Veterans Oral Histories Project
At California University of Pennsylvania
Veteran: Brown, Joseph K.
Interviewer: Gondringer, Jacqueline
Date of Interview: May 17, 2006
Location: California University of PA, California, PA
Transcriber: Donna Hoak
Brown: I am Joseph Keith Brown.
Gondringer: So where did you grow up before you enlisted?
Brown: Well I grew up in Virginia, Northern Virginia, Woodbridge.
Gondringer: What made you decide to enlist?
Brown: Well I was in high school when 9-11 occurred, and I wanted to drop out of high
school and go serve but my dad said no, the more education you get the better you can
serve. I said I can’t but I really wanted to serve so I said since I am not going to the
service I can volunteer to be a firefighter, so I became a firefighter and got a scholarship
to come to Pennsylvania for schooling and right after I got through two years of
schooling from the college I enlisted.
Gondringer: So 9-11 is what kind of inspired you to enlist?
Brown: That’s correct, my dad got six sons and I told him if you loose one that’s okay
because a lot of people cheering out there to fighting so I do it.
Gondringer: Did you research what part what branch of the service you wanted to go in
to before you choose the one you did?
Brown: Yes, I did. I did a lot of research before I could join, the reason I did my research
is I wanted to be out, I wanted to do infantry stuff by going in the Air Force I probably be
stuck on some air base or something and in the Navy I be stuck on some boat, in the
Marine Corp. I might be somewhere else like (inaudible) so I chooe the Army, the Army
is the only way to go. You know what I mean?
Gondringer: Yeah… so what kind of research did you do, did you go on the internet or?
Brown: No, actually I asked people I had a lot of old friends that retired and stuff like
that, and I asked recruiters and stuff.
Gondringer: How many years did you serve?
Brown: I served from 2002 to 2005, December so due to (inaudible) three years.
Gondringer: How old were you when you started serving?
Brown: I was eighteen.
Gondringer: Eighteen?
Brown: Eighteen years. Seventeen and a half, something like that.
Gondringer: Where all did you serve?
Brown: Well for security reasons, I am a SF, special forces, I am not allowed to say
some things, so I will just go under basic, I served in Kansas, Fort Riley Kansas, I served
in New York, I served in Fort Bliss Texas, and overseas, I went to Columbus, South
America, where I did some training and then I went to Iraq, Afghanistan, and I also did
my jump school from airplane, Fort Bragg North Carolina and then from Atlanta
Georgia. So I have traveled a lot.
Gondringer: What was the first time that you went away from home to go and serve
where was the first place you served?
Brown: The first place I served was Fort Knox Kentucky it was part of my training, but
that was going from civilian life going into military life.
Gondringer: How did you keep in touch with home?
Brown: Who?
Gondringer: Friends and family?
Brown: Friends and family, actually I kept, I isolated myself from society, I kept, I never
even called my family or my parents, friends I never even called them because at that
time I was going through some change, so by calling friends and stuff and interfering
with civilian, (inaudible), so would kind of do away with civilian life. So that would help
me very very well.
Gondringer: It would help you stay more focused.
Brown: More focused. You know.
Gondringer: What rank did you hold?
Brown: When I enlisted because of (inaudible) I went in as a PFC, private first class,
usually you go in as a private, your just E one, but I went in as an E three.
Gondringer: How did you manage to go in at a higher rank than normal?
Brown: Because I had some college credits. You see something about the military, first
and this would be how strong you were, if you were so strong you’d be promoted so fast,
but it was the old army, right now it is a new army, it is how smart you are so schooling
is a big factor in the army that determines who you are so that is how I got my rank.
Gondringer: What kind of quarters did you have to stay in?
Brown: Usually I live in because I was single, so I live in the barracks, the barracks were
made for single soldiers so I’d share a room with two soldiers and because I was SF I
share my own room.
Gondringer: What was the food like?
Brown: The food?
Gondringer: Yeah.
Brown: I tell you I couldn’t tell the difference because it was the food I used to eat but
now I can tell the difference because I have other means of eating of cooking, I can cook
my own food but back then it was the only food I could eat so it was one-hundred percent
to me.
