Tuesday, October 15, 2002
Ex-Pecosite back home after time in Afghanistan
By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Tues., Oct. 15, 2002 -- After spending close to six months in Kandahar, a city in northern Afghanistan, a 28-year old Marine from Pecos said that though he was scared at first, it did not seem to be that bad after a while.
Eddie Lujan, a 1992 Pecos High School graduate returned to Pecos to visit his family after serving six months overseas.
"It was not that bad," Lujan said.
Living conditions consisted of spending time in a tent city with his Fighter Squadron VMFA _ 121 Green Knights Males 11 Unit in Kandahar. The base was set up by U.S. troops following the start of operations against al-Qaida and Taliban forces in Afghanistan last October, which came after al-Qaida's attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on Sept., 11, 2001 that killed 3,000 people.
According to Lujan, in knowing the people he worked with he was able to get through it and get his job done.
While in Kandahar, Lujan said that his squadron would fly combat missions in support of the ground troops in Afghanistan.
"We build the ammunition that they drop," Lujan said.
Lujan is the son of Emma and Refugio Lujan and has two sisters, Debra and Christina Lujan. He said that when he first joined the Marines he was not very particular about being an ammunitions tech but, the job grew on him after some time.
Before being sent to Kandahar, Lujan said that he was stationed at the Miramar in San Diego and will be returning there on October 21.
However, Lujan recalled the days before September 11, 2001.
"I had just gotten there (Miramar) 11 days before September 11," Lujan said. "Before then I was at the Pentagon."
Lujan expresses his thoughts about the September 11 attacks by saying that something needs to be done.
Though he has just come back from overseas, Lujan said that there is talk about sending them back to Iraq.
"There are many places they could send us," Lujan said.
According to Lujan, in December of this year he will have been in the Marines for seven years. He added that he will be in the Marines for at least another year and is also in the process of deciding whether he will continue in the military after his current enlistment is over.
"I am deciding on whether to enlist for another four years," Lujan said.
If he does enlist for another four-year term, Lujan said that he might decide to serve the Marines on a 20-year term and then retire young.
Lujan recalls that he had not always known that he would pursue a career in the military. "I wanted to pursue a career in music," Lujan said, and when he graduated from Pecos High School he first attended Midland College while continuing to attempt a music career.
But after not doing well on the road with his music, at the age of 21 he joined the Marines.
"My parents did not know that I was joining the Marines," Lujan said. "They found out after it was done."
The reason for not telling his parents about his plan was because he knew that they would try to stop him, Lujan said.
During his time in the Marines, Lujan said that he has been to Japan, Uraguay, Brazil, Argentina and many other countries.
"In Argentina I was a security guard at the Embassy," Lujan said.
Lujan said that two of his great uncles have served in the military as well.
"Two of my great uncles were in World War II," Lujan said.
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I was just out surfing the web when I stumbled upon this. I do not which one in the pic is Eddie Lujan. But I thought I'd just pass another great story along about the fine people that serve our country.
