Citizens Journal (Atlanta, Tex.), Vol. 112, No. 68, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 20, 1991 Page: 2 of 12
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2A Sunday, Jan. 20, 1W1 Cilixwia Journal
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Retired colonel shares
his views on Gulf war
By VALERIE EAVES
Journal Staff Writer
'I cant explain it. it defies all
ic," said Col. Morris Dugger of
Atlanta, a retired Army helicopter
pilot, about the events unfolding in
the war with Iraq. "Pilot after pilot
have been able to get into Iraq and
drop their bombs without meeting
any opposition, it's unheard of."
Dugger, who piloted helicopters in
World War II, Korea and Viet Nam
before retiring in 1973, has been
watching the war in the Persian Gulf
very closely. He said he can't recall
any other time in history where a
war has been so "easy" for one
side, "especially when the two main
countries involved have the
firepower and military capabilities
that these two have." Dugger said
that only happens in a coup.
"It's going to be interesting to see
if we can keep it up," he said. "We
did what we set out to do, we totally
surprised him. That's notwithstand-
ing the fact that he should have
known we were going to attack. The
president said we were going to at-
tack sooner than later, he should
have known.
"For months the United States
has been saying that it would hit
Iraq from the air first. The fact that
his own air force was caught on the
ground and was unable to get up is
a disgrace to his military leaders,"
Dugger continued. "Saddam Hus-
sein has said that he has a televi-
sion in his office that is always
tuned to CNN. He knew everything
the United States people knew.
With all that information and still not
send any planes up during the at-
tack is a disgrace. The Iraqi military
was obviously not prepared, they
were caught completely off guard."
Dugger said he's delighted at the
way the war is progressing.
"It seems to be going our way,"
he said. "It seems to be very suc-
cessful. The casualties have been
light and we've apparently inflicted
heavy damage in all the right
places. Many of the things he had
yesterday have been taken away.
His communications, missiles,
nuclear and even chemical
capabilities have all been taken
away."
Saddam Hussein has said all
along that if the United States at-
tacked, he would retaliate by attack-
ing Israel and bringing them into the
war. Hussein did attack Israel with
SCUD missiles Thursday.
"That will just add to the long list
of mistakes by Hussein," Dugger
pointed out. "Israel is ready to go.
They remain in a state of readiness
at all times, they can strike very
quickly and very powerfully. And be-
cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict, it
would be better if they're not in-
volved."
So far, as of Friday morning, Is-
rael was heeding the advise of the
United States and had not
retaliated. The Allied forces were
able to destroy several mobile
SCUD' missile launchers following
the attack on Israel.
Dugger concurs with what U.S.
military leaders have been saying,
that "our strategy is to make sure
we do this with the absolute mini-
mum of casualties.
"When the war is over, I'm sure
we're going to find out that there are
more casualties than we thought,"
he explained. "To get the word back
from the front lines is difficult. The
people on the front lines really can't
know for sure. All they know about
is what is right in front of them, but
there's too much going on for them
to know everything."
As ot Thursday morning, when
this interview took place, there had
been just one American casualty —
an F-18 pilot, by Friday there had
been two more American casualties
reported. Dugger said-such a low
number was "remarkable."
"Any maneuver with any mag-
nitude that I've ever been in has
had injuries and some deaths just
because of accidents," he ex-
plained. "Pilots have to worry about
aocidents as well as the enemy. It's
hard to have 1,000 missions without
having at least one person killed."
Dugger said, however, that the
low number of casualties could
change if war escalates.
"If we have to engage the ground
troops, with troops and tanks firing
at one another, that's when we can
expect lots of casualties," Dugger
said. "Hopefully that won't have to
happen. Hopefully the war will be
over very soon."
Dugger said he supports Presi-
dent Bush's decision to go to war,
and he said, the reasons are jus-
tified.
"I think we have to look at it like
this, there has been a lot of trouble
in that area of the world, it has been
very unstable," Dugger stated. "If a
strong man develops and engulfs
the area, he could punish the entire
world economically. A country like
ours that supports freedom as we
do, we cant tolerate someone in-
vading another country without
provocation like Hussein did.
"H we had let that go by un-
punished, Saudi Arabia would be in
his grasp by now," Dugger con-
tinued. "He would control 50 percent
of the world's oil reserves. Syria and
Jordan wouldn't stand a chance,
they would fall to him also. He
would be an Arab world kingpin. If
the United States really stands for
what it believes in, we have to be
there to stop him. Freedom is not
free, we have to fight for it."
Dugger also said that if the United
States wins this war, it will do a lot
for the country's image in the eyes
of the world.
"The rest of the world will take our
word seriously from now on," he ex-
plained. "They'll know that if we say
we're going to do something, we
have the military capability to back it
up."
Dugger said there's another
reason he wants the war to end
soon. It's because of the men and
women stationed in the gulf region
and their families back home.
"I know what it's like to be away
from your loved ones," he said. "I've
been away three times because of
war. The hardest part is when you
have to say good-bye to your family.
