Into the Storm

Phillip Thompson had kept a journal for years, from the time he was in college in the 1980s at the University of Mississippi until he attended the Artillery Officers' Advanced Course, when the demands of school interrupted. His desire to keep track of the events in his life was re-ignited with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, his impending deployment to the Persian Gulf in August 1990, and the beginning of Operation Desert Shield. While in the Persian Gulf, Thompson kept a small green, military-issue notebook with him at all times, writing down everything he could, drawing maps, explaining his emotions, and oftentimes, venting his anger. Upon his return from Saudi Arabia in 1991, he had filled three notebooks, which evolved into this work. Here are Thompson's personal experiences and his observations of those around him in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.