James Loven, Veteran of the Oil-Misted Saudi Arabian Desert

If you live around the Preston area it’s likely you know or have heard of James Loven. His story spans from quiet farm fields in Peterson to the oil-misted deserts of Saudi Arabia. James was born in 1956 and was raised on his family farm outside of Peterson, Minn. He spent his years farming in the early 1980s – until the farm crisis led him to  join the military for job security.

In 1985, James joined the Marine Corps and in 1989 he joined the National Guard, serving for 15 years. In December 1990, James volunteered for Operation Desert Shield.

James and six other men from Austin, Minnesota, deployed together to Saudi Arabia. Loven is still in touch with a couple of those men today. In the desert, Loven’s mission was important driving trucks loaded with ammunition and bombs; for safety and to avoid conflict, these transports were conducted under the cover of night. Loven recalls the unique landscape of the region, specifically the two types of sand: white and yellow. While the white sand was “crunchy” and could be broken through, the yellow sand acted like snow, constantly drifting and making it difficult to drive without sinking or getting stuck. Even parked vehicles weren’t safe from the drifts.

James felt safe while being in Saudi Arabia thanks to the A-10 Warthogs flying over for protection. Because of the open desert, no trees or even cacti, nobody was able to sneak up on them.

Although they were far from home, there was a phone tent with around 100 phones which was open at all times. James made his calls around 2 a.m. so his family was awake and so there weren’t any lines of people waiting to make calls. To make calls they had to pay using credit cards or make collect calls.

During his seven-month deployment in Saudi Arabia, James got to witness one of the worst manmade environmental disasters in human history, the Kuwaiti oil fires. At the peak of the disaster, the burning wellheads torched an estimated 4-6 million barrels of crude oil each day, and the effects were noticeable. The oil fires burned so bad that when they drove under the clouds it would get cool and a light oil mist would rain down creating thin layers over vehicles. This couldn’t be ignored, because the sun would bake the oil to the glass and you would have to scrape it off like ice. As a result they had to clean the oil off the vehicles, though it could be seen through.

James ended up spending seven months in Saudi Arabia with a majority of it being in the “rainy” season which goes through April. He said they only had two inches of rain that April which was enough for a small seed spill from a transport truck to quickly grow and die. The local bridges crossed only roads and oil pipelines, a stark contrast to the rivers and trees of Minnesota. In the distance, however, he could see western mountains that they could not go to.

Today James is a part of four military organizations, the American Legion, VFW, DAV, and PVA along with the Lions Club. He is also still advocating for policy changes, recently, how state and national funding is being handled.

Following his diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), James has faced significant life changes. For years, he used walkers and crutches, and by 2014, he was in a wheelchair almost full time, but that hasn’t stopped him from doing what he wants. In 2019, he had to stop driving, although today he has a “Cadillac of wheelchairs” which can get him anywhere he wants – including the grocery store, church, the bike trail, and the fair. According to its manual, his wheelchair can go 15 miles on one charge. James said, “I believe they put that on flat ground and a hard surface,” as he often travels on gravel, grass, and major hills. His wheelchair has no problems getting him to where he needs to go keeping him independent. His wheelchair also has many features allowing him to be at eye level with people or lay back like on a bed. A chair like his can cost over $25,000.

When James moved into the Preston Veterans Home in January 2024 it was the second day of opening; he was the seventh resident to move in. He emphasized he was unsure if he would know anybody when he moved in, but was happy to see familiar faces from LeRoy and Peterson. James likes living at the veterans home, especially because of the physical therapy care he can receive without having to make external appointments and separate visits. A barber comes in weekly, and they have live music multiple times each week. He said because of the veterans home he gets to go out more often and not be stuck inside. James appreciates the military not only for his career, but also for the care he receives and other residents he gets to connect with.