunion (held 23-26 February 2023 in Arlington, VA after the 30^th and 31^st reunions held virtually due to COVID) of our victory in 1991, faithful to that promise at the Old Post Chapel next to Arlington National Cemetery, Chaplain COL (Ret) Dave O’Connell, conducted a military Memorial Service, where our past Association President MG (Ret) John Altenburg called out each of the names of our Fallen one by one. One of our former commanders gives commander remarks as is right at these ceremonies. This year LTG Donna Martin, a Wartime LT in VII Corps 14^th MP Brigade, and now Inspector General of the US Army, gave informative, inspiring, and moving remarks.

May we all pause in our own way this Memorial Day 2023 in deep remembrance to honor and remember our own 111 Fallen and all those who gave it all in military service–and their Gold Star Families who bear the pain of their loss.

We deeply treasure our service with each of you as well as your Families. We are planning our 33^rd Reunion the weekend of 15-18 February 2024 in Washington DC at the Crystal Gateway Marriott and Ft. Myer, VA Old Post Chapel. Blessings this Memorial Day to all of you to stay well and remain in contact with each other and reach out to Families of our Fallen as that is possible for you.

JAYHAWK!!

Fred M. Franks, Jr.
Gen, US Army (ret)
Chairman VII Corps DSVA Board

VII Corps Veterans and Families Veterans Day 2021,

On behalf of our VII Corps Desert Storm Association Board and the President of our Association, COL (RET) Mark Rado, my wife Denise and I want to wish all our VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans and your Families all the very best this Veterans Day 11 November 2021.

This is our 31st Anniversary year. Just three days before Veterans Day 1990, on 8 November, we received our no notice order to deploy to Saudi Arabia. From that no notice start to our historic and rapid 250 kilometer 89-hour mounted armored combined arms attack as part of the Coalition 24-28 February 1991, that liberated Kuwait, to our over six-week occupation and humanitarian mission, we were a great team and the largest armored corps ever fielded by the US Army in combat.

We fought and won together the largest tank battle in the history of the US Army in southeastern Iraq-northwestern Kuwait as documented by the US Army War College. Your courageous and selfless service to our Nation accomplished all that in VII Corps with the greatest combat skill gained from our intense battle focused training, and then with your courage, discipline, teamwork, will to win, and yes, sacrifice in execution.

Our grateful appreciation as well to our Families who served with their own brand of courage, those in the USA, UK, and those staying in already forward deployed locations in Germany. All of you made a difference when it counted.

We also honor and remember, as we do at our annual Reunion Memorial Service, when we call each individual name, the sacrifice of those of VII Corps who in President Lincoln’s words, ‘gave that last full measure of devotion’ and their Families who continue to endure the pain of their loss.

This year our Nation ended our military commitment to Afghanistan. Among our own VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans, we might have Afghanistan War Veterans. I wanted to share with you this Veterans Day 2021 that amidst all that is being shown, written, and said about it all, that I strongly and firmly believe all those who served in Afghanistan have earned 20 years of freedom for all of us in America from terrorist attacks launched from Afghanistan. Our Afghanistan Veterans, many more than once and from all our Armed Services, did that with great courage, ability to adapt, selfless sacrifice, and intense devotion to each other, qualities in battle we all recognize. All of us in America can be forever grateful to them and to their families and to those who gave that last full measure in that mission and to their Gold Star Families for that accomplishment. I’d ask us all as VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans, if we know any Afghanistan Veterans or Families or Gold Star Families, that we reach out to them and tell them Thank You for those 20 years and their own service and sacrifice in accomplishing that.

Yes, across America, we honor on this Veterans Day 2021, this special day in America, all those who selflessly served our Nation and what we stand for. We also honor those who serve today, those around the world, many still in combat daily, who stand between the evil out there and all the rest of us, just as all of you did with your own service in VII Corps during Desert Storm and service beyond, and we honor their Families.

As these years have passed, I continue to treasure our wartime service together in VII Corps even more strongly and remain honored to have been your commander as Denise values the invaluable Family contributions at home. We both continue to treasure the friendships over these 31 years.

All the best to each of you and your Families this 2021 Veterans Day. Please save the date for our 31st VII Corps DSVA Reunion 24-27 February 2022 in Washington DC.

JAYHAWK!

Fred M. Franks
General, US Army (retired)
Chairman VII Corps DSVA Board of Directors

Desert Storm VII Corps Veterans and your Families,

On this Memorial Day Monday 31 May 2021, this special day in America, we honor and remember all our men and women who died in military service to our Nation. On this most special and sacred day, in this our 30th Anniversary year of our Victory in Desert Storm that as part of the Coalition liberated Kuwait, Denise and I, on behalf of our Association President Mark Rado and our VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans Association Board, want to thank you and your Families for your own service and our service together in VII Corps during Desert Storm, and together honor and remember this Memorial Day and every day our own Fallen, those 111 of our VII Corps Desert Storm Soldiers who in President Lincoln’s words, “gave that last full measure of devotion.”

