Letters Home: ‘Preparing for the Worst’

Excerpts from recent letters written by Army Reserve Col. M. Mark Hoffer to his wife, Margo. Hoffer’s letters are posted from somewhere in the Saudi Arabian desert. His last letter to her is dated Jan. 2.

Dec. 18, 1990

“We have gathered quite a strong group of surgeons for the corps. Six orthopedic surgeons, six general surgeons, three neurosurgeons, one EN and T (ear, nose and throat) surgeon, a urologist, etc. We could staff a university hospital.

“The brigadier general is a cardiac surgeon. (Another officer) is a trauma surgeon. About one third were recruited from reserves. The rest were from Germany and active duty. Two or three of them are older than me.”

Dec. 19

“Another travel day. Long trip somewhere else on the desert. Weather remains surprisingly mild. Food remains surprisingly crappy. Not much contact with natives.”

Dec. 20

“We do have clean water but must eat MREs (Army rations--the acronym stands for “Meals Ready to Eat”). . . . This whole experience will give me the permanent backpacking cure. Our grandchildren will have to go with you!!----I’m staying in a RESORT!”

Dec. 23

“The 12th Evacuation Hospital built its tents and medical wards. . . . There were new tents for us--the surgical augmentation . . team. The neurosurgical team leader is a professor and chief of neurosurgery from the University of Georgia. The anesthesia chief is from the Mayo Clinic. Three other surgical chiefs are from the University of Mississippi.

“We chiefs, all colonels, borrowed a long truck and found three large tents at the general’s headquarters area. We could not find their owners as they (the tents) were poached (taken from somebody else). . . . We transferred them and put them up. Now we at least have a roof over our heads.

”. . . I miss you very much and wish I was with you at home. I hope things are well with you. I love you very much.”

Dec. 24, 199

“Lots of activity all around the 7th Corps. We have been on alert just because no one trusts Saddam in the holiday season.

“It is remarkable to find the small pleasures we find in items like plywood for the tent floors, toilet paper and occasional warm food.

“The hospital is coming together slowly but surely. We hope never to have to use it--but if we must, it will be there. Until that time we are doing our best to survive comfortably. Cold showers--wash clothes in a plastic bin up on a clothesline.

“The activated reservists are all very much like us. All miss home and family. We all joke about Bob Hope visiting us--even he would not visit this desert.

“We don’t get any news or radio. We can get Radio Moscow in English. They keep talking about the Serbs and Croats--who cares? Sounds like World War I with the old Austro-Hungarian Empire.

“I hope you are doing well. I know you will. I miss you very much. I am eager to return home.”

Dec. 25, 1990

“Wind and sand all day today. The wind speed is at least 20 miles per hour. We have no way of communicating and have not as yet received mail but sometimes get Radio Moscow.

“Last night I heard Radio Baghdad in English with propaganda. Baghdad Betty told us Iraq wants peace only. She was followed by ‘The Son of Mesopotamia,’ who detailed the advantages of (peace) dialogue. All we need now is Bob Hope and the day will be complete. Even he, however, in his youngest days would not venture to this paradise.

“The big project today is getting enough courage to brave the wind for a shave and a shower. So far, it has been an effort to even reach the outhouse.”

Dec. 31

“We have had no mail and I wonder if my letters even reach you.

“The moon is full tonight on the desert. It is so bright that I can see few stars. Earlier this month with the new moon the skies were as full of stars as I have ever seen.

“This morning when I ran, I saw two little birds. Those were the first flying creatures other than insects that I have seen in Saudi.

“We had begun to say that the fly was the Saudi national bird. The two birds I saw looked cold and weak but as I approached they flew away with ease.”

Jan. 2, 1991

“Today it rained and rained, lightning and thunder. Now the desert sand is hard. This is a bit early in the season for rain, but it definitely does occur. We do not have wet weather gear so we are swimming.

“At any rate, we are preparing for the worst and praying for the best.

“I suspect that by the time this reaches you the 15th would have come and gone. Hopefully, things will then appear clearer. As yet we have not received any mail at all. I hope you have some of my mail.”