News 12 Then: The 25th anniversary of the Persian Gulf War on the Homefront
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – 25 years ago today was the beginning of the end of the Persian Gulf War.
The VII Corps hit the Republican Guard in the battle of 73 Easting on this date, while Iraqi troops flee Kuwait City.
Within a week, the retreat from Iraq would turn into a route and a slaughter for the Iraqis.
It would all be over in 7 days.
The first war with Iraq was much different than the ongoing war we find ourselves in now.
It started with an ultimatum and military buildup in the summer of 1990.
President Bush set a January 15th deadline for the Iraqis to leave Kuwait.
The air war began January 17th, the ground war starts a month later.
Since this war was on a time table, people back home could only watch on TV and worry.
And they could rally.
This week for the anniversary, we want to share several of those rallies in small towns across the Tennessee Valley during January and February before the victory.
We start with a patriotic rally on a Saturday in Athens, Tennessee on January 23rd.
Not all rallies were cheerleading events.
This story looks at a candlelight prayer event in Trenton and prayer services in Chattanooga churches on January 14th as the deadline approaches.
And our final round up covers events in Trion, Georgia, Fort Payne, Alabama and Dayton, Tennessee on February 1st.
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