Speaking with a Solider

A CMC Senior and US Marine on His Time in Iraq

Dayna Locitzer / Claremont Student

By Sarah Young
Quickies/Ops Editor

Doves and Hawks keep a stable truce at the 5Cs, leaving the debate over the Iraq War to a more neutral environment: the classroom. Professors point to precedents, students philosophize about justification and peace activists doggedly organize vigils. Yet among the smattering of theories and protests, the men and women who fight are often overlooked. Recently, I was able sit to down with Kevin Sharpsten (CMC ’06), a Marine Corps sergeant who served in Iraq in 2003. The following is a transcript of our conversation.

Sarah Young: When did you join the Marines?

Kevin Sharpsten: It was in ’98, right after high school and I knew I wasn’t ready for college, yet.  I don’t think I had a lot of direction about what I wanted to do. The Marine Corps helped me realize that technical skills are useful but dealing with people, that’s useful anywhere. Also, I think it’s made me realize how my mind works and I know what kinds of things I need to interact with people I’m working with.

SY: What was your experience of being in service?

KS: Starting with boot camp it’s a totally different world. Just the culture of the Marine Corps is something I think is hard to understand for students, because they haven’t lived in that kind of culture. One thing in boot camp you learned was that the people with the mindset that they were determined to push through it, you could see were gonna succeed no matter what. You wanted those people around.  Also you do a lot of crazy things, like, I remember buffing the floor in Okinawa at midnight, doing it again at four, then leaving for work. It’s not pleasant most of the time but it’s something you need to do and whether it makes sense or not is not always an issue. Another thing about the Marine Corps, you see a lot of the places that tourists will never go.  When I saw Thailand, I saw a different part of Thailand than most people see. I saw the buggy part that’s hot. 

SY: What was it like being in Iraq?

KS: We have a saying, “the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.” So, actually the training was worse, to tell you the truth. It was definitely different. Other than the heat and the concern for what could actually happen, the scuds going overhead and all that, it wasn’t difficult.  There was one time I didn’t have a shower for a month [chuckles]. We had baby wipes so it wasn’t quite as bad as it sounds. That’s just another thing you learn about yourself. You can survive a lot that’s pretty unpleasant. 

SY: What were your feelings about the war in Iraq?

KS: You have to remember it was pretty recent after September 11th, Saddam was shooting at people, shooting at our pilots and a lot of people would’ve preferred to ignore that. I think it’s good we addressed the issue. I kind of joined the Marine Corps out a sense of duty and that’s one of the things I was glad to be a part of. It was a big change in policy for the US to say we don’t want stability anymore, we want things to be right. That means democracy. That means people living much better and just being a part of that was the thing I was proudest of. Also, I think it was that we were a part of something that in ten years, twenty years from now is going to make a difference.

SY: How was the transition back to college?

KS: Having free time again is nice; “seven days a week is Monday” is what we used to say in the combat zone…I’m always surprised because I’m used to the Marine Corps culture and to come back to school is different. Usually I listen a lot. I don’t say much because I think people are certain about the way things are while they’re in college, and when they get older they’re less certain. 

SY: What is the biggest difference?

KS: Well, there’s girls. There aren’t many girls in Iraq and I guess that’s a big part of it. There’s just so much different, it’s just like a different world. 

SY: What has your reception been like?

KS: You know, it’s been really positive. I disagree with a lot of people, I’m kind of conservative and I think most of the campuses are fairly liberal. But it’s a positive disagreement. It’s like sure let’s argue about it, but it’s not negative. 

SY: What is your favorite thing about being at the 5Cs?