Gulf War veteran to march in national Memorial Day parade

There will be special memories for Gulf War veterans this Memorial Day.

August of 1990 marked the beginning of a war that for all practical purposes began when Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered his armies to invade and occupy neighboring Kuwait. The American response was the deployment of 600,000 service members and a mission that would forever be known as Operation Desert Storm.

On Monday, more than 500 Operation Desert Storm veterans will be in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the military operation and honor those who served and sacrificed for their country.

Former Army Spc. Greg Swearingane, who now lives in Jeffersonville, is one such veteran.

Swearingane, who acted as a single-channel radio operator, has mixed feelings about the upcoming march.

“It’s an honor. I’m excited ... and a little nervous,” said Swearingane. “I’ve never been to Washington, D.C., before.”

Swearingane entered the Army four years prior to the Gulf War. During his time in the military, he was placed in the Army’s 20th Engineering Battalion in an area known as the “the Empty Quarter.” The battalion’s job was to provide support for other companies.

“Anything any company needed as far as engineering support, we gave to them,” Swearingane said.

The company worked on everything from communications to building trenches. Swearingane remembers his time there being like nothing he had experienced before during his time in the service.

“It was different because it was what exactly what we always trained for,” he said.

This Memorial Day, Swearingane will be on a much different mission. He and his fellow veterans will walk in the nation’s capital along the same route that service members returning from the Middle East marched 25 years ago. More than 500 service members from 35 states will be there along with members from 10 of the coalition countries, Swearingane said. The significance of the event is not lost on him.

“It’s super important. It’s a day to honor and give tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” he said. “Those whose loved ones gave their lives would love to spend time with them, but it’s just not possible.”

Swearingane emphasized the importance of remembering veterans and their contributions to the freedoms that Americans enjoy today.

The Memorial Day march was organized by the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association and the America Veterans Center. United States Congress and President Barack Obama worked together to approve construction of the National Desert Storm War Memorial in 2014.

Swearingane spent four years in the Army and three years in the Georgia National Guard. He has been married 23 years to his wife, Tracy, and has two sons Justin, 21, and Cory, 17.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years,” Swearingane said. “I still feel like that kid that went over 25 years ago.”

This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Gulf War veteran to march in national Memorial Day parade."