“Hey mister,” a young boy yells as he puts his hand in his mouth with the hope of receiving food.
The child’s voice fades into the background as others yell out “Bush good, Saddam bad” while throwing their hands in the air, giving a thumbs up to the men in uniform.
“The first town we hit from the freeway was a poor rural town,” Cpl. Eric Estenzo of the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) said as he recalled his first impressions of Iraq.
“Everything was shut up; tents were filled up, there were mud houses structured from clay, women covered in black, men dressed in long dresses while tending to camels and sheep,” Estenzo said.
“I thought I was in Genesis or one of the chapters in the Bible. It fascinated me and was something I’ve never encountered before,” he said.
Estenzo, 28-year-old EC art major, joined the USMC and became a reserve in 1999. He is a light armor vehicle technician.
Traveling to a country he had only studied in the classroom in preparation for his deployment in March 2003, Estenzo thought of his experience of going to Iraq as an adventure awaiting him.
“I was somewhat excited to be there and had a bit of an adrenaline rush as I knew I was getting closer to combat,” Estenzo said.
Estenzo’s excitement soon disappeared as reality set in once he arrived in Iraq.
“I felt the change (of excitement) to despair, sort of melancholy,” Estenzo said.
“Everything turned eerie, dark and evil; death was around us and I could feel hatred in the air once we passed the border,” he said.
Estenzo’s unit was sent to Iraq to handle control missions and to provide humanitarian aid, such as to patrol and for protection.
While Estenzo fought in Iraq, he visited the cities of Kuwait, Al-Kut, Nassari, Baddra, Babylon and Baghdad, all within seven months.
Not only did Estenzo and his fellow troops have to endure the sight of hungry children and intense violence, but at one point, they went three to four months without any connection to the outside world.
“Nothing was set up,” Estenzo said. “That is one reason it reminded me of Biblical times.”
Mail was a lifeline for the troops, and Estenzo said that when they finally received a satellite phone, the men and women were excited to use it to hear the voices of their family and their friends.
To get through the day, Estenzo became fascinated with the Iraqis.
“It felt like I was an explorer; I was more captivated with the culture than with my mission,” Estenzo said.
He also developed friendships with some of the Iraqis.
“I gave them hope and something to believe in for the future,” Estenzo said.
Creating bonds with the people helped Estenzo and his fellow troops out as they were often warned of possible attacks or given the names of future perpetrators.
Coming home, Estenzo said he went through a four-day transition, emotionally and mentally.
“It (the war) brought me closer to family and made me realize how important family cohesion is,” Estenzo said.”It (the war) made me realize what we have in America and how there are so many things to be grateful for.”
In the end, Estenzo said he thinks being sent to Iraq was worth it.
“Risking my life for the freedom and the protection of America and getting rid of Saddam, who oppressed his people, was the right thing to do. In Iraq, eighty-five percent of the people live in the slums and there are no laws to protect women,” Estenzo said.
Sharing the same anticipation as Estenzo, Felipe Rodriguez, 26, an electric engineering major, was ready to go into combat.
“The whole country is depending on us and we want to go and fulfill our obligation,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez is a sergeant in the U.S. Army. He has served four years active duty and three years in the Reserves.
Arriving in Iraq, Rodriguez discovered why it was important for him and so many others to make the journey.
“Even though we found no weapons of mass destruction, at least the question wasn’t up in the air that Saddam was a dictator. He had gravesites filled with the thousands of people he has killed at a time,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said a lot of Iraqis who are resisting the U.S. forces don’t understand democracy.
“We were there in another country protecting and enforcing democracy, and when they show resistance toward us; that’s what makes democracy possible even if it’s directed toward us,” Rodriguez said. “They can do that because that’s what democracy means.”
To get through the day, Rodriguez would pay $300 to $400 a month to talk on the telephone.
Helping the Iraqi people is what Rodriguez said helped him deal with giving up a year of his life.
“I suffered and lost so much. I lost a year of college, a year of friendships, time with my family and a great relationship with a woman. My sister had a baby and I missed out on the first year of being an uncle,” Rodriguez said. Lance cpl. Edwin Portillo, an EC film major, has been a field radio operator in the USMC Reserves for two years and can be deployed at any time.
“It’s stressful because you have a civilian life that coincides with your Marine life,” he said. “And yet you’re trying to get things done in your civilian life, but everything could change at a drop of a button.”
Portillo is currently starting his independent film career, which could come to an abrupt halt any moment.
“I’m trying to build connections, but there’s no way to plan; I could start a project then have to leave,” Portillo said.
To get through these uncertain times, Portillo said he tries not to think about it.
“I choose not to think about the separation from my family and my girlfriend, and I avoid talking about it with them. I just try to be as optimistic as possible,” he said.
However, Portillo said he is excited to serve with fellow Marines.
“I can meet a Marine right now and he’s automatically my brother. I’d say it’s great to go if it means helping out my buddies out there,” Portillo said.
He said he also tries not to think about any of the political reasons behind the war.
“We don’t care about the politics of the war,” Portillo said. “When it comes down to it, we’re sent there not to kill, but to help other Marines and to fight for the Marine next to us.”
When visualizing what lies ahead if deployed, Portillo said he has no idea what to expect and just hopes to make it through his tour of duty and come back to America healthy.
“When I think of war, I’m not afraid to be deployed,” Portillo said. “That doesn’t mean I’m not afraid of war, but as a Marine I want to do my job, which is to serve with other Marines, and I hope to perform at the level I’m required to,” Portillo said.
Although Portillo lives with knowing today may be the day he hears he may leave, he refuses to let it control his life.
“I accept the fact that I may go or I may not, so I deal with it; if I stress about it, I’ll make it worse,” Portillo said.” I can’t let it disrupt what I’m doing or let it stop me from doing things.”
