Veteran Salute: Adapting in Jordan after Hussein's family defected

EMPORIA (KSNT) - Born and raised in Emporia, Robert Cunningham would go on to see a lot of foreign shores with the Marines. The moment that stands out the most? A change in directives following the defection of an international dictator's family.

For the Emporia native, choosing which branch to join following graduation was pretty simple.

“The Marines seemed like they were interested," Cunningham said. "Seemed like it was a better way to go for me at that time. More of a challenge, and I was already physically fit.” 

With the Marines, Cunningham saw more of the world than he ever expected while raveling from Okinawa to Singapore, to the Red Sea and Jordan. That's when the adaptability of his unit was put to the ultimate test.

“We ended up spending about a month and a half on the ground in Jordan," Cunningham said. "We were supposed to be there just to help train the Jordanian military. These five-ton trucks show up, and they’re loaded with live ammunition, everything that we need to go into combat. They’re like, 'Unload the trucks, everybody load up, Saddam’s (Hussein) family defected and they’re heading across the border, and Saddam’s military is chasing them.' It was no lie, they were. At one point, not where I was at, but some of the people in the unit that I was with where physically able to see the Iraq military through binoculars coming at the border. They had got that close. We were right there." 

Going from a training group to essentially a fully fledged combat unit and providing security along the Jordan border wasn't in the cards originally, but that didn't phase Cunningham or his comrades.

“Believe it or not, the mood never really changed," Cunningham said. "We were there to do a job. Course typically Marines, nothing really bothers us, you know.”  

Being in Jordan for that significant moment in history still strongly resonates with the Marine all these years later.

“I was proud to be there. I was," He said. "I really honestly thought I would never get that close to a combat situation, but I was proud to be there. I was proud to be with other Marines. I figured if it was going to come down to it, I was right where I needed to be.” 

Cunningham is keeping plenty busy nowadays, working as a road grader in Lyon County. He keeps his military history interest thriving with a WWII reenactment group he runs in Emporia. That group gives back to his hometown community, helping with the freedom fest every year.