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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".
Gender
Male
Type
Video; MovingImage
Interviewer
Brandon Kirk
Interview Date
2-3-2021
Location of Interview
Via Zoom
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
Length of Interview
110 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 & University Archives
Contributing Project
UCF Community Veterans History Project
Document Type
Interview
Recommended Citation
Central Florida, RICHES of, "Riera, David interview" (2021). Veterans Oral Histories. 673.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/673