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Description
Oral History interview of Matt Coxe. Interview conducted by Husenaj, Leonard; Mack, Alexander at University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL.
Log
1:00 Childhood, life and parents; 2:00 Motivation to join; 3:00 Branch Choice and why; 4:00 Boot Camp; 6:30 First Unit to be sent to Kuwait and break borderline; 8:30 Thoughts of Saddam; 11:30 Relationships with Unit; 12:30 Climate Conditions; 14:00 Everyday assignments; 15:00 Baghdad; 17:30 Experience with friend's death; 18:30 Locals; 21:00 First entering combat; 22:30 Perceptions of the media; 24:30 Locals response to Ba'ath Party; 26:30 Women-did not see very many; 27:30 Reactions of children; 27:45 Locals overall reactions to US troops; 28:00 Local social-economic status; 32:00 Combat; 34:00 Combat and conditions from being in a tank; 35:00 US tactics in Iraq; 37:30 Iraqi Soldiers tactics; 39:00 Preparing for battle compared to real battle; 41:30 Killed Iraqi Guard General; 43:00 Missing the Experience; 44:15 Homecoming; 46:00 Adjusting to civilian life; 46:45 Keeping in touch with friends from unit.
Date of Birth
1976-11-16
Place of Birth
Stuart (Fla.)
Gender
Male
Race
White - Non Hispanic
Home State
Florida
War or Conflict
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
2000-01-17
Type
Audio; Sound
2004-01-17
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Marines
Unit of Service
2nd Marine Division, 2nd Tank Battalion, Bravo Company, 3rd Platoon; Regimental Combat Team 5, 1st Marine Division, with 2nd Battalion 5th Marine Regiment (infantry)
Location of Service
Iraq
Highest Rank
Corporal; Cpl
Prisoner of War
No
Service Related Injury
No
Battles
Battle of Baghdad; Nasiriyah; Ramallah
Medals
Presidential Unit Citation; Certificate of Commendation
Achievements
Was among earliest deployed to Kuwait, served as tank gunner throughout the initial invasion and the push to seize Baghdad, crossed the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, occupied a presidential palace in Baghdad
Note
Participated in recurring battles throughout the initial push to Baghdad, serving as lead element for much of that time. Including the initial breach of the border, Nasiriyah, Ramallah, Baghdad, etc.
City of Birth
Stuart
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Husenaj, Leonard; Mack, Alexander
Interview Date
10-18-2011
Location of Interview
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL.
Subjects
Coxe, Matt; Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives; Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, 2001-present -- Personal Narratives; United States. Marines
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
Husenaj, Leonard; Mack, Alexander
Length of Interview
49 Minutes
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
audio
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, "Coxe, Matt interview" (2011). Veterans Oral Histories. 71.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/71