Sultan may be a small town, but it's definitely got its share of heroes.
Since moving to Sultan 2-1/2 years ago with his wife Maureen, retired United States Army Sgt. Bob Klement has taken an active role in helping to facilitate change for the betterment of the community. A 100-percent disabled combat Veteran, 48-year-old Klement has become dedicated to achieving a level of security throughout the community that to some, seemed to be lacking.
In May, when Sultan Mayor Carolyn Eslick responded to community concerns by organizing a meeting with Sultan Police Chief Monte Beaton, residents packed the room.
Klement made sure that he took a seat in the front row.
He began cultivating a relationship with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Department, and has since participated in several ride-alongs with department deputies. Recently, when Sultan's Block Watch coordinator Joe Stone decided that he needed to step back and let somebody take the helm, Klement didn't hesitate to step into a leadership role.
"Like most Veterans, Bob has a profound sense of duty and continues to serve his community with distinction even in retirement,GÇ¥ Stone said. "With Bob at the helm of the Block Watch program, success is inevitable. I look forward to seeing how things transpire in the coming months.GÇ¥
Originally from Texas and then Arizona, Klement served for a total of 15 years in the United States military. He was deployed to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield and engaged in full-scale combat in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm's intense 100-hour ground war. He holds a degree in health sciences, another in IT security, and has two certificates in telecommunications.
It all started in 1982 when, at 17 years old, he made the decision to join the United States Army. He attended basic training in Fort Jackson, S.C., and then went to Fort Gordon, Ga., where he became an avionics electrical technician. Klement was in the very first class to be trained on the Black Hawk Helicopters that had just recently been entered into service.
He learned to fly on a Bell OH-58D scout helicopter, an opportunity that he greatly enjoyed.
"I really loved flying,GÇ¥ Klement said. "That was probably one of the best aspects of my career GÇô that and the infantry.GÇ¥
In 1990, after Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, United States President George Bush Sr. deployed American troops in response to the invasion. American soldiers staged in Saudi Arabia. The first part of the conflict was referred to as Operation Desert Shield.
Klement, who was in the 101st Airborne Division at the time, was selected to augment the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division during the conflict.
The United Nations had condemned the invasion of Kuwait in August, and in November authorized the use of force against Iraq. Once the American air assault on Iraqi forces began in January of 1991, the war transitioned, becoming Operation Desert Storm.
"It became a completely different operation,GÇ¥ Klement explained. "It went from an intimidation force to a 'We're going to kick your ass force.'GÇ¥
On Feb. 24, the 100-hour ground war began. Klement's unit entered Iraq, rolling forward in both tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles towards a destination called Al Busayyah. The mission was referred to as Objective Purple, and was meant to depose the Iraqi soldiers and prevent them from fleeing. Iraqi Republican Guard warriors came out to confront American troops, but were quickly driven back into Al Busayyah where they continued their fire.
Snipers fired at Klement's unit from the top of two water towers.
"They decided that they wanted to try and fight with us and it didn't work out too well for them,GÇ¥ he said. Retaliation by the 24th Infantry Division was swift and uncompromising. "We decimated the place.GÇ¥
Droves of Iraqi soldiers came forward to surrender.
"A lot of the POWs that we talked to they said they would much rather deal with Saddam's roving death patrols GÇô and anything else GÇô other than us bombing them for another night,GÇ¥ Klement said. "It just demoralized them.GÇ¥
During the ground combat, the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division prevailed against the heaviest resistance of the war. By the time the cease-fire came through on February 28, 1991, Klement had been up for days. Since the start of the ground war on Feb. 24, there had been no breaks, no naps, and no time to relax. It was a relentless push forward through the arid dust as they fought to take down Iraq's elite Republican Guard.
"The ground war was 100 hours and we had been up for probably another 18 hours prepping before we crossed the line,GÇ¥ Klement said. He recalled the point at which the cease-fire came through. His unit was north of Kuwait near Basrah.
"I remember walking away and my chin strap on my helmet was snapped, and I sat down and I took my rifle and I put it between my knees,GÇ¥ he said. "I put my arms through the sling and rested them on the magazine, with the barrel right hereGÇ¥ GÇô he indicated his forehead GÇô "and I passed out. We'd been up for like 140 hours.GÇ¥
You start to hallucinate after about 90 hours, Klement explained. Most of the guys in his unit chewed tobacco, which became a necessary means of staying alert during the ground war.
