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Description
Oral history interview of Omar Padilla. Interview conducted by Melissa Liebman at Orlando, Florida.
Log
0:30 Introduction; 1:00 Choosing to enlist and reasons why; 2:00 Why he chose the Army; 2:30 Early days of training camp; 3:30 Adjusting to military life; 4:00 Leave from training and hometown recruiting; 5:00 Sent to Texas and life in Texas; 6:00 Spare time during battle training; 7:00 First deployment to National Training Center [FOLLOWED BY "(CA)"; IN LOG]; 8:00 First tour in Iraq, general facts; 9:00 Life in Baghdad/the people of Baghdad; 10:00 Most memorable moments in Baghdad; 11:36 Emotions that he experienced; 12:10 Friendships formed in Iraq; 12:30 Life after returning to the States; 13:40 Second tour in Iraq; 14:20 Contact with friends and family; 15:40 Awards/medals received; 16:20 Leadership role throughout 2nd tour; 17:30 Return home from 2nd tour; 18:19 Stay in contact with other soldiers; 18:40 Viewpoint on the war; 20:00 Life at UCF vs. life in Iraq; 22:17 The media and the war; 24:03 How war time experiences has affected life at UCF; 25:48 How to relate to people who haven't had the same experiences; 26:23 Significant life lessons taken from experience; 27:21 Friends at UCF also involved in the military; 28:36 Overall experience of being in the Army.
Date of Birth
1987-03-07
Place of Birth
Seattle (Wash.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Hispanic
Home State
Washington
War or Conflict
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
2005-06-28
Type
Video; MovingImage
2010-11-28
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Army
Unit of Service
Alpha Company 1-5 Cav 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Tex.
Location of Service
Baghdad (Iraq); Kirkuk
Highest Rank
Staff Sergeant; SSG
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
No
Battles
OIF 6; OIF 8
Medals
Combat Action Badge; Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; American Defense Service medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Army Overseas Service Ribbon
Achievements
Battalion Equal Opportunity Advisor, lead a raid that led to the arrest of 15 Al- Qaeda
Note
Not applicable
City of Birth
Seattle
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Liebman, Melissa
Interview Date
4-14-2011
Location of Interview
Orlando, FL.
Subjects
Padilla, Omar; Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives; Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, 2001-present -- Personal Narratives; Army; Iraq; Texas; Baghdad; Multiple tours; Civilian life; United States. Army
Collection Description
Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.
Contributor Affiliation / Organization
RICHES; University of Central Florida
Contributors
Liebman, Melissa
Length of Interview
30 Minutes
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
video
Rights
All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/
Repository
University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
Contributing Project
UCF Community Veterans History Project
Document Type
Interview
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Padilla, Omar interview" (2011). Veterans Oral Histories. 56.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/56