Collection Highlights

See other highlights from the collection Field Marshal Baton of Herman Goering POW uniform of Sgt. Allen Dunlap Civil War Drum MIA/KIA Telegrams of Pvt. Steven T. Lester Personal effects of Cpl. Aaron Yamin Spirit Chest of Ulysses S. Grant

"I came here to kill Saddam Hussein.".

This is the uniform of SGT Troy Allen Dunlap, a U.S. Infantryman/Pathfinder serving with "C" Co., 509th Parachute Inf. Detachment, 2d Battalion, 229th AVN Regiment, attached to the 101st ABN Division.

SGT Dunlap was one of 8 volunteers who went into Kuwait to try and rescue a downed U.S. F-16 pilot. He was a door gunner on the UH-60 (Blackhawk) helicopter on 27 Feb 91 and said, "We were traveling 100 mph about 20 feet off the ground when the tail of the helicopter was shot off." Five members of the crew were killed in the crash. SGT Dunlap and two other survivors were captured by Iraqi forces.

When asked by his Republican Guard interrogators what his mission was he told them, "I came here to kill Saddam Hussein." SGT Dunlap was beaten and tortured. He was kept in solitary confinement, standing up, with a rope around his neck so that whenever he relaxed, the rope would choke him.

He was given this uniform to wear while he was held as a prisoner from 27 Feb 91 to 5 Mar 91. At first, it was reported that SGT Dunlap had been killed in action at age 20. He was one of only 21 U.S. soldiers captured in the Gulf War, and the only U.S. Infantryman.