A Burst of Firsts

By Guy Garcia

American troops faced chemical weapons once before -- in World War I. They fought in the desert in North Africa during World War II. They took part in an international military coalition in the Korean War. Their battles dominated TV screens during the Vietnam War. But the gulf war marks the first time that . . .

-- U.S. troops have been deployed to defend Israel. American crews are manning Patriot antimissile batteries.

-- A massive oil spill was used as a military weapon.

-- The U.N. has voted to enforce sanctions with military action.

-- The Bob Hope Christmas Show was subjected to prior censorship. In deference to Saudi Muslim sensibilities, the Pentagon banned the Pointer Sisters and Marie Osmond from performing for the troops in Saudi Arabia.

-- The former World War II Allies (the U.S., Britain, France and the Soviet Union) and Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan) have been part of the same alliance.

-- Egyptians will fight on opposing sides. The coalition has 36,000 Egyptian troops, and the Iraqi army contains many Egyptian guest workers who were pressed into service.

-- One missile has intercepted and destroyed another in combat, when a Patriot downed a Scud.

-- A female American soldier has been listed as missing in action.

-- CBS debated whether to identify Walter Cronkite, who has not been onscreen much lately, before putting him on the air. In the end, the network decided that the avuncular Cronkite mug would be sufficient ID.

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart