Eighth grade Honors ELA students in Elke Hesselgrave's class from Park Place Middle School were assigned to interview and write a profile on a veteran.
Here is Maddie Field's story. She wrote about Snohomish High School graduate Ricky Boser, who came back after tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Some dude shot at me, and I shot back.” declared Ricky Boser. This is what Marines go through on a daily basis in a war zone. This is what Marines have to come to terms with when they come home. The powerful memory of the horrifying battles stays in their mind and is everlasting.
Ricky Miles Boser II, born on August 19th 1982, didn’t think he was going to be in the Marine Corps. When he was a child he dreamed about being either a garbage man or a jeans model. Ricky grew up in Snohomish, WA with his family, and a love for America.
He realized that going into the military would be a good option for him because, “I didn’t have any other plans out of high school.” At age 17 he enlisted in the Marine Corps. His friends and family were worried that something bad could happen to him, but they supported him in his decision.
After graduating from Snohomish High School, Ricky went to bootcamp on October 29th of 2001, just over a month after 9/11 occurred. He was sent to Japan to engage in training exercises. This was to prepare them for combat. Ricky was deployed to Thailand, South Korea, Philippines, Saipan, and Tinian. He was also stationed in
Afghanistan in 2003 and Iraq in 2004 and 2007. Ricky was deployed overseas for a total of about three years where he became a combat engineer. As a combat engineer, he had to learn how to build and repair the roads and building structures. Part of his jobwas to drive a Humvee and a Seven Ton Cargo Truck. He also used high powered
explosives.
During his first week in Afghanistan he was scared to fall asleep. He would imagine that the unexpected could go wrong. It went away pretty fast though. “When [you are in the military] you mentally detach yourself…it's a defense mechanism,” Ricky
explained. Most veterans, when they are at war, tell themselves that they are already dead. They joke about it with their friends and tell each other that if they die it doesn't matter. Marines, and most veterans in general, use this technique so if something bad
happens they already knew that it was coming.
When Ricky was in highschool he was a very outgoing and a happy-go-lucky person. He liked to hang out with a huge group of friends, go to parties, and was not bothered by loud noises. This is the complete opposite of how he is now. Since he has been home he doesn't like loud noises, large crowds of people, and prefers to stay home.
This is his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. People usually think that PTSD is the same for everyone, but each person experiences it differently. PTSD wasn't the only thing that changed Ricky. After being discharged in 2008 Ricky found it frustrating to connect
with people his age. He had discovered they were on two different paths. This made him feel lost and overwhelmed. Not all things after the war were bad though. Ricky was glad that he made the choice to go into the Marines because of the brotherhood. “You hear
about the brotherhood, and whatnot,” Ricky explained “that's legit.” Ricky is thankful for all the people he met, and even Marines that he hasn't met. If Ricky were to go into a room with 1000 people he would be able to find the two Marines and become best friends. For that he is satisfied he made the decision to go into the Marine Corps. Today, Ricky loves to play with his golden retriever Ginger, and is happily dating Jaime Fields.
He works in Monroe at Wolfkill Feed and Fertilizer, and most days he is happy with his job.
If Ricky had chosen not to be in the United States Marine Corps, he wouldn’t be the man that he is today. This is the same for any veteran. It doesn't matter, man or woman, if they are in the Navy or the Army. All that matters is that they fought for our country and war changed them. Make sure that you take the time on Veterans Day to recognize, not just what the veterans did for our country, but the sacrifices that they made.
