130                                 U.S. MARINES IN THE PERSIAN GULF, 19901991

Major General Myatt coninianded the 1st Marine Division.  in this interview,
General Myaa comments on a number of subjects, including the integration of
Marine air and ground forces during the 1st Marine Division's drive to Kuwait
City, and the division's efforts to solve the problem of friendly fire casualties.

The     1 St M-arine Division in the Attack

interview with Major General J. M. Myatt, USMC

U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings, November 1991


Proceedings: You had barely assumed command of the division when you went
to war. How well did you know your individual commanders?

Myatt: When we got into Desert Storm, I knew all but one of the regimental
commanders very well. One had worked for me on a previous assignment, and
I had known another for years.  I also knew General [William M.] Keys, who
commanded the 2d Marine Division, and two of his regimental commanders.
When Marines go to war, it seems as if everybody knows each other.

Proceedings: How did you deploy your division initially?

Myatt: We were capped at 14,500 Marines for Desert Shield.   We were there
to defend Saudi Arabia's economic center of gravity, as well as the Central
Command's center of gravity, in the sense that both the Jubayl and Dammam
port complexes and the airfields that supported them were vital to our forces.

Proceedings: I asked General [John] Hopkins when he was ready to defend and
he said 25 August.

Myatt: His brigade would have been something to contend with. I have to tell
you that they would have been in there earlier, or could have been, if the
decision had been made to deploy the MPF early enough, but that decision was
not made, as I recall, until Friday, 10 August.

Proceedings: When did you get to Saudi Arabia?

Myatt: I got there on 25 August.