Gondringer: That’s good. Like what was the different styles of food from Iraq to
American food.
Brown: Well you mean the food in Iraq?
Gondringer: Yeah.
Brown: Well the food in Iraq was prepared, cook by different nationalities fifteen Japan
Chinese, sometimes the Kuwaitis from Kuwait they cook their own food the traditional
food we’d eat because they were our cooks. The food was quite different, lot of salt, lot
of pepper, you know it was good.
Gondringer: What were your first days of service like? Like how long was a day of
work?
Brown: Well, when I left for basic training, (inaudible), actually basic training I was told
that was how the army worked because during basic training it was 24/7 during it, you
had no time for yourself. You don’t lose form until someone tells you to lose form, but
when I went to my station it was like laid back, you on your own now because you follow
the choice you’re a solider now so it was kind of laid back for me but normally I wake up
five o’clock in the morning brush your teeth you shave because you have to shave every
morning and wear your PT clothes for physical training and you go out for physical
training from six-thirty until probably seven-thirty, like one hour or something like that,
after that you come back for like a hour and a half then you go back to work like at eighto’clock, eight-thirty, then from eight-thirty you work until twelve and you get an hour
and a half lunch then you get off at four o’clock, sixteen hundred at four o’clock, so those
were the times. After sixteen hundred you’re on your own, except when you have duty
CQ, CQ you have to go to the barracks you know but as for me trust me mine were
different because right after my duty at four-o’clock, I come home and change my clothes
go in the street I don’t come back to two or three o’clock in the morning. Once I got back
all I have to do is, I go in the bathroom and wash my face put the TV on that’s it, that was
sort of the life you know.
Gondringer: What kind of skills did you acquire?
Brown: In the military?
Gondringer: Yes.
Brown: Trust me a lot. One is discipline, (inaudible); it was a little rough, (inaudible), In
high school and college I caused a lot of problems like that. In school suspension and
stuff like that, but the military taught me how to be disciplined and wise and watch your
surroundings and respect your school who deserved it, okay, it also taught me how to be
unique, how to be decent, like dress right, how to be neat and it also taught me how to be
on time. Another great aspect of the military is it taught man how to love people and not
care about yourself but other friends before you.
Gondringer: What did you do for recreation?
Brown: Recreation?
Gondringer: Yes.
Brown: Honestly, if any soldier tell you after four-o’clock he don’t go out running, their
lying to you because in the morning that’s all the recreation like that because you’d do
the physical training in the morning, so my recreation is after work I go party.
Gondringer: You go party?
Brown: I go party.
Gondringer: That doesn’t sound too bad! Were you ever fearful when you were out there
like in Iraq for example did you ever become fearful?
Brown: Actually honestly, I (inaudible) air wing, we flew before getting to Iraq, the
(inaudible) flew over Baghdad, from Baghdad to Kuwait because the squad, this is where
they would dismount then drive to Iraq so when we were flying to Iraq because of the
heat and stuff it was so hot trust me you were in the airplane that if you touched the glass
it was so hot, that scared me a little bit but once we hit Kuwait (inaudible) because I was
already there, there was no point of return except to do this over.
Gondringer: Did you make any close friendships? With people you were away with in
the service?
Brown: Yes, being in Iraq, people that you are with, people (inaudible) are your only
family here so yes, you have to.
Gondringer: What was your most memorable experience? Like you miss the most or
remember the most about serving?
Brown: Served in Iraq?
Gondringer: Yes.
Brown: You knew exactly what you were going to do the next morning; you knew that
you were going to pick up your weapon and load it up and get out there knowing that
your going to kill somebody that was very exciting, I didn’t know then that was the stage
I was in I was getting paid to do my job, so waking up in the morning roaming the street
of Baghdad was very very (inaudible) to me, something I miss about Iraq is the chow, the
chow is the food okay, we ate four times.
Gondringer: Four times?
Brown: Four times a day, four times, midnight which is twelve o’cloc, trust me you
found more people in that food line then any other time during the day, that is what I miss
most.
Gondringer: You miss most of the food? How many casualties were there in your unit?
Where there any of your closer friends who ended up passing away while you were
there?