"You take a pinch of Copenhagen, and just really, really squeeze the hell out of it, and put it back in your can. It leaves the nicotine on your finger and then you rub it into your non-shooting eye and it just shoots that nicotine right through, down the optic nerve, and cranks you, instantly. Burns like a son of a bitch.GÇ¥
When the cease-fire came over their radio on Feb. 28, they were told to halt in position.
"I passed out and a couple of my buddies picked me up and put me in a Bradley,GÇ¥ he said. "I woke up in a Bradley and I had no idea how I had gotten there.GÇ¥
Klement was overseas for nearly nine months. He arrived in Saudi Arabia on August 13, 1990, and returned to the United States on April 27, 1991. The terrain was flat and dusty, and the temperature range from night to day was extremely disparate.
"We would have temperature swings from 115 degrees during the day, down to like 40 degrees at night,GÇ¥ he remembered. "It would just be colder than hell.GÇ¥
Klement has photographs of himself and the other men who served with him during his time in Iraq. He has correspondence that he received from American children who would write letters that were distributed to soldiers to help them feel connected to home. Klement shared that the letters meant everything to him.
"All these years later, these letters still mean the world to me,Gǥ he said. "These were what really made me so proud to be a soldier; this was the justification for what I was doing. These kidsGǪtheir freedom.Gǥ
Once Klement's division had cleared the enemy out of Al Busayyah, they had to search the vicinity to make sure that no Republican Guard officers remained. In doing so, Klement came across what looked to be a schoolbook, written in Arabic. One could imagine Iraqi children learning from the book, which used images of armed gunmen in what is likely a method for teaching young children to count or do math.
He still has the schoolbook.
"Our kids are fortunate enough that they don't have to grow up with math problems that show soldiers with guns,GÇ¥ Klement said.
He recalled discovering a warehouse in Al Busayyah full of televisions, stereos and other electronics stashed there by the Republican Guard who looted Kuwait as they were driven out of the country. He recalled the way the ground shook when struck by the B-52 Arclights, and he recalled the sound of enemy rounds pelting the side of his tank.
He recalled opening the hatch of the tank at one point and smelling the thick and cloying odor of perfume in the desert air. He quickly realized that smell was from their own equipment; the perfume and other gifts that he and his comrades had purchased for their wives and mothers had been obliterated by gunfire, because their gear had been strapped to the outside of the tank.
Klement was candid about his combat experiences in the Army. In spite of all the atrocities that he witnessed in Iraq committed by the Republican Guard, he would recommend military service to anyone contemplating it. He considered it a great honor to have served his country.
He came from a strong military background and can trace family military involvement all the way back to the American Revolutionary War.
"I knew from the time I was six years old that I was going into the service,GÇ¥ he said.
The city of Sultan has struggled with issues surrounding at-risk youth, and many residents are familiar with the troubled teenagers who tend to cluster in front of city hall.
"I really think that a lot of these kids could benefit so much from military service,GÇ¥ Klement said. "The discipline, the self-discipline, the respectGǪ You earn what is put on your uniform GÇô your rank GÇô everything. And with all of that comes pride.GÇ¥
"It is really something that a lot of these kids that are coming from broken homes don't have,GÇ¥ he continued.
Klement hopes to grow the Block Watch program and is working towards garnering additional public interest. Community involvement tends to ebb and flow depending on the season, and Klement is trying new ideas to see if he can attract more people. Instead of holding future Block Watch meetings at Sultan City Hall, he will be using the Sky Valley Eagles facility, which offers child care as well as food. He is also going to try holding the meeting on a Sunday, to see if that has a positive effect on attendance.
Klement enjoys spending time with his wife Maureen, their dog Joey, and their two cats Loco and Ozzy. He is an avid hunter and loves to fish as well. Additionally, he's an adept wood-worker, capable of carving out beautifully intricate designs in wood and other surfaces. He recently volunteered to engrave a series of brass nameplates for Christina Nelson's American Flag project.
Another of his passions is cooking. Chili is one of his specialties, and he also loves cooking Mexican and Italian food.
Klement has become involved with Sultan's Veterans of Foreign Wars, and marched with the Sultan VFW Color Guard during the 2014 Sultan Shindig Parade. To learn more about Sultan's VFW organization, please visit: http://www.sultanvfw2554.org/ or the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SultanVFW2554. To learn more about Sultan's Block Watch meetings, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SultanBlockWatch/.
The next Block Watch meeting is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 23 at the Sky Valley Eagles.
"This town is my little corner of the world and I'm doing the best I can here,GÇ¥ Klement said.
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