The Cheerful Soldier
The Cheerful Soldier
The cheerful soldier
As I sat by the phone, I rocked back and forth on my seat impatiently, just waiting and
wondering. The wait was long, but I finally heard a ring, then a second one. Thats when I
reacted and picked the phone up. I said, “Hello”. It was my friend who greeted me with good
news. Immediately after she had greeted me, her brother, who was on the other end as well, said,
“What do you want to know about my experiences in Iraq?.” He said it in a sad and almost
irritated tone. I hesitated for two seconds. I didnt know what to say next. Then he said sounding
calmer, “Sorry, I didnt mean to sound like that. You can come over tomorrow. After all, you are
my sisters friend, so Ill help you with your assignment.” Feeling relieved, I said, “Thanks a lot,
I really appreciate it.”
The next day I drove to my friends house a little after four in the afternoon. I was a little
nervous thinking to myself, “What if he doesnt answer using specific details?. I need all the
information I can get”. I rang the door bell. My friend opened the door and greeted me with a
hug. As I entered, I smelled something delicious cooking. Surprisingly, her brother was in the
kitchen cooking. I asked, “Why is your brother cooking now? Does he want me to come back
later?”. My friend answered, “No not at all. He is cooking because he wants you to feel
welcome, and he said there is nothing better than eating, at least for him, before answering the
tough questions you will be asking him.” He cooked what he called his specialty, spaghetti and
Figueroa 2
roasted chicken. After eating a delicious meal, I went straight to my questions. He looked very
relaxed, confident and ready. He preferred not to give his real name, so I will call him Jr. The
interview took place in the family living room. The walls were covered with many family
pictures. In the pictures there were some children, teenagers and what appeared to be their
grandparents. There was also a picture of a baby boy with his mom and dad and wedding
pictures of my friend and her husband. The pictures that caught my attention more were the ones
where he was in his uniform looking very proud and a picture of another soldier who looked
much older than he did.
What if anything in specific inspired you to join the armed forces?
Hmmwell thats a tough one. No Im just kidding. Ever since I was in high school it became an interest. I guess hearing my brother and my friends talking about it made me think about it more. Then I dreamed of being in a uniform and just feeling important. Thats how I felt about it when I was in high school, but as I got older like my second year in college, I thought about it in more serious terms. I saw more clearly the meaning of it. So thats when I joined in my second year in college. It actually benefitted me with college by paying the rest of my way through.
What did you have to do to get into the armed forces?
My brother guided me through some of the steps; he was already halfway there. First I had to find a recruiter, which wasnt difficult; my brothers recruiter helped me with that. That was just the beginning. Then I was required to take a standard test, which Im ashamed to say I failed the first time. I got a second chance to take it, and I got a very good score.