Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Audio Recording Christopher Ryan Linton Collection

Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Persian Gulf War Era, 1990-2001
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: Bravo Company, 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Infantry, 3rd Brigade
- Location of Service: Georgia; Kuwait; Iraq
- Highest Rank: Private First Class
While the experience of basic training is sometimes overshadowed by stories of combat, “basic” can be as overwhelming and intense as what comes after it. Private First Class Christopher Ryan Linton enlisted in the Army soon after his high school graduation, and began basic training in the fall of 1999. The letters in his collection document the roller coaster of experiences he endured in basic: the rigors of physical training and the profound homesickness he felt, the inspiration he drew from his family, and his ebullience at learning his permanent duty station would be close to home, at Fort Benning, Georgia. His oral history interview fills in what happened after he left basic: following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, he deployed to the Middle East in January 2002, and spent a year stationed at Camp Philadelphia, near the Iraq and Kuwait border.
Christopher Ryan Linton Collection
Interview / Recording
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PlayEntering the service after high school graduation; adjusting to boot camp; stubbornly refusing to give up; dealing with being away from his family for the first time. 00:00:48.4 - 00:04:14.0
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PlayAtmosphere post-9/11; build up to deployment; deployment to Camp Philadelphia near border of Iraq and Kuwait. 00:06:21.0 - 00:08:52.6
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PlayFlying into Qatar; surreal quality to conditions; didn’t see direct combat; did take fire during patrols; seeing a little boy throw a grenade at his patrol. 00:08:57.6 - 00:11:20.0
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PlaySeeing Iraqi refugees fleeing from Saddam Hussein’s regime; recognizing their humanity and circumstances; taking that into consideration during patrols. 00:11:32.8 - 00:14:20.2
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PlayRelying on paper mail; no access to email or phone calls; mail took a month to exchange; receiving care packages; missing small comforts of home; importance of mail call. 00:14:20.3 - 00:16:58.3
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PlayArriving back in the United States; emotional reunion with family; adjusting to civilian life; feeling bitter and angry. 00:22:33.9 - 00:25:58.8
More Resources
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About this Item
Title
- Christopher Ryan Linton Collection
Names
- Brennan, Bob
- Cape Fear Community College
- Linton, Christopher Ryan
- Hunter, Haley
State of Birth
- NC
Home State
- NC
Headings
- - Linton, Christopher Ryan
- - Persian Gulf War Era, 1990-2001 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- Veteran
Service History
-
Persian Gulf War Era, 1990-2001
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: Bravo Company, 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Infantry, 3rd Brigade
- Location of Service: Georgia; Kuwait; Iraq
- Highest Rank: Private First Class
- Dates of Service: 1999-2002
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: Veteran
Materials
- Manuscript: Correspondence [10 items] -- Handwritten document (collected 1999)
- Audio: CD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 04/09/2009)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/66044
Cite as
- Christopher Ryan Linton Collection (AFC/2001/001/66044), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- image