A SOLDIER'S STORY
The Good Guys
By
Franke Gracia
Certainly not all soldiers conduct themselves in an honorable manner. On the contrary, some soldiers conduct themselves in a very shameful manner, from the highest ranks to the lowest, both officers and enlisted personnel.
In fact, there are some troops with which I presently serve that I sincerely hope I never run into in the civilian world after this deployment, for I genuinely fear the end result will be posting bond.
I do all I can to distance myself from these soldiers.
I try to spend my time with soldiers like 1LT Alfredo Cavazos. We were sitting together at the chow hall one day when I happened to ask him how this tour was different from his first combat tour in Operation Desert Storm. He smiled and laughed. “The first tour,” he explained, “was an adventure. I was a private with a gun.”
He paused, then continued in a serious tone, “That first tour I was single, but after this one, I’m gonna have to sit down with my wife and have a serious re-evaluation of things.”
He paused again, sighed, then lamented, “I can’t put my family through this again.” He went on to show me a picture of his lovely wife and precious daughter. He was so proud.
Later, I reflected on his profound words. This fine officer is leading dangerous missions, risking his life on a regular basis, and yet, he thinks not of himself. Instead, he agonizes over the worry he is causing his loved ones. They don’t make them any better than Cavazos.
Then there’s the way 1LT Val Arjona talked about SFC Robert Stephenson, one of our medics. “Man, that guy’s something,” he said. “He’s ready to go on any mission, any time, any place. At the mere mention of a mission, he starts strapping on his gear and getting ready, asking if he’s needed.”
The small group with whom I was seated all nodded and smiled in agreement. Then Arjona used two words that summed up Stephenson perfectly, “That fella really has ‘moral courage.’”
They don’t make them any better than Stephenson either.
Then there’s SGM Arnoldo Martinez, widely regarded as the most squared away soldier in our task force. Personally, I think he’s the most squared away soldier in Afghanistan. Prior to this deployment, Martinez had secured a slot for Warrant Officer School. He was all ready to go when the mobilization order came, putting him in a very precarious situation. The slot was his, rightfully earned, but taking it meant foregoing the deployment, so he had to make a choice: take the slot, advance his career, and stay home from war, or put his career on hold and go to war with his men. Well, anybody who knows “Marty” will tell you there was never really any choice at all, because they don’t make them any better than Martinez either.
Veterans of World War II are often referred to as the “Greatest Generation.” I used to believe that. I no longer do. With deep, abiding respect, admiration and appreciation for what they accomplished, I will not put them (or anyone else for that matter) above the soldiers I serve alongside.
My brothers-in-arms have been shot at, ambushed, rocketed, mortared and had IEDs blow up their vehicles; they’ve been in intense firefights, had crazed suicide bombers attack them throwing grenades, and had others blow themselves up in vehicles next to their convoys. They’ve done things straight out of a Hollywood movie, only this is not a movie, and I can’t even tell you about these things as you wouldn’t believe me anyway. And yet, my brothers (and sisters) strap on their gear, day after day, and go outside the wire, again and again, mission after mission, and bravely soldier on , earning Purple Hearts, Bronze Stars and Combat Badges in what many of us have come to accept as a forgotten war.
There will always be, and always have been, in all generations, soldiers who behave shamefully. They exist in my task force, but they are the few. Thankfully, most are like Cavazos, Stephenson and Martinez, serving selflessly with dignity and honor. I will always be proud to have served alongside them. This is something no one can ever take away from me, and something I will never be able to adequately describe or explain – to anyone, ever.
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Franke Gracia lives in Temple, Texas and was deployed in Afghanistan with the National Guard from May 2005 to April 2006. He is a math professor at Temple College and is very close to his family that includes two brothers and two sisters. He earned a bronze star while he was deployed, which he gave to his mother. As to why he decided to write this series of articles he says, "I hope folks who read my scribbling will gain a greater appreciation of what a citizen-soldier goes through during a deployment."
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