2008 Woodie Awards
Soldiers learn valuable lessons from Iraq
War: Desire to fight terrorism conquers the fear of death
By: Stella Sutphin
Issue date: 5/6/04 Section: Features
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"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.
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.