April 8, 2005

Corporal Jeff Garcia returns from Iraq

Surprise party welcomes him home

by Mike McFerran
Staff Writer

A barrage of smiles and handshakes, bear hugs and backslaps, kisses and tears of joy welcomed Corporal Jeff Garcia as he returned home to Evergreen on April 2 after a seven-month assignment in Iraq.

Dozens of family members, friends and neighbors responded to the call of proud parents, Joe and Denise Garcia, to celebrate Jeff’s safe return and offer their thanks for his service in the name of the United States.

Surprised only by the scope of the welcome, the beaming 26-year-old Marine rode in on the hood of a car, passing a flag-waving crowd that lined the street in front of the Garcia home. He leaped off into his mother’s arms, and for several minutes thereafter, moved from person to person as everyone present crowded around him to offer their personal greetings.

Five years in Marines
Jeff first decided to join the United States Marine Corps five years ago. After signing his name and committing to four years with the Corps, he called his parents. “We were shocked,” Denise remembers. “He didn’t even tell me he was thinking about it.”

A long-time resident of Evergreen, Jeff attended Norwood Creek Elementary School, Quimby Oak Middle School and Piedmont Hills High School. Trying to explain his decision to join the Marines, Jeff says, “I was going nowhere.”

He considered military service, specifically the U.S. Marines, because “…there were other marines in the family.”

Denise confirmed that Jeff always looked up to an uncle who had been a Marine.

Jeff Garcia arrives home in Evergreen to a welcoming crowd of family, friends and neighbors.

About his enlistment, Jeff adds, “My parents weren’t very supportive at first.”

His mom admits, “I had mixed feelings.” But, she says, “Jeff came out of boot camp a different person, after only three months.” The self-confidence and sense of direction she saw in him then is clear today, as the well-mannered Marine speaks of his recent experiences.

The Garcia’s second shock came last year when Jeff called from Okinawa, Japan, to say that he had “re-upped” for a second four-year tour. This time, with the United States embroiled in a war in Iraq, their worries increased. With tear-filled eyes, Denise recalls, “It was scary, but we were very proud.”

“If you go, I’ll go”

Jeff was set to be a marksmanship instructor at Camp Pendleton, but he had one more surprise to spring upon his parents. The Marines were looking for volunteers to go to Iraq, and he and a buddy made a deal: “If you go, I’ll go.”

Attached to the 2nd Battalion 6th Marine Regiment, Fox Company, Jeff spent seven months on combat patrol in Ar-Ramadi, a town of about 400,000, 60 miles west of Baghdad. The battalion fought Iraqi insurgents, supplied security for the elections and ran other, more satisfying, humanitarian missions.

Jeff Garcia and his mom Denise Garcia take in the scene.

At times they felt the gratitude of the Iraqi people. On one such mission, Jeff says they joined Navy medical personnel to deliver clothes, shoes and radios to some very rundown apartment buildings a rural area. Jeff recalls tension as they kept careful watch for the enemy while the civilians received free medical check-ups.

One of Jeff’s mates, Lance Cpl. Hans Palmer, who joined him at Saturday’s homecoming celebration, explained how the war involved constantly changing tactics as the insurgents adapted to U.S. methods. “They are very clever,” says Palmer.

After undergoing several months of special training, the young men felt they were very well prepared, physically, for the experience in Iraq. “But you can’t train for the emotional part of combat,” Jeff adds.

No one appeared more thankful to have Jeff back than his mother. Although they remained in contact by satellite phone about twice a week while he was in Iraq, the communication was not very regular since he couldn’t call when he was out on a mission.

Lance Cpl. Hans Palmer and Cpl. Jeff Garcia.

“If I went a week without hearing from him, I got worried,” she says. His calls, though frequently ringing in the middle of the night, provided some comfort for Denise because, “He was always so upbeat.”

What’s next?
Jeff’s next goal will be to complete Marine Security Guard training in Quantico, Va., which should result in a two-year assignment at a United States Embassy somewhere in the world.

Looking ahead to life after the Marine Corps, he is considering a teaching career, focusing on English or history, which would include coaching baseball at a high school in the San Jose area.

Jeff enjoyed a few days at home in Evergreen, basking in the love and thanks of his family and the community. Then, after a couple of weeks back at Camp Pendleton, he will have 30 days to hang out and relax with his sister and some of his cousins in the Sacramento area.