Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
6:07 | For Joseph Poquiz, life changed forever on September 11, 2001. The entire baseball team at his high school wanted to enlist in the Marines. He had already decided on the medical field. "That's a Corpsman," one of the guys said. He started running and getting in shape.
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His family had its share of Marines and sailors. Joseph Poquiz came from a background of appreciation for the opportunity you have in America. He decided that it was in the medical field that he could do his best service to others.
He had been through Navy basic training and the first school for Corpsmen. For Joseph Poquiz, it was almost like learning a new language. He learned how to "sweep" the body and locate any injury. The next stop was the Field Medical Service School, which was like basic all over again, harder even.
After completing his training as a Navy Corpsman, Joseph Poquiz was attached to the 3rd Marine Division in Hawaii. They were destined for Iraq after some field exercises. On his first night in the desert, he was amazed at all the stars. On his first day at the forward base, they were hit with an IED.
When Corpsman Joseph Poquiz got to Iraq with his Marine unit, he quickly found out that his medical kit made him a target. He split it up and concealed it, adapting like he was taught. The insurgents made IED's from a huge array of old munitions and detonation devices including one made from discarded IV tubing.
At first, the wounds were simple. A lot of frag wounds and Corpsman Joseph Poquiz was thankful. One day when he was on radio watch inside an abandoned house, an insurgent threw a hand grenade into the room. There were two Marines in there with him. He was the lucky one. He only had a concussion.
During his second tour of Iraq, Corpsman Joseph Poquiz was based in Fallujah, where he helped train medics in the Iraqi police force. He knew some of them were former insurgents, but it was an important task, helping them establish some order in the war torn country.
After two tours of Iraq, Corpsman Joseph Poquiz was considering Navy SEAL training. He started doing the necessary work, but the birth of a second child made him reconsider.
