Julianna+B.+&+Meagan+Y.+-+Burt+Williams


 * __Biographical Data__ **


 * 1) **When and where were you born? **
 * 2) **Who are your parents and what do they do? **
 * 3) **Do you have any siblings and what are their ages and genders? **
 * 4) **What was your childhood like? **
 * 5) **Did you have any family or friends in the service? **
 * 6) **What were you doing prior to entering the service? **


 * __Early Days of Service__ **
 *  7. Did you enlist or were you drafted? **
 *  8. If you enlisted, why did you choose to? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 9. How old were you when signing up? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 10. What made you choose the Marines? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 11. Did you have to go through basic training? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 12. If yes, where was your camp and when did you leave? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 13. Do you remember your drill sergeant? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 14. What was a day in basic training like? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 15. What were the physical requirements? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 16. What were the mental requirements? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 17. How did you feel about training overall? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 18. What did you do in your freetime? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 19. Did you form any friendships? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 20. Was the food good? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 21. Where did you sleep? **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Wartime Service__ **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 22. Where did you go after completing basic training? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 23. Did you need to complete any specialized training? Please describe it. **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 24. Where and when did you serve and for how long? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 25. What war/conflict were you fighting in? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 26. What do you think caused the conflict? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 27. Did you and your unit have any specific goals or missions planned to fight the **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> conflict? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 28. Did you have a unit? Did you stay with the one from training? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 29. What were the conditions of your location? -sleep, food, surrounding area? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 30. What were you feeling and thinking when you arrived in Iraq? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 31. What were your duties and where did they take place? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 32. Did you see combat? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 33. Can you please tell us about some of your missions? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 34. How did you feel when seeing combat? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 35. what kind of weapons did you use? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 36. Did you see any American civilians or media tracking the progress of the conflict? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 37. How did you keep in contact with your family? How often? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 38. Did you get along with the people in your unit? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 39. Was there ever any times that you wished you could go home? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 40. Did you have any time off or recreation? **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">__War’s End, Coming Home__ **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 41. Did the conflict turn out the way you thought? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 42. Did you receive any medals or awards after returning home? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 43. When did you return home? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 44. How did you get home? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 45. When you came home, who was there to greet you? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 46. How were you treated after coming home? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 47. How did it feel to finally see your family again? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 48. Was it difficult to adjust to civilian life again? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 49. What were some of the things you missed most? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 50. Have you kept in touch with any fellow veterans? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 51. Do you miss being overseas? Do you ever think about going back into active **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> duty? **


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Reflections__ **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 52. How did your wartime experiences affect your life? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 53. Did you learn any life lessons from your time in the military? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 54. Did you see any changes in America when you returned? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 55. Did you see any significant changes in Iraq after you came home? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 56. When you look back upon your time in the Marines service, what are your favorite **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> memories? **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 57. Can you please show us your uniform and other items from your time in the **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Marines? **

__**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Transcript **__

Williams Transcript Meagan Yoder and Julianna Bowers Yoder: The name of our veteran is Burt Williams. Mr. Williams was born on January 26, 1983. He served in the Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom and was an E-4 Corporal. We will be interviewing Mr. Williams today, January 24, 2015 in Jonestown, PA. I, Meagan Yoder and my partner, Julianna Bowers, will be interviewing Mr. Williams who is a friend of my family, along with the help of my father, Kevin Yoder who will be handling the camera. This interview is being conducted for the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress. Yoder: So, when and where were you born?

Mr. Williams: I was born in Reading, Pennsylvania on January 26, 1983.

Bowers: Who are your parents and what do they do?

Mr. Williams: My parents are Terry and Susan Williams. My mother just recently retired. She was a nurse, a registered nurse her entire life. My father was in the banking business and is now working at a hardware store until he retires later this year.

Yoder: Do you have any siblings?

Mr Williams: Yes, I do. I have one sister. Her name is Laurie. She is thirty-six years old.

Bowers: What was your childhood like?

Mr. Williams: My childhood...it was good. I was playful, had a lot of friends. I had things I liked to do, you know, I loved riding bicycles, stuff like that. Playing in the dirt with cars and stuff like that. You could say I had a really good child life.

Yoder: Did you have any friends or family in the service before you?

Mr. Williams: Yes. My grandfather on my mother’s side. He was in the army. I had my father’s dad. He was in the…he was in the Army as well. And then I had some, another friend growing up with who was also joining the Marines and he inspired me to join the Marines.

