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Community Corner

Hometown Heroes: Meet St. Michael's Only Registered Persian Gulf Veteran

Mike Jones has traveled a long road to get from Robbinsdale High to his current life in St. Michael. Included is a stint in the U.S. Army and action in the first Persian Gulf War.

Two decades ago, former Army specialist Mike Jones was not sitting in a cozy seat, as he was when we met last week to talk about his military experiences.

He was stationed with his Army unit in Saudi Arabia, having been deployed from his base in Germany to support the Persian Gulf War effort that officially began Jan. 16, 1991.

Jones’ military career began after he graduated from the Robbinsdale School District. He wasn’t sure how he wanted his life to unfold. Five years in the Army ought to give him some time to decide, he thought, and he enlisted in 1986. Jones’ plan was to serve in the Army for three years, head back to the U.S. and start college, but life took a turn when he met a ‘nice lady’ in Germany. He ended up spending a couple more years in the military than planned …  and a couple more decades overseas before he, his wife Anke and their son decided to move away from Anke’s home country and into Jones’.

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The Persian Gulf War itself was likely another event that Jones hadn’t anticipated when he entered four years earlier, but said he knew he had signed up for this possibility when he joined the Army. By Oct. of 1990, his company knew they were headed for the Middle East conflict, and the newly married Jones shipped out to Saudi Arabia on Dec. 17.

“Oh yeah, she was really nervous,” he said of Anke.

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As for himself, Jones said he felt that fear and uncertainty of the unknown as he headed into the war, though he also carried the assurance of feeling well trained for the job.

He spent his five month deployment all over the map: Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudia Arabia and in Iraq, close to Baghdad. His job was dangerous: hauling high-explosive fuels such as JP-8. A cigarette was a danger around this fuel, let alone hostile munitions.

“You grow up in a hurry,” he said. “I went from an 18-year-old kid … went into the world alone, and ended up going to war.”

Though Jones said he wouldn’t want to do it again, especially with the added danger that technological advancements have brought to warzones since his deployment, he said he is glad to have had this experience in his life.

“You don’t have that kind of friendship [outside a war experience], because you’re watching each other’s backs whatever you do. You always have someone with you; you’re always taking care of somebody or watching out for somebody, just like they are doing that same thing for you.”

Now, more than 20 years later, Jones said he still keeps in regular contact with 10 of his fellow service members, and he has also forged friendships with veterans from other wars after becoming active with the St. Michael American Legion since moving back from Germany.

St. Michael Patch is planning a series of Hometown Hero articles to include veterans from each foreign war. Please contact mike.schoemer@patch.com if you would like to be included in the series or know someone who would!

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