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3 . 2.0V ^
Chris Garner
Dr. Browning
Military History
Interview Transcription
Chris: Hello this is Chris Garner here with SPC Seth Crawley on Thursday March 3
2011 in Boone, NC. This interview is part of a requirement for Dr. Browning's
Military History course.
Chris: Alright for the record SPC Crawley when were you born?
SPC: I was born November 25 1987
Chris: So you were how old when you enlisted?
SPC: I was 19, just turned 19
Chris: Ok, ok and which branch did you enlist?
SPC: Army National Guard
Chris: Alright and your current rank?
SPC: I'm a specialist
Chris: Alright and where did you serve?
SPC: Baghdad, 20 minutes south of Baghdad....for 10 months
Chris: What exactly did you join for, what was your reasoning?
SPC: I've always kinda wanted to do something with the military I applied to go to
West Point, Annapolis, which is the Naval Academy and just didn't have the grades
good enough for that and then my parents got a divorce so I needed someway to pay
for college and what other better way to do it than do the military
Chris: Why did you pick the Army as your branch?
SPC: To tell you the truth I really don't know... I was young and dumb and didn't
look at anything else. My roommate joined before I did and got back from basic
training and started talking to me about it and since it's the national guard I'm
getting state and federal benefits which is about the most you can get with doing the
military so that's why I went that way or that route
Chris: Ok, tell me about your boot camp and training experiences
�SPC: Ha, I left to go to boot camp February 21st of 2007 in Fort Seal, Oklahoma. I did
OSET which is one station training basically 16weeks of basic training. We did BRM,
drill and ceremony, you can name it, we did it. It was cold, hot, rain and snow all in
one day kinda... it was tough, very tough not being able to talk to your family and
friends and that's really the first time I've ever been away that long of time by
myself being young I struggled with it at first, but once you get kinda used to it its
just another thing.
Chris: Why you were there, do you remember you drill instructors? Or now that
your back from basic?
SPC: I mean I know I could look at em and tell you "hey that's my drill sergeagnt"
but their names the only drill sergeant I remember was DSG McCullah, because he
was the meanest.
Chris: Ha, ok...how did you get through basic, I know its kind of a long time?
SPC: Laid low, didn't talk much. My drill sergeant didn't even know who I was until
about the fourth week of basic training, he didn't even know I was in his Platoon to
tell you the truth.
Chris: haha, alright of your actual army experiences, which war did you serve in?
SPC: Operation Iraqi Freedom and I was there from 2009 to 2010.
Chris: Ok, and where exactly did you go....you said?
SPC: I was about 20 to 25 minutes south of Baghdad right off of NSR Tampa
Chris: Ok, what was your first day arriving there like?
SPC: hot and nerve racking. We landed, I road a C141 from Kuwait into Baghdad
the plane basically didn't even stop when we landed, they just let down the back
door and we jumped off, it was like a turn and burn and there we were. I didn't
know where I was, what I was getting into, and I didn't know if I was going to have
people shooting at me soon as I got off the plane or it was gonna be like a vacation
where I was at, didn't really know what I was gettin into at the time. I mean, just
like anything else you kinda get accustomed to it. Just do your thing
Chris: Alright, what was your thing? What was your job while you were there?
SPC: The first half of the tour I was my PSG Driver and then the 2nd half of the tour I
was the lead vehicle gunner and I had a SOcal. M2. We stayed on a JSS base, which is
a joint security station, basically what that means is we had my battery because I'm
in field artillery was on a base or a JSS I should say with another Iraqi company and
�we did full spectrum operations, we did security, tower guard, ran patrols, convoy
security, you name it we about did it. Anything from cleaning the FOB to going and
knocking down doors, that's what we did
Chris: Well, tell me a couple of your most memorable experiences while you were
there?
SPC: I remember one of the first missions we went out on, we went and there was
supposed to be a weapons cache at this house that the Al Queda took over and
supposedly there was a bunch of 155 rounds there, RPGs, pressure plates anything
and we were supposed to clear that and I remember walking in and it was a really
big house and there wasn't anybody there...they and been gone for a while but I
remember seeing hooks with nooses hanging up and little children's shoes and
books, everything scattered around. Apparently from what the Iraqi officer that was
in charge of the company that we normally went out on missions with told us that
they killed almost every IP which is Iraqi Police officer that was in that village either
tortured them or hung them and buried them in the middle of the court yard. I
remember going around and looking and I could literally pick up bones like femurs
and stuff of humans, it was, it was an eye opening experience and another
memorable moment I remember (snicker) I got hit by an IED we had, thankfully it
was from what we can put together it was controlled by phone because we had our
dukes on and rhinos and dukes a jammer so it jammed the radio frequency it didn't
go off until we got by, but it was still close enough to get your attention. We got
mortared, got rocketed, basically about anything you can think of it happened other
than, we got small arms fire, but no like direct fire, basically just shootin and run,
and hidin.
Chris: So the unit you with, you guys didn't take on any casualties did you?
