Editor’s note: The following story is part of an occasional series
detailing the experiences of students serving the military in Iraq and
Afghanistan.

While his mother celebrated last Christmas attending church and
trying to sing “Silent Night” through her tears, Sgt. Chris Heckroth
ate sausage and cheese on a cold, rainy day in Iraq.

Feasting on the food hoarded from previous care packages, Chris and
his fellow soldiers exchanged small gifts like cigarettes and coffee,
and then watched “A Christmas Story” on a portable DVD player.

The day is one of the Caseville senior’s strongest memories from his
two tours of duty in Iraq.

Heckroth’s mom also remembers the day well.

“I remember crying through Silent Night,” Jan Heckroth said in an
e-mail. “I wondered what Chris was doing at that very moment.”

Heckroth joined the Marine Reserves in 1998, well before the Iraq
war began, after his first semester at Central Michigan University.

In 2003, Heckroth was deployed to Iraq for the initial invasion. He
said the Iraqi people were happy to see U.S. forces.

“They were cheering and waving,” he said.

In June of 2003, he returned home. But before his first semester
back he received word that his unit would be deployed again.

Heckroth didn’t mind putting off his education to go back to Iraq.

“I’m a Marine first and a student second,” he said.

It was September of 2004 when Heckroth found himself back in Iraq.
This time, he didn’t go out into the towns, but he repaired heavy
equipment used in building projects.

Camp Taqaddum, near Fallujah, was home to Heckroth and his unit
until February of 2005.

“For the most part, nobody shot at us on base, as it was quite
secure,” he said, though they sometimes got indirect fire.

Most days, Heckroth got up at 6 a.m., ate breakfast and went to work
repairing the heavy equipment until at least 6 or 7 p.m.

Christmas Day provided a day off to relax and spend time with the
rest of his unit. Another highlight of the day, Heckroth said,
was that they didn’t get shelled.

Now Heckroth is back at CMU, having missed three semesters.

“My transition coming back into the civilian world has been fairly
smooth,” he said. “It took me a while to get used to how quiet it is
back here.”

Heckroth respects peoples’ right to protest, but he does object to
what he sees as the one-sided coverage of the war.

“They didn’t show the civilians hugging the Marines after the battle
of Fallujah, thanking them for all they had done,” he said.

Heckroth believes most of the troops in Iraq want to be there.

“They know they’re doing an important job,” he said.

Though he has left the Marines, he can get called back until
December of 2006, and it sounds as if he wouldn’t mind having to do a
third trip.

“If I get called again, I’ll pick up my rifle, put on my pack and go
wherever Uncle Sam needs me,” he said.

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