Brown: Well like I said for security reasons I won’t tell you how many casualties, in air
battle you have casualties, I had a couple of them, some of them, some of my best
friends, sometimes you also go out to seventy feet, so you know.
Gondringer: Do you recall the day you left the service?
Brown: Left from Iraq?
Gondringer: Left from Iraq?
Brown: Actually, I know I recall because I personally took our going to be part of a
group covered by airplane landing in Kansas City, girlfriend, mom and dad all family at
the airport waiting to receive you, I thought I want to be in this group, but I know how I
left from Iraq, I woke up I was in Winston Germany, in the emergency room that is
where I was.
Gondringer: How did you get injured?
Brown: How did I, alright, somebody gave the wrong driving direction to the point of
combat and we took the wrong turn and we went in the error way, no U.S. soldier is
against the area like we Americans against her, well we took the wrong turn and this area
we went in was very very violent, broken me up I tell you they were all against and stuff
like that and we nailed them young but you know why we were quick. I was a SF solider
and you had to be quick every time so when you went it was two tanks and some
humvees and stuff so my thing was in front and some humvee were on the side of me
so at times I started from behind. So it kind of hit a lot of people and my buddies got in
the tank and I killed two I wish I could call names but they all got killed in the tank okay.
I was driving the tank that day so what happened is when I looked through the view
mirrors in the tank, my scopes I saw a bunch of troops running down there because the
firing was for eight hours, eight hours fire fight and the ammunition we had I don’t know
how it was so loud it equalized for three hours it was eight hours firing an assault in that
direction we were in the back and (inaudible) so I got me a starfish pulled my hatch and
then the Blackhawk come and I said no because I was already hit I was bleeding I said
well if I going to die I going to die because I am loosing blood, so I kind of jumped out of
my hatch, your cape is designed were you don’t have to get out or leave that
compartment, crawl out or go in the trench this is where the other guys sit so I went there
and I took the fifty cat machine gun and I started suppressing enemy fires and trust me I
have no mercy and did play on most of them until the Blackhawk came then my boys
were rescued. So that was how the whole thing was when we took the wrong turn.
Gondringer: What did you do the first days or weeks you got out?
Brown: Of the Army?
Gondringer: Of the Army or Iraq.
Brown: The first day when I got out of the Army, trust me it was the most boring
frustrating day frustrating month of my life, I tell you up till now sometimes I wake up so
early thinking I still have a mission to do and sometimes I will call my unit and say
Corporal Brown is calling because I am present you know, I will stay in the Army so I
will call and report to myself for duty but I tell you what it is something that you really
really miss. A solider is always a soldier.
Gondringer: What is your career now that you are no longer in the army?
Brown: Right now I am a (inaudible) at the department of Veteran’s affairs. That was a
very very hard decision for me to make because they are in Virginia and D.C. and there is
a lot of opportunity down there, I have jobs with homeland security you look on the wall
and there are a lot of jobs, even the secret service tried to offer me a job but I refuse it
because I wanted to serve in the Army still, but being back and not serving in the Army
but still serving in the department of Veterans affairs will be like I am still in the Army
because I am still seeing soliders and veterans so I got appointed from D.C. secretary
department of veterans affairs to come to Pittsburgh so that is my career right now. That
is not my career but I am still going to school.
Gondringer: What are you going to school for?
Brown: Computer science.
Gondringer: Computer science?
Brown: That’s correct.
Gondringer: Are you a member of any Veteran organizations?
Brown: Yes, a lot, member of the VFW, American Legion and the DAV, disabled
American vet.
Gondringer: How do you feel about war and military services now?
Brown: I think it is great. Remember our freedom is not free, and if you read the thing
about 9-11, yeah, I think it’s great.
Gondringer: Did your experiences in the service contribute to how you feel now? Did
serving change the way you feel about it or make you feel stronger about it?
Brown: I feel stronger. Absolutely. Yeah.
Gondringer: Is there anything else that you thought was interesting about serving or
anything you would like to share?
Brown: Yes, being in the military is something that you’re part of it is a society, jobs in
the military are not like jobs out there. Probably John Smith out there wouldn’t be able to
get a job in the civilian world but trust you the jobs are open to everybody regardless of
age race or what so ever, if you’re qualified for the job (inaudible), so if your qualified
and pass that test you’ll be given that job. The military is great, it is a great place a great
organization not a democratic war so you know you have to try to take some yelling a
little bit but those are the yelling that will protect you in combat.