SPC: No, but we actually did have a casualty not with us our LT that had just got
promoted from butter bar to first LT he was with another unit and he was meeting
with some lAs and some Iraqi civilians to get intel and a guy wearing a suicide vest
come up in the middle of the circle and blew himself up and killed him, but that's the
only person that I had any type of contact with that I knew that died.
Chris: Ok, on maybe a lighter note, were you awarded any medals or citations for
your service or your time?
SPC: I got an ARCOM, Army Accommodation Medal, (snicker) I got a master driver
for driving over 500 miles, I got an army achievement medal, um... that's basically
about it, nothing too outstanding.
Chris: Alright, while you were there how did you stay in touch with your family and
friends?
SPC: Over the SKYPE and the frequent phone call every now and then. I would
email, didn't do too much writin because by the time, if I wrote a letter to somebody
�I could basically tell them by the time it got there, it would take almost 2 weeks,
sometimes a month before it would get there...so stayed away from the writing, but
I would probably talk to my mom and my dad at least once a week, tell them I was
ok.
Chris: What was the food like, while you were there?
SPG: Terrible, I would rather eat the sheeks food than have to eat... we, since we
were on such a small base we had a MKT which is basically on kitchen on wheels
and the cooks were not doin the best job and I'm still suffering from that to this day
with my digestive system... so it wasn't the best, that's for sure.
Chris: How often did you have MREs, was that just when you were on the field, or
in the field?
SPC: I basically stripped MREs down and got the candy out of them, you eat one for
lunch for about a week and that's about all you can do. I just quit eating lunch.
Chris: What about supplies, did you have plenty of supplies?
SPC: Oh yeah, we had anything you could think of... I carried a combat load had
everything but frag grenades....flash bangs, smoke, carried 270 rounds, my M4 the
M2,1 mean we carried anything from flash bangs to two cases of Gatorade when we
went out on missions, but we always had supplies, that was never an issue
Chris: When you weren't running a mission how did people entertain themselves?
SPC: Goofin off or workin out, I worked out a lot to relieve, get rid of built up
hostility and anger, it was a good way of doin it. Played basketball, we made us a
basketball court, made us a volleyball court since they have an abundance of sand
over there. You can be surprised what you can come up with, with so much time on
your hands.
Chris: Were there any kind of pranks you guys would pull on each other?
SPC: I had a mouse trap put on my computer one time and I didn't know it.. I come in
from a mission one day and I put my hand on my mouse pad to like wake my
computer up like I did every other day and somebody thought it would be cute to
put a mouse trap that was set on my mouse pad and it nailed me, but be assured I
got him back (laughs) I promise.
Chris: What about the officers? What did you think about them? How were they?
SPC: They were, I liked all of my officers except one and I'm not going to get into all
the details about that because that's not my place nor my rank, but the only thing I
didn't like about it, about him, was he would never listen to his soldiers. And the
bad thing about it was is he was my PL and he wouldn't, it was always his way or the
�highway, he never would listen, but that was the only issue we ever had out of any of
our officers. All the rest of them, you couldn't ask for anybody better. We even had a
change of command while we were over there and it was right in the middle of the
tour, we went from our previous captain, Captain Bowls and Captain Gill you would
of never thought we had a change of command..it was smooth sailing, I was
impressed, I thought it was gonna go worse than it did but I was very, very
surprised and I was happy, I was very happy.
Chris: What did you do on leave, I know you get a 2 week leave?
SPC: I went, I came back up here to Boone saw some of my friends, I went down to
Wilmington, NC for a couple days, spent some time with my family, spent some time
with my girlfriend, at the time, basically just hung out... I got a tattoo (laughs) of my
fist holding my dogtags up saying OIF 2009-2010. Drank some, that's about it...had
a good time. Didn't want to go back that's for sure.
Chris: After your leave, how much longer did you have?
SPC: I was the 2nd chalk to go out on leave so basically I was there a month before I
went home to go on leave and when I got back I was there for another 8 and a half
months. I didn't leave again. I didn't go on RR, because you can go on RR down to
Kuwait its like for 3 and a half 4 days you can go do that, like 3 or 4 people got to do
that and go on leave, but didn't have enough rank to do that apparently....so its all
good.
Chris: Once you got back when did you return to school?
SPC: I got back, I left December 1st of 2009 I got back January 24th of 2010 so I didn't
have I got back to late to start that semester so I started this past fall was actually
my first semester going back to school. I did take a summer class to kind of get back
in the groove of studying and stuff over this past summer, but my first full semester
was fall of 2010.
Chris: Ok, and you said your National Guard so your education is supported by GI
Bill?
SPC: Yes it is.
Chris: Tell me about the friendships you made since you've been in the service.
