thedrifter
02-16-07, 08:27 AM
Cornell du Houx recounts Iraq duty
February 16, 2007
By Nick Day
Orient Staff
Alex Cornell du Houx '06 candidly shared his observations and experiences as a marine in Iraq during an hour-long talk on Tuesday. He discussed day-to-day life in the country and addressed issues ranging from sectarian violence to President Bush's recent plan to commit 21,500 additional troops to the region.
Marine Corporal and 0351 Assaultman Cornell du Houx was posted for nine months in Fallujah, a city of approximately 200,000 inhabitants, 40 miles west of Baghdad. The Maine native returned to the United States in October.
Though he was equipped with an assault rifle and trained in a number of other weapons systems, Cornell du Houx specialized in demolitions.
"My job was primarily to breach doors and to provide an entryway for other marines," he said during the presentation. He also blew up safes and cleared trees.
Throughout the speech, he emphasized the strenuous and frustrating existence as a marine in Iraq.
"The life there is not that pleasant at all," he said. "After a while, it wears a lot of people into the ground... There's no end to it, no conclusion. The mentality forms [where we ask] 'How is this beneficial?'"
According to Cornell du Houx, marines would sometimes joke, "I just want to be blown up enough to go home."
"We're extremely good at protecting ourselves and those around us," he said, but stressed that long-term stability was difficult to maintain. In fact, Cornell du Houx said that he thought the Fallujah area was "heating up" when he and his unit returned to the United States.
For most of his tour in Iraq, he lived in a plywood hut surrounded by sandbags. His quarters were adjacent to a mosque, which, according to Cornell du Houx, made it less susceptible to mortars from anti-coalition forces.
But conditions were primitive.
"There was no running water, just one hot meal a day, and we had to go to the bathroom in a bag," he said.
Though his unit did not to suffer any casualties, the company was hit with attacks five times. Most of them came from roadside bombs, but newly installed armor on the humvees prevented serious injuries.
Though suffering no direct wounds from the enemy, Cornell du Houx did tear his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) while scrambling out of a vehicle with 70 pounds of gear on his back.
"I landed in some rough terrain and twisted my knee," he said. "I didn't really notice it at the time...but when I came back to the States, I learned [of the tear]."
Cornell du Houx said that in combat, he was never thinking about being scared, but instead focused on completing specific objectives.
"When you're in combat, you're thinking about how this will happen or [how] that needs to happen for everyone to return home safely," he said.
He also spent a considerable amount of the presentation recounting what he learned about the country and its people.
"The people there on the whole are very good people," he said.
"They are very hospitable. They're just really frustrated after four years [of war]," he added.
According to Cornell du Houx, Iraq lacks a civil society. He described a number of infrastructure problems, including a dearth of drinking water, infrequent trash collection, fuel shortages, and recurrent power outages ("three hours of electricity a day at best," he said).
"People are desperate for basic services," he added.
In one particular story, Cornell du Houx recounted how little children would ask him for water when he was out on patrol.
"It was really disheartening, because it was 120 degrees outside and we couldn't survive on our patrol without it," he said.
He also articulated problems with the Iraqi army and police. Many of these units lack allegiance to the national government, suffer from poor equipment, and fear being attacked by insurgents. Cornell du Houx and his unit could not trust Iraqi policemen during firefights with anti-coalition forces.
"We had to take away their communications gear at times because we feared that they would give our position away [to the enemy]," he said.
When asked about President Bush's deployment of an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq, Cornell du Houx expressed marked skepticism. He asserted that more troops in the country would not solve the deep, fundamental problems that now plague Iraq. He recounted what a fellow marine had told him; that the surge was "another half-assed effort to cover up a half-assed effort."
Cornell du Houx also believes that despite minor successes, his unit's presence in Fallujah did not have a positive impact on the community.
"In certain local areas we were able to provide some relief to the people. But I would say that the overall effect was a negative one," he said.
However, despite the tenuous situation in Iraq, Cornell du Houx does not regret joining the Marines, and would have signed up "even if I knew I was going to be deployed."
