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Liberating Kuwait
They abandon their posts and begin a series of grandstand plays to race for the embassy. Fortunately none are killed by friendly fire.” It is unclear if the “2/8” unit referred to in the report is a Marine or Saudi Arabian battalion. The sources are unclear on whether or not Knowles was justified in taking the embassy, but it is clear that a Special Operations Central Command SEAL and Army Special Forces team had originally been given the mission of securing the embassy. Although the Marines had already secured the embassy, the special operations teams proceeded to conduct the mission as if it were an unsecured location.28 Asked about the controversy 20 years after the fact, General Boomer said, “There actually was a Marine reconnaissance lieutenant who sort of on his own went up and took the embassy, and I was prepared to chew his a–––s out when I finally got my hands on him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I couldn’t. What are you going to say? Here’s this lieutenant that’s come up the coast and the embassy is a special place. So, he took charge and occupied it. He didn’t have to fight for it.”29
27 February On 27 February, the XVIII Airborne Corps turned
east, crossing the Euphrates River valley and advancing to the Tigris River. Led by the 24th Infantry Division, the corps advanced on the Iraqi city of Basrah, destroying hundreds of Iraqi tanks and armored personnel carriers along its advance and capturing two Iraqi military airfields. The VII Corps continued its advance east toward Safwan and Umm Qasr and against the Republican Guard. The VII Corps destroyed the Guard’s Tawakalna, Medina, and Adnan Divisions as well as the 12th and 10th Armored Divisions. The British 1st Armored Division completed the destruction of the 52d Armored Division.30
Taking Kuwait International Airport Task Force Shepherd arrived at the airport over three hours after departing and began its assault at 0430. There was some minor resistance, and many mines were discovered. Since the Iraqis were clearly defeated, the task force commander elected to wait until morning to continue the advance. At 0615, at the break of dawn, Task Force Shepherd resumed its attack. It was joined at 0800 by Task Force Taro’s 2d Battalion, 3d Marines, which helped clear the airfield building and captured 80 Iraqis lurking about the airfield.
Marines of Task Force Shepherd roll into Kuwait International Airport in light armored vehicles after the defeat of Iraqi forces. At right is a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter. Photo by TSgt David McLeod, USAF. Defense Imagery DF-ST-92-08209