I don't ever want to have to go
through that again, and I don't want
others to, either."
Roberts awed by advances
By JOHN COLEMAN
Journal Editor
Retired Lt. Col. Robbill Roberts of Doddridge, Ark. says he is amazed by
the advances in technology that have come along since he retired from the
U.S. Air Force just 25 years ago. He said he is also surprised, and a little
dismayed perhaps, at the openness with which defense information is being
broadcast during the wair under way in the Persian Gulf.
Roberts, who was catching up on the latest developments from the
Middle East while his wife did some shopping in Atlanta, said Thursday that
the weapons pulled out for this war are highly complex and advanced
beyond imagination.
"It's incredible. These missiles can seek out a specific target and hit that
target within a few hundred years either way," he said. "And these fighter
pilots can fly in total darkness, close to the ground, and even with some
cloud cover. They're in the air and firing at their targets before the enemy
can even pull the trigger."
Roberts said he remembered when he flew fighters during World War II.
"The pilot always had to know where he was. Sometimes the navigator
would look up and ask 'Where are we?'
"of course, we didn't have the night vision capabilities we have now or the
range. I think it's astonishing that you can have an aircraft several hundred
miles away, launch and land planes on that thing and fire those highly ac-
curate guns that hit right on two out of every three times."
The colonel also predicted that the war would be relatively short.
"Given the types and quality of artillery and planes we now have, we can
inflict massive damage in a short period of time. I don't think this will be
dragged out," he commented. "Plus, our men are highly trained. They are
specialists and the level of training these kids get these days is incredible."
The colonel said he was surprised that the networks and politicians have
talked so openly about strategy and plans before and during the attack.
"They're watching us over there and we're just telling everything we're
thinking about how to drive him out," Roberts said Thursday. "Back when I
was in the service, everything was kept quiet, blacked out. You know, 'loose
lips sink ships' and so on."
But Roberts did not hesitate to say that President Bush and the United
States did the right thing by attacking Iraq. "We told Hussein what we were
going to do and we did it. We can't let him bully the rest of the Middle East
like that. Let him get by with taking Kuwait and he'll get greedy and want
something else.
"It's like a neighbor who just wants the lot next to him, and then the next
one and the next one. Where does it end?"
The Doddridge retiree, who admits to staying glued to the television and
newspaper accounts of developments in the Persian Gulf, said ge agreed
with someone's assessment that a similar action in 1938 could have
prevented World War II.
"If we'd had the technology and the foresight to go in and drive Hitler out
like we're trying to do Hussein, I think Word War II might never have
started."
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Journal daft photo by JOHN COLEMAN
Now I see the light
Frank Greenwood Is silhouetted by a rarely seen bright sun recently as he checks and replaces
security lights In the parking lot of Wal-Mart In Atlanta. Greenwood Is employed by S&S Electric of
Pittsburgh. Kansas. He said the company has the contract to travel and do all of Wal-Mart's light re-
placements.
Candidates gear up for election
I 1 ELECfiON
I ' Continued from page 1
$2,000.
One of the issues that has sur-
faced in the campaign has been
that of the candidates' children and
where they attend school. Womack
maintains that it is "a slap in the
face of the teachers and the district"
for Giesler to send one of his two
children to a private school in
Texarkana.
Giesler has said that his oldest
son is in sixth grade in Atlanta and
will graduate from Atlanta schools,
while his youngest son has at-
tended St. James Day School be-
cause of the improved curriculum
and Christian atmosphere. He has
assured voters that the child will be
back in Atlanta schools.
Meanwhile, Giesler said he ques-
tions Womack's interest in running
since the incumbent's daughter will
graduate in May, leaving no other
children in his family in the school
system.
Voters are reminded that if they
are registered to vote in polling
boxes 17E, 15NW, 17SW, 13, 1E
and 4, will cast their ballots at the
Atlanta Independent School District
administration offices.
Voting box 20 will vote at the
Bivins Community Center; boxes 8,
9 and 11 will vote in Douglassville
at the community center there, while
box 21 will cast ballots at the Huf-
fines Community Center.
Voting box 18 will cast votes in
Smyrna at the Baptist church. The
absentee box is housed at the ad-
ministration office.
The school board decided at their
meeting Tuesday night to have the
boxes removed from the administra-
tion offices once the tabulations are
complete, but did not exactly where
they would be taken.
Council to get tough on delinquent bills
Anderson J. "A.J." Oliver, the son of one of the custodial workers
In the Atlanta school system, was adopted by fifth-graders In At-
lanta. Shown with his photo are Sarah Weathersby and A.D. Point.
Class adopts soldier
□ WATER
Continued from page 1
its next regular meeting they will al-
so adopt a new policy raising the
water deposit to $75 for residential
customers and $150 for commercial
customers. Anyone cut off will Tiave
to pay the delinquent bill, the
deposit and a new $20 reconnect
charge before the water is turned
back on.
