Army reservistMarquis Jackson was attending a faculty meeting at Hillside High School inDurham, N.C., where he teaches, when his cell phone rang.
His unitadministrator called to tell him he had been involuntarily transferred to aunit in Florida that was preparing to go to Iraq.
It was Jan.14, 2004. Jackson’s wife was eight months pregnant, but he had to leave forFlorida to join his new unit, which was leaving for Iraq on Feb. 7.
“To be in themilitary, you are a number,” Jackson said. “They put you where they need you.”
Jacksonmajored in political science at North Carolina Central University from 1997 to2001 and expects to finish a second degree in English education. He wasstationed at Camp Bucca prison for about 10 months. The camp is 300 milessoutheast of Baghdad.
Whileoverseas, Jackson looked back at his days at NCCU and remembered many words ofwisdom from his professors.
“Dr. Ferebeetold me to look at the world in a broader view and to be optimistic,” Jacksonsaid, referring to English professor Floyd Ferebee.
“Dr. Ware,Harrington-Austin and Bockting taught me to appreciate life. You never knowwhen your education is going to be valuable to you,” he said, referring to Michelle Ware, Eleanor J.Harrington-Austin and Margaret Bockting, all of the English Department.
He saidFerebee’s words helped him realize that people around the world are differentand it is good to respect each other. He said his education proved valuablewhen he mixed with the Iraq people. They have a different language and adifferent culture, and he had to show them respect even though they wereprisoners.
After seeingthe struggles of the people of Iraq to make a living, Jackson said he came back”much wiser and grateful.
“The Americansdon’t know poverty,” Jackson said. “The level of poverty blew my mind.”
Jackson servedas a processing non-commission officer — he made sure that new detainees hadproper identification and that the right data were collected.
At times heprocessed the data of 200 to 300 detainees a day, he said; the camp had about4,000 detainees. Their crimes included illegal possession of weapons, assaultand rape.
Some were fromsuch countries as Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.
Jackson saidthe prisoners were rarely violent and that he was inspired by seeing thedetainees face the same direction to bow down and pray.
“They weresome of the most sensible people I have ever encountered,” Jackson said.
Jackson saidhe did not witness any ill treatment of the prisoners, but he said he had heardabout the prisoner abuse scandal by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib, anotherAmerican-run detainee facility and the U.S. military’s primary interrogationcenter.
At Abu Ghraib,some American soldiers were accused of inhumanely treating Iraqi prisoners byputting them on leashes and piling them up naked, among other abuses.
Jackson wouldnot comment on the Abu Ghraib scandal, which ensnared prison guard Javal S.Davis, who attended Morgan State University in the late 1990s, among others.
After pleadingguilty in February to abusing prisoners, Sgt. Davis was sentenced to sixmonths, a reduction in rank to private and a bad-conduct discharge.
Jackson saidhe treated detainees with respect and never received illegal orders from hissuperiors.
He said hecheated death one day when a missile landed 10 feet from him.
“Had itdetonated, I would not be talking to you,” Jackson said.
Jackson said he had to work 12 to 18hours a day during his stay, and said American soldiers have overstayed theirwelcome.
“There was atime when the United States’ presence was needed in Iraq, but I believe wesurpassed that time,” Jackson said.
The long hoursdid not deter Jackson from reading. He found some time for such books as NelsonMandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom” and the “Autobiography of Malcolm X.”
LovemoreMasakadza, a student at North Carolina Central University, is editor-in-chiefof the Campus Echo.