Gondringer: Do you think what we are doing in Iraq is a good thing to do or if you could
say I think you should do it this way would you change the way we are handling things
down there?
Brown: I personally think, I think it is the best way. Remember I am a solider the only
thing I do is follow orders and trust me the news media the news people out there they are
not bringing the full broadcast and stuff like that okay, we are doing a good job down
there, there are schools people are happy, people are moving around right now you can
you can talk to your friend and no one will have to kill you or beat you or anything
because freedom of speech, the country is a democratic war so I strongly think we are
winning the battle.
Gondringer: Did you receive medals, and what kind and what for?
Brown: Yes, I received, the first medal I received was an Army commendation medal
when I was in Germany, the Army couldn’t wait for me to get in to Walter Reed, in D.C.
so rush the medal in Germany that was the first medal I received in Germany. I was so
dehydrated, when I first saw the medal I kind of pushed it away on the side, look this
medal should go to the guys in Iraq not me, so I was in Walter Reed, the president came
to Walter Reed, Dick Cheney, Walter Reed goes on the side of me, passing around from
room to room visiting other injured soldiers he had the legion of merit for five soldiers
including me he gave me mine and my certificate and then I received the combat action
badge, which is, I was in combat and I sustained injury for that and I got the Iraqi
campaign medal, I got the extradition medal, purple heart, I got the national defense
medal, I got so many medals that I can’t remember some.
Gondringer: What is the medal you’re most proud of yourself for earning?
Brown: Well I not proud of none.
Gondringer: Well which do you feel you earned the most?
Brown: Well that is what I am trying to say; I don’t feel that I earned it, those guys who
got killed that day they earned those medals, but because of regulations the government
had to give me my medals. But if I say I was going to close my eyes and choose one I
would say the Purple Heart.
Gondringer: Why?
Brown: Because the Purple Heart symbolize blood, you have to get injured to get a
Purple Heart. So that is a great medal.
Brown is showing his uniform, helmet, medals and such to Interviewer.
Gondringer: This is my helmet which I wore during major combat in Iraq and this helmet
stopped a lot of bullets, this is the uniform I was wearing when I got injured in Iraq so on
the left on the right shoulder it tells you that I have been in combat with tenth mound in
division. This is the U.S. Flag you have to wear it to identify yourself and on the left it
showed the unit I’m with and then this is my vest where I put all my magazines, my
pistol and stuff like that and my canteen to drink water. I was supposed to turn this in, but
I didn’t turn it in because I love history.
Gondringer: There you go.
Brown: This is my cuff, when I catch bad guys, the Iraq’s guys the insurgents, I caught
them and take them into custody. This is the pants and the boots, this is my jungle boot I
used to run in and that is pretty much it. This case will show how I got injured how many
people got killed, it was taken by the command sergeant major and he made enough
copies and gave me mine so there is a lot of bad stuff on this.
Showing Pictures on wall
Right here is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington D.C. August 15th
05, I spoke to the whole board because they wanted me to tell all the people how brave I
was and what I did.
This was my army accommodation medal it tells you exactly how I earned it, it tells you
exactly how I earned it on that day in combat in a fire fight, and this is when I was
promoted to the next rank.
That is Washington, D.C. August fifteen, they had a red carpet down for me to walk and
they were tipping me like I was a hero but deep down in I am not a hero.
This is all congressional people from (inaudible), Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland
and Delaware and chief of staff of homeland security and the sergeant major in the army,
this is my dad and that’s me right there, okay.
That’s me right there too, and now this one here I was just acting crazy that day I heard
on the news that my boys were doing good in Iraq so I took my pistol and shot in the air
okay, I did. The presidential (inaudible) directly from the president when the unit do good
in combat the president gave that, and then right here, the purple heart, when I got
injured, so I think this is an important one.
The last one is (inaudible) 201 Armored division Fort Knox Kentucky, the most horrible
time in my life right there okay, I am telling you because (inaudible) twenty-four-seven.