Bowers: Did you enlist into the Marines?

Mr. Williams: Yes.

Bowers: And why did you choose to do that?

Mr. Williams: Because I wanted to, I wanted to fight for our country. I knew going out of high school that… I didn’t want to go straight to college. I just wanted to do more with my life and I don’t regret any of it at all and I made a lot of great friends from doing it and it certainly paid off.

Yoder: How old were you when you signed up to be in the Marines?

Mr. Williams: I was seventeen. I had to get a waiver for my mother to sign and I went to boot camp at eighteen.

Yoder: And your family was supportive of your decisions?

Mr. Williams: Yes.

Bowers: Why did you choose the Marines out of every other branch?

Mr. Williams: Well, when I was making the decision, I was either going to go the Marines or the Air Force… and truthfully, I went into the Marines because I knew it was tougher and...it was something I wanted to accomplish and I took a lot of pride in it and I knew I would take more pride in joining the Marines than any other branch so that’s why.

Yoder: Did you go through basic training?

Mr. Williams: Yes.

Yoder: Where was it at?

Mr. Williams: Paris Island in South Carolina. It was an island right off the East coast surrounded by swamp.

Bowers: What was a day in basic training like?

Mr. Williams: A lot of exercising, a lot of yelling. We did a lot of stuff that was like, team sort of. We were relying on others and they were relying on you activities. We went on a lot of long hikes with packs, riffles. A lot of marching we called a drill. Just a lot of stuff that would…we kind of break you down and they wanted to build you up into their, their ways.

Yoder: Do you remember your drill sergeant?

Mr. Williams: I remember all three of them.

Yoder: What were they like?

Mr. Williams: At first, they seemed pretty mean, nasty but that was their job. That’s what they were supposed to do but they’re, they’re people too. That’s how I looked at it. They were there to do a job, to build Marines and then, that’s what they did. We had three of them. We had a senior drill instructor. Which he was kind of like the father figure out of the three. His name was, at the time, Staff Sergeant English and then they had two below him that they did, kind of the, the grunt work. It was Sergeant Skefo, his name was and then we had another…Staff Sergeant Fields and they did the majority of the training and if we had another issue or anything like that, we would go to the Senior Drill Instructor and he would advise.

Bowers: What did you do on your free time?

Mr. Williams: In boot camp? Usually write letters home to my family, friends, shine our boots, organize things. We didn’t have a lot of free time so there wasn’t really much to do. We couldn’t leave or nothing so.

Yoder: What were the physical requirement in basic training like?

Mr. Williams: The requirements were, by the end, we had to be able to run three miles within, I believe it was twenty-four minutes. You had to do pull-ups. I don’t, I don’t remember the amount that you had to do that was required but I always got my twenty. That’s pretty much all the requirements...oh, there was sit-ups as well. You had to do a minimum of fifty sit-ups in two minutes, or something like that.

Bowers: What were the mental requirements for it?

Mr. Williams: We had to be mentally strong obviously. We couldn’t be weak. You couldn’t be crazy even though you felt it sometimes but…you, you just had to be a very strong-willed person to be able to, to get through Marine boot camp.

Yoder: How did you feel about training overall?

Mr. Williams: Afterwards, I kind of laughed at it. I still do, some of the things that went on, you know. But it, it was a good experience. You know, it builds, it breaks you down and builds you back up into someone, someone a little different, you know, a little bit of a tougher person. It was definitely a life changing event I can say.

Bowers: What was the food like?

Mr. Williams: The food was okay. We weren’t allowed any sweets or anything, any desserts. You couldn’t even have any…anything to drink other than water so, you know, you took what you got, ate it in a certain amount of time. They, they were always counting down as soon as you sit down and start eating. You didn’t have much time, so. You didn’t even really get to taste the food that much but it was okay I guess.

Yoder: Did you form any friendships in basic training?

Mr. Williams: Yes I did. And two of those guys, I ended up, after boot camp, we were in the same unit throughout the whole, throughout my whole service and I still speak to them this day.

Bowers: Where did you sleep and were the sleeping quarters comfortable?

Mr. Williams: We slept in what was called a squad bay. There were sixty-two guys in my platoon that I remember. There were all bunk beds. I was the bottom bunk. Everyone slept in alphabetical order. The beds were alright. We always had to have them made, you know, the sheets always had to be tight and everything. That’s how it is.

Yoder: Did you complete any specialized training?

