Saint Mary's Magazine Spring 2004 - Saint Mary's University of ...

ASOLDIER
OF SOULS
Hinton journaled his experiences in Iraq
while serving as division chaplain assistant
A
s far back as he can remember, Ryan Hinton ’00 has
always wanted to be a soldier. He recalls, as a young
boy, dumping out his box of G.I. Joes onto the living
room floor and aligning them, ready for battle. But serving
in the war on Iraq is a long way from playing childhood
games.
Sgt. Hinton, who served as chaplain assistant of the
101st Airborne Division, kept a journal of his experiences
in Iraq during the past year. Now back in the United States,
there are memories Hinton admits he may not want to
remember. Yet he believes it is important to share details of
war, as seen through a soldier’s eyes.
“I hope when people
read my entries they get
a truer sense of what
happened here; the news
is tainted as am I, but
blended together maybe,
just maybe, they will see
what is happening over
here,” he said.
Hinton, a Rhode Island
native, responded openly —
via e-mail from Iraq last fall
and phone once he returned
to the United States in
December. He answered
questions regarding his faith,
his duties and the difficulties he
has faced. He also responded to
those who feel U.S. presence in
Iraq is not justified.
Why did you decide to join the Army
and when?
I decided to join the Army in the summer between my
junior and senior years at Saint Mary’s. That summer I was
living in community with the Christian Brothers and
wondering what I was going to do with my life when
a thought of my father and his father serving in the
military jumped in and stayed in my head. My
parents and the Brothers have always instilled
service in me, so to me there was no greater
mission than service to my country.
What was the hardest
adjustment for you while
serving in Iraq?
The hardest
adjustment has been
dealing not only with the
deaths of my fellow
It has been said that without
proof that Saddam had
weapons of mass destruction
that this war will be proven
unjust … I do not have the
luxury of pontificating that
which justifies war, rather I go
where and when I am asked
and deal with the situations
that present themselves.
R.H.
soldiers but also with
the mass gravesites
throughout this
country. Hatred has
such destructive
power and it
creates the deepest
scars. The media back
home has been so hung up
on finding weapons of mass
destruction, they have forgotten that
thousands of innocent women and
children were killed by this madman, and
his foot soldiers are still taking aim at our
troops as we attempt to raise the oppressed.
How do you deal with the mixed
feelings both here and in Iraq about
America’s presence?
I have mixed feelings … but I will say that we and I
needed to be here no matter the cost; humanity –
even on foreign soil – needs to be protected. We have
done that and, in return, maybe we have altered the
life of one potential terrorist.
10 SAINT MARY’S MAGAZINE SPRING 2004