Members of the 131st Engineers gather in Montpelier

Twenty years after members of the 131st Engineers served in Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm, 118 Vermonters reunited for the anniversary last Saturday.

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Members of the 131st Engineers gather in Montpelier

6:25 AM, May. 11, 2011 Burlington Free Press

Written by
Christopher E. Brown

Twenty years after members of the 131st Engineers served in Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm, 118 Vermonters reunited for the anniversary last Saturday.

The VFW Post 792 in Montpelier hosted the gathering, and guest speakers included former governor and ambassador Madeline Kunin, and representatives of Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders.

After Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, President George H. W. Bush ordered a massive call-up of not only regular service members, but also National Guard and Reserve. The 131st was among those put into service for Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm. It was the first call-up for the 131st since the Vietnam War.

The recent event was a time for the men and women from Colchester and Springfield to gather and share stories about the past and present.