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Description
Oral history interview of David Riera. Interview conducted by Brandon Kirk digitally via Zoom on Janury 2nd, 2021.
Log
:30 Where he was born in Miami; 1:29 Upbringing and Education; 3:00 College was not an option growing up; 4:01 Why he joined the Marines & leadership skills; 5:10 ROTC (signed an 8 year contract with Marine Corps); 6:14 Paris Island and training; 7:00 Role in military (logistic supply); 8:13 Growing up with gun violence; 8:30 Trained as riflemen; 10:12 Deployed to Iraq; 11:00 Understanding that you could be ambushed at any moment; 11:30 No rules "out there" (Iraq); 12:20 Repairing the FTO (forward operating base); 14:30 Securing cargo; 15:25 Mentality of the Corps; 17:40 Marine Air Group 29; 21:30 Sand Village; 24:11 Lakes with strychnine; 27:00 The personal challenge of warfare; 30:30 Worried family; 33:00 Purple heart and sacrifice; 36:00 Impressions of being overseas; 37:10 Eating local Iraqi food; 38:00 Exposed to the culture; 41:38 Seeing the effects of artillery in Kuwait; 42:10 Got to expeerience the chaos; 42:30 War is still "people fighting people"; 43:10 Thoughts on deployment "This is what the history books write about"; 454:00 Punctuated evolution of character; 46:02 "I'd go back"; 46:20 Words on Iwo Jima monument: "All gave some, some gave all"; 47:30 Survivor's guilt; 48:09 'The Deck of Cards'; 48:40 Reflections on 911; 52:00 Some GIs thought that the war in Iraq was an elaborate drill; 55:40 Sickness; 57:00 "We did not talk about politics, we talked about each other"; 58:40 Medals and unit citations; 1:03:05 8 year contract with Marines; 1:07:00 Responsibility; 1:11:40 Public and parents perception of the Iraq War; 1:12:50 Finding a voice; 1:16:00 "there is no end to conflict, but there should still be service"; 1:17:00 Spirit of the corps; 1:18:00 Mental health and aspirations of veteran narratives; 1:20:00 The importance of sharing one's story; 1:21:30 Mission Continues; 1:22:05 Situational awareness and dealing with anxiety; 1:24:50 What it was like getting out of the military; 1:29:00 Going back to college with the GI Bill; 1:34:00 Got his Masters in Bio Technology; 1:34:18 Current Role in Agriculture; 1:36:30 South Florida Beekeeping Association; 1:37:00 Lead by Engagement; 1:38:10 PhD in Curriculum and STEM Education; 1:39:05 Agriculture the second largest industry in Florida; 1:39:38 Agriculture defines culture; 1:42:00 Food Sovereignty; 1:45:30 Agriculture and mental health; 1:47:50 Oral Histories seen as a time capsule; 1:49:00 Close
Date of Birth
1979-12-12
Place of Birth
Miami
Gender
Male
Race
Mixed Race
Home State
Florida
War or Conflict
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Status
Veteran
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1999-01-06
Begin/End date of Service - 1st
1999-2007
2007-10-10
Entrance into Service
Enlisted
Branch of Service
U.S. Marines
Unit of Service
2nd Marine AirWing; Marine Air Group 29; USS Saipan; 26 Marine Expeditionary Unit
Location of Service
Kuwait and Iraq
Highest Rank
Lance Corporal
Service Related Injury
Yes
Medals
Montgomery GI Bill; Sea Service Award; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; National Service; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Good Conduct Medal; Presidential Unit Citation; Letter of Commendation; Letter of Appreciation
City of Birth
Miami
Country of Birth
United States
Interviewer
Brandon Kirk
Interview Date
1-2-2021
Location of Interview
Digitally via Zoom
Contributor Affiliation / Organization
RICHES University of Central Florida
Contributors
Kirk, Brandon
Length of Interview
109 Minutes
Publisher
Department of History, University of Central Florida
Type
Video; MovingImage
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
Semester
Spring
Recommended Citation
RICHES, "Riera, David Interview." (2021). Veterans Oral Histories. 711.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/veteransoralhistories/711