Mr. Williams: Yes. I went to motor transport school in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. I was there for two months…and also…did school of infantry training in North Carolina at Camp Johnson. That was after boot camp. I also did some other specialty training once I was in my assigned unit as well in California, West Virginia, Virginia, Florida and that’s it.

Yoder: Were all of those camps based on teaching you the same thing?

Mr. Williams: For the most part, yeah, the same thing. Just in different environments.

Bowers: And where did you go then after specialized training?

Mr. Williams: After that…after that, then I went to my assigned unit, 1 st Battalion 2 nd Marines. We called it a victory unit. I got assigned there, that was…March 2002 and that was Camp Lejeune.

Yoder: What war or conflict were you fighting in?

Mr. Williams: It was Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was there two times.

Bowers: What do you think caused the conflict?

Mr. Williams: Well, at first, when we invaded Iraq, on March 20, 2003, it was because we had suspicions that the Iraqi government possessed weapons of mass destruction…and they would not give up those weapons so we invaded their country. And that’s why we went.

Yoder: Did you and your unit have any specific goals or missions to fight against the conflict?

Mr. Williams: Yes. My first tour to Iraq, we headed North from Kuwait on March 20, 2003 and our objective was to go to the city of Nasiriyah, just South of Baghdad. Our mission was to secure two bridges. The Euphrates River crossed under them. We had to secure those bridges. In order for the remaining units to push North, we had to secure the area, secure the city and make sure the other units could head North, up to Baghdad and so on and that was our, our mission there and we completed it. It wasn’t pretty but we did. And then, my second tour, we went, went back and our job was to secure a power plant that ran along the Euphrates River and it was a major power plant for all of Southern Iraq and it was also a Iraqi National Guard training camp that we trained and we just had to keep that area secured and that’s what I did my second tour.

Bowers: Did you have the same unit you were with or did you, were you with different people?

Mr. Williams: No I was in the same unit, the 1 st Battalion 2 nd Marines, my whole time in the Marines. Yoder: What were the conditions of your location in Iraq? Where did you sleep, what did you eat?

Mr. Williams: The first time I was there, that was when we first invaded Iraq. I slept on the ground for six months or we would take turns sleeping on the hood of the Humvee because it was warm. The heat of the engine would come up so we would take turns sleeping on the hood. Other than that, you slept on the ground in a sleeping bag right next door to our truck. My second time, it was much better. At the power plant, like I mentioned earlier, it was kind of like a big, open warehouse and we had cots in there, where we slept in. It was kind of like bunk beds and there was actually a roof over our heads this time so it was much better the second time.

Bowers: What were you feeling or thinking when you arrived in Iraq?

Mr. Williams: I was like wow, how did I get somewhere like this, you know, how did I end up here. Because, it’s totally different than here in the U.S. It’s their way of life that’s a lot different. It’s very hot. I just can’t wait to get of here and go back home.

Yoder: What were your duties and where did they take place?

Mr. Williams: My duties were convoy security. I drove a gun truck we called it, a Humvee. It had a automatic grenade launcher that on the roof, that someone manned. What our job was, it was to provide security in transporting troops, gear, officers from Point A to Point B safely. I wasn’t the only one. There were several others, other trucks in the convoy as well. I did that both times, both in my first deployment and my second deployment. And that was it. Bowers: Did you see any combat?

Mr. Williams: Yes, I did.

Yoder: Can you please tell us about some of your missions?

Mr. Williams: Some of the missions were…we went out to Baghdad a lot. We would take people that got injured or pick them up. There was a main hospital there in Baghdad where people would get treated if they got injured. We would go up there frequently. Fallujah, we drove all the way up there just to pick up gear, people, whatever. Every now and then, we did humanitarian missions which would be like going around, handing out food or something. I remembered one specific mission we went on was kind of funny. It was called Operation Blueberry Muffin. We had a significant amount of Otis Spunkmeyer blueberry muffins and… guys would go around and knock on doors and give the people muffins and I helped to hold the security while that was going on. So, that was a memorable mission.

