thedrifter
02-05-06, 07:57 AM
Marine veteran tells students about his experiences in Iraq
By Mary Louise Speer
Quad-City Times
Youngsters around the Quad-Cities are wrapping up the celebration of Catholic Schools Week today with plenty of memories and glimpses of worlds far beyond their school walls.
The week’s theme highlighted the traits of character, compassion and values. Guest speakers talked about their vocations, and the week included plenty of fun and special Masses of celebration.
One guest speaker was Nathan Huss, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, who shared the experiences of his deployment to Iraq on Friday with students at Assumption High School in Davenport.
“When people think of veterans, they think of someone old. ... You don’t fit the picture,” teacher Jan Luton said.
Huss, a 2000 graduate of Davenport West High School and legislative clerk for Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, is among the growing number of veterans in their 20s. “It’s weird to get that title because you automatically assume it’s an old person,” he said.
But he is comfortable sharing his experiences with veterans of all ages. His deployment started in January 2004, and he returned to the United States in October of that year. He was stationed at a former Iraqi air force base in the northern part of the country with responsibilities for logistics and helping guard transports.
The friendships forged there are still fresh in his mind, and he looks forward to welcoming home pals who will be returning soon from their deployments. “I think that is one thing that gets overlooked: the bond that forms when you have to rely on them,” he said of his mates.
Life in Iraq immersed him in the gritty realities of another culture. He experienced a sandstorm in April and was amazed at the landscape’s orange appearance afterward. “It felt like being on Mars,” he said.
Enemy attacks were a fact of life, but the barrages usually ended quickly. “Most days it was a 7-to-5 job. It was maybe 98 percent boredom with 2 percent excitement because randomly things would happen,” he said. Most of the time, the Marines played darts or cards and watched movies on DVD players, he added.
The experience changed him, making him more goal-oriented. “I appear to be calmer during tense situations,” he said, adding that does not mean he is equally calm on the inside.
Earlier this week, Lourdes Catholic School students in Bettendorf made Valentines for veterans and listened to a talk by Command Sgt. Maj. Norberto Osbourne of the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command, which is headquartered on Arsenal Island. Osbourne shared some of his 25-plus years of Army experience.
Eighth-graders Laura Green and Alex Krist were fascinated to learn about his skydiving and facing danger in Iraq. “He had a very good presence. We asked him about his badges. He had one for free-falling (sky diving). That would be a little crazy,” Laura said.
“I would be a little afraid to do that,” Alex agreed. “He talked about how you should have a strong faith.”
“It would take a lot of courage to do what he did,” Laura added.
Contact the city desk at (563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com.
By Mary Louise Speer
Quad-City Times
Youngsters around the Quad-Cities are wrapping up the celebration of Catholic Schools Week today with plenty of memories and glimpses of worlds far beyond their school walls.
The week’s theme highlighted the traits of character, compassion and values. Guest speakers talked about their vocations, and the week included plenty of fun and special Masses of celebration.
One guest speaker was Nathan Huss, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, who shared the experiences of his deployment to Iraq on Friday with students at Assumption High School in Davenport.
“When people think of veterans, they think of someone old. ... You don’t fit the picture,” teacher Jan Luton said.
Huss, a 2000 graduate of Davenport West High School and legislative clerk for Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, is among the growing number of veterans in their 20s. “It’s weird to get that title because you automatically assume it’s an old person,” he said.
But he is comfortable sharing his experiences with veterans of all ages. His deployment started in January 2004, and he returned to the United States in October of that year. He was stationed at a former Iraqi air force base in the northern part of the country with responsibilities for logistics and helping guard transports.
The friendships forged there are still fresh in his mind, and he looks forward to welcoming home pals who will be returning soon from their deployments. “I think that is one thing that gets overlooked: the bond that forms when you have to rely on them,” he said of his mates.
Life in Iraq immersed him in the gritty realities of another culture. He experienced a sandstorm in April and was amazed at the landscape’s orange appearance afterward. “It felt like being on Mars,” he said.
Enemy attacks were a fact of life, but the barrages usually ended quickly. “Most days it was a 7-to-5 job. It was maybe 98 percent boredom with 2 percent excitement because randomly things would happen,” he said. Most of the time, the Marines played darts or cards and watched movies on DVD players, he added.
The experience changed him, making him more goal-oriented. “I appear to be calmer during tense situations,” he said, adding that does not mean he is equally calm on the inside.
Earlier this week, Lourdes Catholic School students in Bettendorf made Valentines for veterans and listened to a talk by Command Sgt. Maj. Norberto Osbourne of the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command, which is headquartered on Arsenal Island. Osbourne shared some of his 25-plus years of Army experience.
Eighth-graders Laura Green and Alex Krist were fascinated to learn about his skydiving and facing danger in Iraq. “He had a very good presence. We asked him about his badges. He had one for free-falling (sky diving). That would be a little crazy,” Laura said.
“I would be a little afraid to do that,” Alex agreed. “He talked about how you should have a strong faith.”
“It would take a lot of courage to do what he did,” Laura added.
Contact the city desk at (563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com.