"It's an experience you won't get anywhere else, and you learn a lot," he said.
Ellie
February 16, 2007
By Nick Day
Orient Staff
Alex Cornell du Houx '06 candidly shared his observations and experiences as a marine in Iraq during an hour-long talk on Tuesday. He discussed day-to-day life in the country and addressed issues ranging from sectarian violence to President Bush's recent plan to commit 21,500 additional troops to the region.
Marine Corporal and 0351 Assaultman Cornell du Houx was posted for nine months in Fallujah, a city of approximately 200,000 inhabitants, 40 miles west of Baghdad. The Maine native returned to the United States in October.
Though he was equipped with an assault rifle and trained in a number of other weapons systems, Cornell du Houx specialized in demolitions.
"My job was primarily to breach doors and to provide an entryway for other marines," he said during the presentation. He also blew up safes and cleared trees.
Throughout the speech, he emphasized the strenuous and frustrating existence as a marine in Iraq.
"The life there is not that pleasant at all," he said. "After a while, it wears a lot of people into the ground... There's no end to it, no conclusion. The mentality forms [where we ask] 'How is this beneficial?'"
According to Cornell du Houx, marines would sometimes joke, "I just want to be blown up enough to go home."
"We're extremely good at protecting ourselves and those around us," he said, but stressed that long-term stability was difficult to maintain. In fact, Cornell du Houx said that he thought the Fallujah area was "heating up" when he and his unit returned to the United States.
For most of his tour in Iraq, he lived in a plywood hut surrounded by sandbags. His quarters were adjacent to a mosque, which, according to Cornell du Houx, made it less susceptible to mortars from anti-coalition forces.
But conditions were primitive.
"There was no running water, just one hot meal a day, and we had to go to the bathroom in a bag," he said.
Though his unit did not to suffer any casualties, the company was hit with attacks five times. Most of them came from roadside bombs, but newly installed armor on the humvees prevented serious injuries.
Though suffering no direct wounds from the enemy, Cornell du Houx did tear his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) while scrambling out of a vehicle with 70 pounds of gear on his back.
"I landed in some rough terrain and twisted my knee," he said. "I didn't really notice it at the time...but when I came back to the States, I learned [of the tear]."
Cornell du Houx said that in combat, he was never thinking about being scared, but instead focused on completing specific objectives.
"When you're in combat, you're thinking about how this will happen or [how] that needs to happen for everyone to return home safely," he said.
He also spent a considerable amount of the presentation recounting what he learned about the country and its people.
"The people there on the whole are very good people," he said.
"They are very hospitable. They're just really frustrated after four years [of war]," he added.
According to Cornell du Houx, Iraq lacks a civil society. He described a number of infrastructure problems, including a dearth of drinking water, infrequent trash collection, fuel shortages, and recurrent power outages ("three hours of electricity a day at best," he said).
"People are desperate for basic services," he added.
In one particular story, Cornell du Houx recounted how little children would ask him for water when he was out on patrol.
"It was really disheartening, because it was 120 degrees outside and we couldn't survive on our patrol without it," he said.
He also articulated problems with the Iraqi army and police. Many of these units lack allegiance to the national government, suffer from poor equipment, and fear being attacked by insurgents. Cornell du Houx and his unit could not trust Iraqi policemen during firefights with anti-coalition forces.
"We had to take away their communications gear at times because we feared that they would give our position away [to the enemy]," he said.
When asked about President Bush's deployment of an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq, Cornell du Houx expressed marked skepticism. He asserted that more troops in the country would not solve the deep, fundamental problems that now plague Iraq. He recounted what a fellow marine had told him; that the surge was "another half-assed effort to cover up a half-assed effort."
Cornell du Houx also believes that despite minor successes, his unit's presence in Fallujah did not have a positive impact on the community.
"In certain local areas we were able to provide some relief to the people. But I would say that the overall effect was a negative one," he said.
However, despite the tenuous situation in Iraq, Cornell du Houx does not regret joining the Marines, and would have signed up "even if I knew I was going to be deployed."
"It's an experience you won't get anywhere else, and you learn a lot," he said.
Ellie