__Narrative__
Meagan Yoder and Julianna Bowers

__Burt Williams__

Burt Williams was born on January 26, 1983 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Mr. Williams had a pretty good childhood and had lots of friends. He enlisted into the Marines right after high school. “I didn’t want to go straight to college. I just wanted to do more with my life,” he said. He was 17 and needed to get a waiver signed by his mother. At 18, he went to boot camp with the support of his family backing him up. When the time came for Mr. Williams to pick the branch of military he wanted to pursue, he was torn between the Air Force and the Marines. He explained his decision by stating, “Truthfully, I went to the Marines because I knew it was tougher...I would take more pride in joining the Marines than any other branch.” For basic training, he traveled to Paris Island in South Carolina. He described a normal day in basic training. “A lot of exercising, a lot of yelling. We did a lot of stuff that was like, team sort of. We were relying on others and they were relying on you activities. We went on a lot of long hikes with packs, riffles. A lot of marching we called a drill. Just a lot of stuff that would…we kind of break you down and they wanted to build you up into their, their ways.” His drill sergeants were very memorable, and Mr. Williams described them as mean and nasty but he knew that it was their job to build up the men into strong Marines and being firm and harsh was the only way to do that. His Senior Staff Sergeant English was considered to be the father figure whereas Staff Sergeant Fields and Sergeant Skefo did the training. During boot camp, the men had to work hard to meet the many physical requirements, as well as the mental requirements. You had no choice but to be strong and deny any weaknesses. But, during the time they were allowed to themselves, the men would write letters home to their families, shine their boots, or just rest. Overall, boot camp was rough and tiring. Mr. Williams said, “It was definitely a life changing event I can say.” Upon completing boot camp, Mr. Williams was sent to specialized training in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri where he was trained in motor transport. In Iraq, Mr. Williams would have the job of driving in security convoys. He was tasked with the responsibility of transporting supplies or people safely from one place to another. In specialized training, he was taught everything he would need to know to complete that job. He learned how to drive the humvees, how to control masses of people that could get out of hand, and everything else he would need to know while driving in the convoy securities. After completing all of his training, Mr. Williams was placed in the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines and was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. His first tour in Iraq wasn’t easy. Upon arriving in Iraq, his first thoughts were, “Wow, how did I get somewhere like this.” He stated that the Iraqi way of life was just completely different from America and that was a hard adjustment. Their first mission started when they invaded on March 20, 2003 and spent a period of time trying to secure two bridges going over the Euphrates River. The Marines needed full access to those bridges so other units could get through. The task was rough and so were the conditions Mr. Williams and his unit were staying in. He recalled, “I slept on the ground for six months or we would take turns sleeping on the hood of the humvee because it was warm.” The Marines in Iraq weren’t handed the best conditions but they made the best of what they had. His second tour in Iraq had better conditions. He slept in a warehouse on a cot with the rest of his battalion. The main mission of this tour was to secure a power plant that powered the majority of Southern Iraq. Although many of Mr. Williams’ missions were focused more on the combat side of the scale, he did participate in a few humanitarian missions as well. One specific mission he recalled was labeled as Operation Blueberry Muffin. The Marines were given a lot of Otis Spunkmeyer blueberry muffins and they went door to door, distributing the muffins to the Iraqi people. While that was going on, Mr. Williams and his convoy were holding down the security. During his time in the Marines, Mr. Williams made a lot of good friends. During boot camp especially, he became close with a couple of guys and luckily, they were all put in the same unit. From there, they went through tours together and sticking together like that for months at a time creates life long relationships. He and those men still talk to this day. There were certain points in time that Mr. Williams wished that he could go home. He missed his family more than anything and being in a dangerous, foreign place was not ideal. Although it wasn’t the best conditions to be in, Mr. Williams did his best to find even the small things to be happy about. He commented on the adrenaline rush he would constantly have from the thrill of knowing that things could change in an instant. Furthermore, fighting for his country and protecting who and what he loves was also a major motivator. When it came time for Mr. Williams to return home, he was overjoyed to finally be able to see his family, all of them standing there waiting for him in the airport. Coming home was an adjustment for sure, but it definitely wasn’t a hard one. Mr. Williams had missed the luxuries that the U.S. and his home had provided him with. It was nice to sit on a couch for the first time in months and watch T.V. It was nice to eat pizza and wear other clothes than his uniform. It was nice to be able to relax. Today, Mr. Williams is working as a prison guard. He doesn’t miss being in the Marines but he does look back and is proud of what he did. Mr. Williams went into the Marines being a young adult fresh out of high school but he came out a strong, independent individual. Being in the Marines is sometimes stressful and scary, but at the end of the day, protecting your country is worth it. He had his fair share of struggles while in Iraq but it taught him many things about life and himself. Does he regret joining the Marines? “It was definitely a life changing event...it makes you who you are and I think I’m a lot better person for it. I don’t regret it at all.”