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Description
Oral History interview of Christopher Garcia. Interview conducted by Messamore, Kyle at Balcony of Veteran's apartment.
Log
0:01 Introduction; 0:24 Life prior to enlistment; 0:42 Reason for joining the Navy; 1:07 Parents occupation; 1:30 Family's response to veteran's enlistment; 1:50 Boot camp; 2:05 ''Triple threat" -Choir, Drill, and Band; 2:48 Preparations for bootcamp; 3:28 Fort Meade Maryland; 3:40 Notification of deployment; 4:43 Feelings/reactions about being deployed; 5:20 Additional training- On the job; 5:53 Length of deployment; 6:25 Arrival to NAS Oceana- Souda Bay, Crete; 6:44 Not welcome at most ports during war; 6:55 Responsibilities during deployment; 7:30 Knowledge about Iraq prior to deployment; 8:20 Most memorable experience during deployment; 8:40 Adventures at port; 9:00 Air show at sea; 10:00 Expanding on his port experiences; 11:15 Ports docked at- Souda Bay, Crete; Koper, Slovenia; Cartagena, Spain; 11:35 MWR Trips; 11:58 Personal views about the war; 13:15 Personal Views did not conflict with ability to perform duties; 13:35 Contact with family and friends was not allowed during operation; 14:00 Occasional down time; 14:10 Night carrier vs. day carrier; 14:25 He was a part of the maintenance crew. Worked during the day; 14:30 Things done to pass time; 15:00 Reaction/feelings about end of deployment; 15:32 Another forward deployment in September; 15:38 Hurricane Irene; 15:55 Number of deployments; 16:10 Primary responsibility on the F-14 Squadron; 16:15 TARPS - Tactical Reconnaissance Pod System; 16:25 TARPS Decommissioned- duties afterwards; 16:40 Air warfare certifications; 16:45 Photo lab on base; 16:45 Squadron deployed while he was in photo lab on base; 16:53 Combat camera; 16:58 Could not be redeployed due to temporary assignment; 17:15 Reaction/feelings to not being redeployed; 17:25 Life after returning from deployment; 18:45 Best overall experience in the Navy; 19:40 Process of obtaining Air Warfare Qualifications; 20:25 Motivation to obtain Air Warfare Qualifications; 21 :30 Worst overall experience in the Navy; 22:34 Felt removed from the conflict; 23:05 Reason for not re-enlisting; 23:45 Service awards; 24:45 Feelings about service awards; 25:30 Life after the Navy; 25:55 School after the Navy - seeking nursing degree; 26:25 Reason for deciding on nursing; 26:45 Future goals; 27:30 Life in the service remaining a part of everyday life; 28:15 Navy responsible for changing life; 29:00 Navy responsible for opening up different world views; 29:10 Aware of foreign policies; 29:55 Conclusion.
Date of Birth
1983-08-10
Place of Birth
Orlando (Fla.)
Gender
Male
Home State
Florida
War or Conflict
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
2002-06-01
Type
Video; MovingImage
2006-06-01
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Navy
Unit of Service
Fighter Squadron 213 (VF-213)
Location of Service
Fort Meade (Fla.); Souda Bay (Greece); Koper (Slovenia); Cartagena (Spain)
Highest Rank
Unspecified
Prisoner of War
Unspecified
Battles
Unspecified
Medals
Operation Iraqi Freedom Service Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; National Service Medal; Marksmanship Medal (Expert)
Achievements
Earned Enlisted Air Warfare Specialist (EAWS); Qualifications as an E-3 (1st E-3 in the squadron at the time)
Note
Not applicable
City of Birth
Orlando
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Messamore, Kyle
Interview Date
3-11-2013
Location of Interview
Balcony of Veteran's apartment.
Subjects
Garcia, Christopher J.; Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives; Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, 2001-present -- Personal Narratives; United States. Navy
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
Messamore, Kyle
Length of Interview
31 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, "Garcia, Christopher John interview" (2013). Veterans Oral Histories. 163.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/163