SPC: You'd be surprised who you can become friends with you think the people
you'd never even think about talking to, would all of a sudden become some of your
best friends, people you can count on, when your put in a stressful situation like that
being put on guard 24hrs a day, 365days a year and your just constantly on edge
and on A game youd be surprised of how good of friends you make with some
people because I mean the guy to the left and right of you has your back and literally
�they got your back, I mean its some friendships I know I'm not even trying to make a
career out of the military, I'm doing my time and I'm doing my six years getting
schooled paid for and I'm getting out, but I know that even after I get out I'm still
going to be friends with 95% of the guys
Chris: Talk a little bit about your military experience, did your military experience
influence your thinking about the war or the military in general?
SPC: Can you repeat that?
Chris: Did your military experience influence your thinking about war or the
military in general? You going over there? Did it have any kind of...
SPC: When I went over there I had a pre conceived notion anybody that watches the
news has a pre conceived notion about war when you are actually put into it it's a
way differnet outlook, the stuff that they cover on tv is only a 4th of a fraction of a
percent of what really goes on, and I don't think that's right I think people should
know, I think people should know what happens, what goes on from day to day and
not just in Iraq I think it should be all over the country, since they are actually
paying for this to go on so I feel like they should know whats going on, to a certain
extent, I mean I know that OPSEC and stuff like that you gotta keep quiet about some
certain things I understand that but I think they should broadcast more of what goes
on, what they can broadcast I should say cause like I said I mean it's the tax payers
money that's going to do all that and it's a lot of money involved in war. As on my
outlook I come... are you talking about like how the war affected me?
Chris: Right
SPC: It changed my outlook a significant amount, I've had some problems since I've
gotten back like anybody that's been deployed it can be anything from having an
upset stomach everyday to having some major problems I mean I have friends that
went over there with me that have flashbacks almost everyday, I have them to an
extent. But, I feel like I mean I don't feel like I know I grew up a lot, a lot and you
have to because I mean if you don't, if you don't except what you're doing and really
pay attention you're talking about dealing with your life. It just makes you
appreciate things a lot better I should say.
Chris: Is there anything that we haven't covered that you'd like to add, anything that
I didn't ask that has your mind kind of stirring?
SPC: let me think...I think that anybody that joins the military especially in todays
time I feel like they should be deployed, atleast do something because the way I look
at it is I would, I would at first when I joined I didn't want to go nowhere I just
wanted to get my money, do my thing, go to drill once a month, AT in the summer,
do that for 6 years and I'm done, but after I went over seas I feel like everybody that
joins the military should do it, I mean its what you sign your name on the dotted line
�for, to serve and defend our country. So I don't feel like people, I mean I know
countless people that just, when we found out we were getting ready to get
deployed just started coming up with some of the craziest stuff to try and get out of
it and I don't, if you're going to do that then you really need to consider your career
in the military for sure, because you're taking the easy way and that's not right to
me. That actually pisses me off, to an extent because I mean I had a chance of staying
home I had a 2year college first program and I waived that to go with my friends
because I couldn't of thought of even begin to wrap my head around the fact that
something happened to them and me not be there and I don't ever want to go back,
but I'd never change it, I wouldn't take it back for the world. It makes me who I am
today, that's for sure...that's probably about it.
Chris: Alright well I appreciate your time and I guess that wraps up the interview
with SPG Crawley and thanks again for your time.
SPC: No problem
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Appalachian State University American Military History Course Veterans Oral History Project
Description
An account of the resource
Each semester, the students of the American Military History Course at Appalachian State University conduct interviews with military veterans and record their military experiences in order to create an archive of oral history interviews that are publicly accessible to researchers. The oral histories are permanently available in the Appalachian State University Special Collections. The project is supervised by Dr. Judkin Browning, Associate Professor of History at Appalachian State University and all interviews are transcribed by the student interviewers.
Copyright Notice:
Copyright for the Veterans Oral History Project’s audio and transcripts is held by Appalachian State University. These materials are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used (e.g. Veterans Oral History Project, University Archives and Records, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC).
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Interviewee
The person(s) being interviewed.
Crawley, Seth
Interviewer
The person(s) performing the interview.
Garner, Chris
Interview Date
3/3/11
Duration
Length of time involved (seconds, minutes, hours, days, class periods, etc.)
0:23:55
File name
2013_063_Crawley_SethW_interview
2013_063_Crawley_Seth_transcript
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Interview with Seth Crawley, 3 March 2011
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Garner, Chris
Crawley, Seth
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a title="UA.5018. American Military History Course Records" href="https://appstate-speccoll.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/167" target="_blank">UA.5018. American Military History Course Records</a>
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Copyright for the Veterans Oral History Project's audio and transcripts is held by Appalachian State University. These materials are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that proper citation is used.
Extent
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7 pages
Language
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English
English
Type
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Sound
Subject
The topic of the resource
Crawley, Seth
Iraq War, 2003-2011
Veterans
Personal narratives, American
United States
Interviews
Description
An account of the resource
SPC Seth Crawley is a specialist in the National Guard and was stationed in Baghdad as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was there for about a year fighting the terrorism of Al Qaeda. He explains that it has been hard adjusting back to regular life, especially on his digestive system and mental health.
Al Queda
Baghdad
National Guard
Operation Iraqi Freedom
SPC Seth Crawley