To Iraq and Back
Memories of war set vets apart

By Catherine Jablonski

Joshua Hammill is a 21-year-old Rider undergraduate whose experiences, including early-morning trips to the bathroom, differ from the average Rider student. Serving in the Army National Guard as a specialist, Hammill spent one year on active duty in the Iraq War.

During his 11 months in Iraq, Hammill stayed in trailers that were far from the bathroom facilities. If soldiers had to relieve themselves, instead of taking a walk, they would go to the side of the trailers where a barrier is set up in front of a generator. One morning, a half-dazed Hammill went and did just that. However, he did not expect a truck to be passing by at that moment.

“I was startled,” he said. “I jumped, and I pulled up my pants to run away, but I fell and slammed my head into the generator and cut my eye open. It took about three stitches.”

Lucas Kitto, 23, and Steven Forsyth, 22, also served in the Iraq War. Although these three veterans do not know each other, their experiences with war set them apart from the rest of the community.

“I can relate to the students, and we’re all the same age, but I just have a few more stories,” said Hammill, a management major and health administration minor. “At first, it was exciting just to be over there. Then you were worried about getting shot or other people getting hurt or somebody dying.

“When it gets to about six months, you start to get sick of it. You’re tired of getting shot at. You’re tired of wearing the uniform. You’re tired of the heat, the country, the desert, and then for the rest of the time, you just deal with it.”

Kitto, a sergeant who was part of the scout/sniper infantry in the Marines, said he feels the insight into what happens in war is what separates veterans from the majority of Rider students.

“In class yesterday, I heard four girls bantering about their boyfriends, and I was like, ‘Wow, you guys stay up late at night thinking about this?’” he said. “It’s all part of growing up, and I think growing up depends on the experiences you have in life. I’ve had a lot more experiences than a lot of the students and probably most of the teachers in the school. You look at life a different way. It’s hard for me to really get down on the level that they’re at, and it’s impossible for them to see where I’m coming from.”

Dealing with mortar attacks is just one of the experiences that a person in the military gets used to, said Forsyth, a global and multinational studies major and law and justice minor.

Forsyth is a field radio operator in the Marine Corps and spent six months in the war. It was Forsyth’s first day in Iraq when he was sitting in the chow hall and heard “zzzdoovf.” About 20 seconds later, the sound came again and again, gaining momentum and speed.

“Everyone gets up and starts panicking,” said Forsyth. “Food’s flying. We just run around, take cover, try to figure out what’s going on, get accountability of all the Marines, and make sure everyone’s safe.”

Constant similar attacks have left Forsyth desensitized to them.

“After a while you just get used to it,” he said. “You’d be sitting there and then — ‘zzzdoovf’— and you realize it landed just over there.” He pointed to Sweigart Hall from the Cranberry Café and said, “That building can blow up right now, and I’d look at it and think, ‘Hmm that sucks,’ while everyone else would probably be freaking out and running.”

Like college freshmen who move into a residence hall away from home for the first time, going to Iraq was an adjustment.

“Once you get off the plane, the heat hits you,” said Kitto, a global and multinational studies major. “It’s sandy, you get dust everywhere and it’s 130 degrees in the shade during the summer.”

According to Forsyth, these extreme conditions “make you appreciate the little things in life over here like green grass and trees.”

Being overseas gave Hammill a new perspective on life that he would not have obtained if he did not serve, he said.

“I realize what’s more important now,” he said. “Before going over there, I wanted to get a good job and see how much money I could make and be rich. Now after being over there for so long, being away from everybody, and being worried about whether you’re going to be killed, I just want to be happy.”

Although the continuous worry of attack and death lingered in the back of their minds, the moments when they were in contact with Iraqi civilians made them feel the risk was worth it.

“All the people wanted was a voice, and they didn’t even know they could have it until we showed up,” said Kitto.

According to Forsyth, the news media tend to focus on the negative aspects of the War.

“They don’t tell you any of the good,” he said. “The majority of the civilians were very grateful for taking Saddam out of power and happy for the new way of life.”

Hammill says most of the civilians were gracious and friendly.

“Some of the kids were naked their whole lives so we’d give them clothes and shoes,” he said. “We’d sit there and talk to them, and some of the people would make us tea.”

One village in particular stands out in Hammill’s mind.

“They were so happy that we were there because Saddam came in at one point and killed off about half of the village — just killed the people for no reason,” said Hammill. “He would do this from village to village just to show his empowerment. It made us feel good hearing them say that they were pleased that we were there.”

Just as the Iraqi civilians in that village cheered on Hammill’s battalion, Rider students and faculty encouraged him as well.

“Rider supported me the whole time I was over there, sending me stuff and writing me E-mails,” he said.

Similar to other students, Forsyth, Hammill and Kitto chose to continue their education to further their careers and lives.

“I wanted to go to college because these days a military background is great, but you really need a college degree to get any kind of job,” Kitto said.

Hammill says the real adjustment is not going overseas but returning home.

“It’s harder coming back,” Hammill said. “You don’t take crowds too well and you don’t like people being around you because you can’t always watch all sides.”

According to Kitto, “You need an adjustment time to figure out what’s going on and see how people react to you. You’re always kind of on edge for a while after you get back, but you adapt and deal with it.”

While other Rider students may be detached from the events in the Middle East, these three will remain mindful of the events occurring in Iraq.

“I have to keep informed about what is going on,” Kitto said. “I still have friends who are over there. Being a Marine is a lifestyle, and you get attached to it.”

For Hammill, his time in Iraq gave him “a greater respect for family, friends and this country.”

“It wasn’t a bad experience over all,” he said. “I liked being there and looking back on it, I am glad I was over there. After being over there, I’d do anything for this country. I would go again in a heartbeat if I had to.”