We said at the end of Desert Storm over 30 years ago that “we will forever remember” and we have remembered our VII Corps Fallen. This year as you know because of COVID restrictions in Virginia, we held a combined virtual 30th Anniversary Reunion and Memorial Service 1 May of our victory in 1991.

Faithful to that promise and as we do at each Reunion, we held that Memorial Service 1 May, conducted by Chaplain Col (ret) Dave O’Connell, where our past Association President MG (ret) John Altenburg called out each of the names of our Fallen one by one as he has each year. One of our former commanders gives commander remarks as is right at these ceremonies. This year Col (ret) John Gingrich, Wartime Commander of 4th Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, Division Artillery, 1st Infantry Division, gave thoughtful, moving, and inspiring remarks.

We had intended to commemorate our 30th Anniversary this year by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of our 111 Fallen in VII Corps as we had done at our 25th Reunion. That was not possible due to COVID restrictions. Not to be denied we decided to lay wreaths on 30 April at the gravesites of two of our Fallen in Arlington National Cemetery to honor them and all of our Fallen. Our two Fallen there in Arlington are: ROBERT DAUGHERTY, 5/16 Infantry as part of TF 2-34 Armor, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, The Big Red One, and JOSEPH KIME, HHC, 1st Brigade, 3d Armored Division, Spearhead. The ceremony was coordinated by Board member Wartime VII Corps G-5 Col (ret) Art Hotop, with remarks by 1st Infantry Division wartime commander LTG (ret) Tom Rhame, and by past VII Corps DSVA President and VII Corps Wartime 1st AD SJA, MG (ret) John Altenburg. Other attendees were Board Members VII Corps Veteran Col (ret) Jay Waters, and wartime Corps Artillery CSM, CSM (ret) Harold Shrewsberry, and VII Corps wartime ACE, and former DSVA Treasurer LTC (ret) Bob Candido.

In these continuing demanding times this year of 2021 on this day that has become sacred in America all across our great Nation, may we all pause in our own way this Memorial Day 2021 in deep remembrance to honor and remember our own Fallen and all those who gave it all in military service–and their families who bear the pain of their loss.

We value our service with each of you. We are planning our in-person 31st Reunion the weekend of 24-27 February 2022 in Washington DC at the Crystal Gateway Marriott and Ft. Myer, VA Chapel and perhaps even the new Army Museum with details to follow. Blessings this Memorial Day to all of you to stay well and remain in contact with each other.

JAYHAWK!!

Fred M. Franks, Jr.
Gen, US Army (ret)
Chairman VII Corps DSVA

TEAM JAYHAWK: As I relayed to you on 6 April, we made the decision to conduct our 30th Anniversary Celebration virtually instead of in-person this year. As you might imagine, this was not an easy decision to make in light of the significant milestone that the 30th Anniversary is. However, your VII Corps DSVA Board of Directors thought this to be the safest COA for all involved.

Toward that end, here is the link for the Zoom meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83191511128

The ceremony will begin promptly at 1300 EDT on Saturday, 1 May with some pre-ceremonial music playing starting at approximately 1245 EDT. We request that all personnel be logged on NLT 1300 EDT in order to support an on-time start. The ceremony should take approximately one hour and will consist of live speakers, recorded comments, and plenty of wonderful Army Band music! As it is our custom to do, we will call the roll and announce the names of our 111 VII Corps War Dead.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the ceremony; we look forward to coming together as a group on Saturday.

JAYHAWK!

v/r rado

MARK A. RADO
Colonel, USA Retired
President, VII Corps DSVA

Full text of the invitation:

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: May 1, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: VII Corps DSVA 30th Anniversary Celebration

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83191511128
Or One tap mobile :
US: +13462487799,,83191511128# or +12532158782,,83191511128#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 831 9151 1128
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbWQSZmjXS

Today, 24 February, marks the day 30 years ago when we began our attack to destroy the RGFC in our sector of attack and as part of the Coalition to liberate Kuwait. Time does not dim the memory of your skill, courage, and selfless sacrifice in our rapid 250 kilometer, 89-hour mounted armored combined arms attack that, as part of the Coalition 24-28 February 1991, won a great victory and accomplished that mission.

The battle VII Corps fought day and night on 26-28 February 1991 in Southeast Iraq and Northern Kuwait was the largest tank battle in the history of the US Army. It was an attack of historic proportions over distances and at speeds unmatched, in sandstorms and rain, day and night. It was made possible by the extraordinary courage, skill, disciplined teamwork and fierce, no quit grit and will to win of all of you, soldiers and leaders. It was fast but it was not easy.

I want to say thanks with deep affection and respect how enormously proud I am of all soldiers and leaders, all 146,000, in VII Corps and what we all did together 30 years ago, as well as to all of your families who served with their own brand of courage in Germany and the USA.

We continue to remember and honor the 111 of VII Corps who died from all causes who, in Lincoln’s words, ‘gave that last full measure of devotion’, and we remember their families.

Today, on the eve of our ground attack 30 years ago, I remember deeply what an honor it was to serve in your ranks and to lead VII Corps into battle. Truly life’s great and humbling privilege. JAYHAWK!!

Fred M. Franks
General, US Army (retired)
Chairman VII Corps DSVA Board of Directors