Back from Battle: Marine from San Jose

Originally published in the San Jose Mercury News

Age: 29

Military branch: Marine Corps Reserve, sergeant

Home: San Jose

Deployed: Iraq, 2003 invasion

My first day of Marine Corps boot camp was on 9/9/1999. It was a peaceful time, and I never imagined that I would be involved in a war. I joined the USMC Reserve so I could stay home and go to school. Sept. 11, 2001, changed everything.

My unit, the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment stationed in San Bruno, was called to active duty in January 2002 to serve one year for homeland security. We moved down to Camp Pendleton to train and be ready to deploy in case of another homeland emergency. As the months passed, the case against Iraq grew. We were extended and sent to the Kuwaiti desert to await the invasion. I spent my 22nd birthday waiting to go to war.

The day came when President Bush gave the order to invade, so we mounted the vehicles and moved to the Iraqi border. I remember the look on everyone’s face — the uncertainty, whether we were all going to make it out alive. I have to admit that a big part of me was very excited about going to war, because no one made me join the Marines. I wanted to be a Marine, and it is a great honor to fight for my country.

This is how I think most of us feel. I experienced many hardships that come with being a grunt, but that is the way it is. Our training is very intensive and helps save lives. We want to fight and win for our country, not die for our country.

As we traveled north, we began to see Iraqis for the first time. It seemed that most were glad to see us and supported toppling Saddam Hussein. We rolled into some towns where people lined the streets and cheered us like we were liberators. This made me feel very proud. It was clear that these people were suffering under the regime.

Resistance began to increase the further north we traveled, into more populated areas. You could sometimes see flashes from the distance before you heard rounds hit the vehicles that we were in. The next thing you knew, you had every single Marine unloading a barrage of firepower on the enemy until they were destroyed.

They really had no chance. I witnessed hundreds of dead bodies and body parts just scattered all over the place. It is too bad that they did not recognize the deadly consequence of attacking American troops. We all want to come home alive and we are not taking any chances. It was about keeping your brothers alive and letting the enemy die for his country.

We had to deal with threat of a chemical attack, so we wore protective suits and carried gas masks. There were some very hot days, and those suits made us feel even hotter and more miserable. We also dealt with one of the worst sandstorms that Iraq had seen in years. The dust made it absolutely dark. It felt like dirt was just thrown at your face all day and the dirt got in everywhere, even our food.

We were so pumped when we approached Baghdad, because we knew that this was it. Secure Baghdad and maybe we could think about going home one day. We rolled in and began securing our area of responsibility. I was glad that we did not have to travel anymore; we were tired of riding on the vehicles and tired of being in a different place every day. We spent the next few weeks patrolling the streets of Baghdad, and then we were pulled out and flown back to Kuwait.

Flying home from war was one of the best feelings of my life; it felt like I was reborn. I got a second chance at life and I wanted to accomplish more, like graduating from college and starting a new career. I have received so much praise from so many people and I appreciate every single person who gives thanks. It really makes it easier to deal with some of the doubts that arise politically about the war.

The VA has been great, helping me with counseling and medical treatment. I urge all returning veterans to seek and redeem all the benefits they have earned. I also would recommend that all combat veterans contact their nearest Vet Center for help adjusting back to civilian life.

I have had some difficulties, mostly dealing with anger issues. It is very easy to get irritated, and I do not feel comfortable around huge crowds. It sometimes feels like something horrible is about to happen and it puts me in a paranoid mood. I have dreams of waking up in Iraq as if coming home has just been a dream all along. I know the war is over, but it still feels like I was there yesterday. I will never forget the images of death and destruction that took place. I’m sure I’ll carry those memories until the day I die.

I have managed to move along and focus on better taking care of my family. I finally married my eighth-grade sweetheart on 7/7/07. We have three beautiful girls who I love so much. I would do anything for them. My family is why I worked and attended college full time in order to have a better future. I graduated in 2009 from San Jose State University with a degree in business administration, management.

The GI Bill helped me pay for college, and I purchased my first home through a VA home loan. I currently work in sales at a fastener distribution company in Sunnyvale. I feel up to this point in my life that I have been very successful.

The U.S. Marine Corps has given me the discipline and the confidence to accomplish anything I want to achieve. Marines can adapt and overcome any situation, and we do not give up. This country was built by veterans. I feel that we have so many opportunities in this great country of ours to do great things and make this world a better place for all. God bless everyone. SEMPER FI!

Read the original article in the San Jose Mercury News.