Riera, David interview
Description
Oral history interview of Mr. David Riera. Interview conducted by Brandon Kirk digitally via zoom on 1/2/21. Interview topics include his upbringing in Miami, growing up with gun violence, why he joined the Marines, his role in the military, deployed to Iraq, and his post-military experience. David Riera described how the Iraq war altered his perspective on life and how the 'fog of war' has become an unexplainable feature of his life. He revealed details of his experiences of living in 'Sand Villages' and underlined the importance of supply lines after bearing witness to lakes poisoned with strychnine in Iraq. Other topics include sacrifice, survivors' guilt, and responsibility in the Military. Concerning his post-war experience, he got a master's in biotechnology and currently teaches the importance of food sovereignty, while highlighting the importance for agricultural work with veterans. He shared the importance of sharing one's story and noted that akin to the words on the lwo Jima monument: "All gave some; some gave all". He instructed how veterans lead by engagement and said that "there is no end to conflict, but there should be no end to service".