This 'desert shield' is for the troops. (Stemaco Products' goggles) (company profile)

A letter from a U.S. Army captain is posted on the bulletin board at Stemaco Products in Port Huron. The hometown boy, a 1973 graduate of Port Huron High School, wanted to say thanks for the sun and wind goggles that the company makes for the military.

"Our soldiers use them day and night to keep both the fine dust/sand and bright sunlight out of their eyes. Keep up the fine job," wrote Greg Bartley from Saudi Arabia.

"We don't get many letters from soldiers. But it helps our spirit when we do," says George Snyder, Stemaco's general manager.

The small, 60-employee company is cranking out 10,000 goggles a week for Operation Desert Shield. The original contract, awarded before the Aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait, called for 350,000 goggles. But now the Defense Departmet has exercised its option for another 350,000. It will take Stemaco's three shifts most of 1991 to fill the $1.5 million order.

The frames for the goggles are made of injection molded rubber. The lens are flexible clear plastic made from cellulose acetate butyrate. The goggles come a with clear lens for wind protection and a spare grey lens to block sun glare. All U.S. ground troops are issued a pair in a flip-top carrying case.

The Saud Arabian government has approached Stemaco about purchasing goggles, but hasn't placed an order yet.

"Almost every day we hear something about the 'probability' of ...