"We also need to do something
about hot checks," said Water Su-
perintendent Mike Partillo. "As soon
as the check comes back, that day
they should be locked off and they
should have to pay the $20 service
charge to get it turned on. They
should also have to pay the $20
service charge, the entire water bill
and the $15 fee for a returned
check in cash before the water is
turned back on. No ifs, ands or
buts."
The council also discussed dead
water meters. Long told the council
that of the 3,193 water meters in the
city, 310 of them are dead, or not
registering. He said the meters are
either broken or can't be located.
Those customers with dead meters
are being charged the minimum
water rate, no matter how much
water they use.
The councilmen all agreed that
getting those meters fixed is a top
priority.
"Water is the only thing this city
has to sell," said Mayor Lawson
Mckelvey. "If we don't get the
money for it, we lose."
"The first thing you need to do is
to make sure your meters at the
wells are accurate," advised Ken
Parker of Sensus Technologies, Inc.
in Garland. "Get your production
meters working first, then you can
get those 310 dead meters fixed."
"If we don't know what we're
pumping out versus what we're sell-
ing, we won't know if we're collect-
ing all the money we're supposed
to," Ellis agreed.
Peacock suggested that the city
get the 310 dead meters fixed in
concert with getting the well meters
accurate.
The council also discussed "get-
ting tough" with customers who tam-
per with their water meters. At its
next meeting, the council will vote
on whether to make the homeowner
responsible for the meter on his
property and must pay to replace a
damaged meter.
"That's what we have to do," said
Hunter. "If the meter is working on
Monday and not working on Tues-
day, then we take it out. If it has
been tampered with there's nothing
to talk about, they have to pay for a
new meter."
The council also discussed rais-
ing the water and sewer rates.
"The first thing I'd like to do is
raise the sewer rates from $3.50 to
$7," said Ellis. "That's still below
what customers in other cities our
size are paying."
"We also need to tie our sewer
rates to our water rates and go to
an escalating water rate," com-
mented Long. "The more you use,
the more you pay."
Currently the city has a decelerat-
ing rate for water. Customers who
use more water pay less and less
for each thousand gallons of water
used over the minimum. The es-
calating rate would charge big users
more for the extra water used, in-
stead of less.
"Before we set a water increase,
we have to make sure that all the
meters are working properly," stated
Hunter.
"I'm adamantly opposed to a
water rate increase until we get
potable water," said Peacock. "We
shouldn't raise the rates until we get
a filter system or something to make
the water taste good."
In other business Tuesday, the
council discussed purchasing a new
pickup truck for the water depart-
ment. Partillo was involved in an ac-
cident that totaled the old truck last
week. The council asked Long to
look into prices for getting Partillo a
new truck.
The council will meet in regular
session to discuss these matters
Tuesday, Jan. 22. The council is
meeting on Tuesday instead of
Monday because of the Dr. Martin
Luther King holiday,
I—1 SCHOOL
'—' Continued from page 1
make them feel better. I will also
send good food to eat.
Finally, the class has adopted a
soldier in the Persian Gulf. Ander-
son J. Oliver is the son of the
elementary school's custodian and
the students have been writing him
letters. This one was dated Jan. 17:
Dear A. J.,
I am writing to you as a proud friend
from Atlanta, Tx. Your mom works
at my school, Atlanta Elem
teacher Mrs. ' Whatley got
name and address for me
third grade. I'm praying for you. I
hope that you have a safe tripe
home. I have your picture with a yel-
low ribbon attached to it. I have
been going to bed with a flag and a
yellow ribbon pened to my pellow at
night. I hope you have a safe jour-
ney home.
School board discusses new track, revised calendar
My
your
I'm a
I 1 AISD
'—' Continued from page 1
build a new track, renovate the ex-
isting facility or forget the entire
project.
"It would take $200,000 or more
to build a new track across from the
high school and do it right," he told
the trustees. "To get it built for less
than that, we would have to
eliminate seating, lights, architects'
plans for site work, drainage and so
on. I just don't think the district's
taxpayers would stand for that."
Cox said the best approach would
be to fix the district's current facility,
located adjacent to Bivins-Trice
Stadium, until the money is in the
bank to build a new one.
In other business, the board
agreed to authorize the administra-
tion to plan on constructing future
school calendars so that a six-week
period has ended and exams given
before the Christmas holiday break.
"This way, the students can have
their holiday and come back
refreshed and teachers don't have
to go over again what they haven't
studied for three weeks to prepare
them for exams," board president
Welch said.
The board also approved a re-
quest by Cox to have persons with
complaints to take before the board
meet with the superintendent first.
Cox said this would be an attempt
to derive solutions to problems and
that, if the meeting doesn't produce
a mutually satisfying result, then the
complainant would take the problem
before the board in an open forum.
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Citizens Journal (Atlanta, Tex.), Vol. 112, No. 68, Ed. 1 Sunday, January 20, 1991, newspaper, January 20, 1991; Atlanta, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth336171/m1/2/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Atlanta Public Library.