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STAFFWR I TERMETHUEN - W hen A rm y R e -s e rv i st C h ar le s M a rs d e nI ll r e tu r ne dfro m Iraq las t w ee k, he w as m e t b y ap o lic e e s co rt f ro m t he airport, Ame r -ic an f la gs a lo ng t he r oa d a nd a n o v er -w he lm ing s en t im e nt o f s u pp or t fo rt he t ro o p s ." At fir st, I w a s s ur pr is ed ," M ar s-d e n , a 23 -y e a r -o l d military p o l ic e s p e -c ial is t, s aid , re calling the s igh t o ffla gs h an gin g fr om t he o ve rp as s o nhis w ay ho me . "I ju st d id n't kno wp e op le h ad d o ne t hin gs l ik e t ha t. ". . H is fat he r s aid h is s on d id n't k no wp e op le e v en c ar ed ."From w hat he to ld m e, he m ore

c o u r te s y p h o toA rmy 'Re s e rv is t C h a r le ' sMa r s d ll n I II s ta n d sIn fro nt o f h is v eh ic le in Ira q. .

exp e c te d p e o p le ju s t to b e go ingab o ut t he ir d ail y l iv es w ith ou t m u chin flu en ce o ne w ay o r th e o th er ,'; th ee ld e r M ar sd e n s ai d.T he s old ie r r etu rne d to his ho m e-to w n T ue sd ay fo r a t w o-w e ek l ea ve .H e le av es b eh in d d ay s th at peak at1 30 d e g r ee s F ah r en he it , s an d s to r m s ,arm -le ngth c am el sp id e rs ands tr an ge f o od ."It is a c u lt ur e s ho c k, " h e s ai d.E v en t ho u gh his u nit has b ee n inFal lu jab - o ne o f Iraq's m o s t haz-ar do us a re as - n on e o fh is f ell ow s ol- ,d ie rs h as b e en k il le d , a lt ho u gh s o m e.h av e b e en s er io u sl y in ju re d ."The m ain fu nc tio n o f m y u nit is,c om bat s u pp or t," M ars d en said ." Rig ht n ow , o u r jo b is to ke ep the

c o nv o ys r un nin g . .. b e c au s e if (ene-m ie s) c ut the s up ply ro ute , o ur s ol-d ie rs a re l ef t h a ng in g. " .Ith ad b ee n 1 8 m on th s s in ce h e h ads e en h is f at he r a nd s is te r. H e f in al lym a de it h om e aft er h is t ou r h ad b ee ne x te n de d t w ic e ."W he n the y e xte nd ed it a se co ndtim e, w e w ere 12 ho u rs f rom o u rfligh t," M ars d en said . "W e w eres tan din g th er e, a nd w e h ad o ur b ag sr ea dy a nd p ac ke d ."H e rem em be rs the ev en t. A "full-b l ow n " c o lo n e l w a lk e d ina nd t o ld t hegro up , "W e nee d y ou gu ys b ack inthe fight,""It w as an o rd er . Inv olu ntary e x-

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8/3/2019 Alexander Quinones clip - Soldier Surprise

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...- .._H O M E : R e s e r v i s t . h om e on t w o -w e e k leavet en sio n . T he re 's n o g rip in g a bo u titIt w as a he av y b lo w to a lo t o fu s ," M ar sd e n s aid . '' Th e f am i lie sto o k it a lo t hard er than the s o l -d ie r s . "B ut M ars d e n , w ho has b e e n inu n if or m s in ce h e j o in ed t he j un io rR e s e rv e O ff ic e rs . Tr ai ni ng ' Co r ps

,I in high s ch oo l, w a s p ro ud to c on -t in ue s erv in g. H is n am e sakegrand fathe r also s e rv e d in themil i tary a s a t ai lg u nn e r inWor l dW ar II.Mar sd e n s aid h e s up p or ts P r es -id en t B ush and th e w ar o n te rro r'

in Iraq . H e s aid new s ab o ut th ep ris on er -a bu se s ca nd al , t he l ac ko f w e a po ns o f m a s s d es tr uc tio na nd t he a nt i-A m e ric an s en tim e n tb y I ra qi c iv il ia ns d is tr ac ts f ro m allt h e p r o g re s s .' 'T h e e d u ca ti on s y st em is start-ing b ack u p. W e are p av ing the,I ro ad s. W e 'rr ge ttin g th e w ate rb ac k u p an d r un nin g," M ar sd ens aid . "S o w e 're d oin g a lo t. W e ar em a kin g a l ot o f h e ad w ay ."And Marsd e n b e lie v e s the

w e ap on s o f m ass d es t ru ctio nm i gh t s ti ll b e f ou n d.I "I raq is a b i g c o un tr y," h e s aid .M ar sd en s aid h e p lan s to s pe nd, th e Fo u r th o f Ju ly w ith h is, . fr ie nd s, w a tc hin g fir ew o rks e x-. p lo de o ve r L ake W inn ip es au ke e [. inN e w H am p s h ir e ./: B ut h e d o e s no t p lan to s tay in'

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M E L O D Y K O / S ta f f p h ot oC h ar le s M a rs de n III s its In th e liv in g r oo m o f h is M e th ue n h om e s ur ro un de d b y p ic tu re s o f h is Im m e dia te 'f am ily a nd a p illo .w e m br oid er ed w ith th e s ay in g, " Ho m e is W he re ~ he H e ar t is ." M a rs de n r etu rn ed h om eT ue sd ay f ro m Ir aq f or tw o w ee ks . .th e mil i tary w he n th e w ar e nd s." N o, 1 t hi nk I 'm d o n e, " M a rs d e nsa id . " I th in k I'v e p ut m y fam ilyt hr o ug h e n ou g h. "

H e is c on sid er in g g ett in g a lib -e ra l arts e d u c a t i o n ."I j u s t w an t to d o w hate v e r 1f ee l l ik e d o in g ," h e s ai dB u t t ha t d r ea m will hav e to wa i ta w hi le : O n J u ly 1 5, th e d ay b ef or eh is 2 4th b ir th day , M ar sd en g oe sb a ck t o I ra q.