A brief respite from the clangor of war

For some time now, Pfc Adrian Lizama has been spending his days and nights with little sleep and lots of work—in fact, a lot of gripping, dangerous work—as a soldier in Iraq.

Lizama, the 19-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Joaquin Lizama of San Vicente, has been a uniformed member of the U.S. military for 15 months now—an experience that he said has enhanced his knowledge of life, and the importance of discipline and respect.

Lizama said that every moment of his past five months in Iraq were spent directing every ounce of energy into keeping himself optimistic about the success of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“It’s pretty hard and harsh. People get hurt left and right. If not injury, then there is death,” he said.

His unit has been involved in raids, done during the cold nights of the desert environment. Despite being given certain hours to relax, the hours would be cut short at any time to prepare for a new mission, which may pop up at anytime.

With the various missions that he and other soldiers take on every day, Lizama stressed the importance of trusting his fellow soldiers.

“They are as important as my weapon,” he said during an interview yesterday. “My weapon is the one to save my life, or my battle buddy. You can’t disrespect your battle buddy because you’ll never know, he might save your life one day.”

Lizama said that whenever they go around, soldiers have to pull a “360 security,” meaning each soldier is tasked with covering a certain amount of space to secure himself and all other members of the unit.

“Anywhere you go, it’s potential danger,” he said. “You’ve got insurgents everywhere.”

Lizama said that, in the five months that he has been there, he has learned some aspects about the culture of the Iraqis, saying it is also a major thing to be fluent in as they deal with the civilian population everyday.

“We’re fighting for their freedom and trying to win their hearts and minds,” he said.

Lizama returned to Saipan for a two-week vacation, arriving on Jan. 3. He is scheduled to return to Iraq early today.

“Seeing my parents at the airport was so much joy,” he said. “I was very excited about coming home…I kept playing the ‘Saipan’ song from K.C. [Deleon Guerrero].”

With limited time before returning, Lizama said he tried to enjoy and savor every moment of his stay, sleeping for only five to six hours a day.

“Once I go back, it would be a year or more. But I must go back and finish what I started.”

Lizama also has five brothers and three sisters.

During the interview, Lizama stressed the importance of the support that the soldiers get from the community. “It does make a difference,” he said. “It helps boost the morale of the soldier.”

On Friday, Lizama had lunch with Gov. Juan N. Babauta, and was also introduced to members of the Legislature, including Reps. Ray Tebuteb and Arnold Palacios, as well as Special Assistant for Administration Tom Tebuteb, former Department of Public Safety commissioner Edward Camacho, and Tony Agulto, among others.

“It makes me feel good to hear the people in Saipan…recognizing and praising what I’m doing,” he said.

Lizama graduated from Marianas High School in 2002, graduating a year early. He spent his junior year at West Palm Beach, Florida, and was a sophomore in Georgia.

He joined the military secretly, not informing his parents until it was time for a physical on Guam.

Prior to being deployed to Iraq, he was stationed in South Korea.

Before leaving, he expressed appreciation for all the support given him.

“Thanks for the support. I’m proud to say that I am a part of the U.S. Army, and I’m proud to say that I am an American soldier.”