Twenty years ago, a marine platoon from Camp Pendleton was one of the first to invade Iraq in 2003. At the time, it was America’s response to 9/11. An NBC journalist embedded with the 3rd battalion 5th marines to bring stories to viewers and most importantly, their anxious and worried families at home waiting for updates. Chip Reid has now written a book, re-connecting with more than 40 marines as they look back on their time in combat and the war that many still fight here at home.
At Camp Pendleton, marines have trained to fight in wars since the 1940’s, including the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It’s also where the storied “three five” or 3rd battalion fifth marines deployed for Iraq in the aftermath of 9/11. They were some of the first boots, many of them teenagers. It’s all in retired war correspondent Chip Reid’s book “Battle Scars,” looking back at his time with them.
“I mean, I've interviewed presidents of the United States, a number of them. I've interviewed world leaders, and this story was the one that made my jaw drop and my eyes pop more than anything else,” said Reid.
It’s not about the politics. But about the physical and emotional war many of them are still fighting here at home. Like Mike Martinez and his wife Stefanie.
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“I don’t care about who was in charge. I don’t care about any of that. I care about those that I was able to bring home safe,” said Martinez.
Martinez was one of more than 40 marines who shared their stories in the book. At seventeen years-old, with a broken ankle and baby number two on the way, he was deployed to Kuwait.
“We started taking fire from our right side and that’s when I was like oh this is gonna be crazy,” said Martinez.
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Reality hit quick for both Reid and Martinez.
“I appreciated that these marines who had been told, who had told us that they couldn't watch out for our safety because they had a job to do- every time that I felt I was in a dangerous situation, some marine grabbed me and threw me under a truck or told me to get out of the line of fire,” said Reid.
Not everyone made it. In fact, both Reid and Martinez were present for several of the first deaths during combat.
“We don’t have time to cope, we don’t have time to mourn. We don’t have time to think about our mistakes, we just have to keep pushing forward,” said Martinez.
And he did, eventually returning home with ringing in his ears, guilt and depression from the constant unrelenting thoughts about fellow marines, dying in front of him.
He, like many, quickly faced the difficulty adapting to civilian life.
“That training was kind of brought into how our everyday lives were. You know make sure the boys need to be ready and prompt, on time. If we were late, he’d get upset about it. If something was missing or misplaced, he’d get upset about it,” said Stefanie.
The scariest battle yet was directly ahead. His 15 year-long struggles with PTSD in the aftermath.
“With veterans with our mental health issues. There are the ones who drink, the ones who do drugs or gambling or you know my vice was eating. I just ate as much as I could. That’s what I was addicted to. I was addicted to food,” said Martinez.
His weight ballooned to 340 pounds and as he told NBC 7, his job as a mailman kept him in this thoughts.
“Trying to end the pain in a different way and none of us understand that we are going through that situation. There was no real empathy for the pain. So there was a lot of fight this fight on your own,” said Martinez.
In 2018, things came to a head and really spiraled when one of his two sons left for the military. Stefanie supported him the best she could.
“This guy here, the love of my life has been through so much and sacrificed so much and now he’s still battling this war and I’m a part of it so I have to do what I can to help him to get past it because we are in this together,” said Stefanie.
At the same time, a change at the Veteran’s Health Administration shifting focus on mental health.
“Many of us veterans, we avoided the VA because of how bad it was when we first got out. But then the new VA system has just been revamped and overhauled to really support us and protect us. They got doctors who care, better trained doctors and people who know how to speak with us,” said both Stefanie and Mike Martinez.
Then a chance to reconnect with the reporter that he kept an eye out for twenty years before. The one who kept Stefanie and other military families updated with TV news stories from the field. Chip Reid spoke at the three five’s 20 year-reunion on base. And now gave those marines a chance to reach others struggling, with one more story of resilience and recovery.
“So as I've said many times, if I can get one person who's struggling to get help, then this book will be a success,” said Reid.
And so the Martinez legacy continues.
“If we resort back to our military training we were not allowed to fight by yourself. You’re not john Rambo. You don’t get to go and do the fight on your own you need support,” said Martinez.
His son will graduate from the naval academy and become a commander.
“It is terrifying to think that he’s going back to have to go and lead marines, and you know lead sailors or whatever, coming up in this new future of uncertainty.”
NBC 7 asked: “Knowing what you have gone through in this long 15 year journey, longer 20 year journey. Do you regret your children going in the same direction?”
“Not at all. I’m proud of what they did and what they’re doing because I know that they’ll be able to help others and help guide them in the right direction.”
A part of history, but no doubt, impacting generations to come.
