Justin Bancroft, Salt Lake City, Utah: an interview by John Worsencroft, 29 August 2009

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Title Justin Bancroft, Salt Lake City, Utah: an interview by John Worsencroft, 29 August 2009
Alternative Title No. 658 Justin Bancroft
Creator Bancroft, Justin, 1978-
Contributor Worsencroft, John C., 1981-
Publisher Digitized by J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah
Date 2009-08-29
Access Rights I acknowledge and agree that all information I obtain as a result of accessing any oral history provided by the University of Utah's Marriott Library shall be used only for historical or scholarly or academic research purposes, and not for commercial purposes. I understand that any other use of the materials is not authorized by the University of Utah and may exceed the scope of permission granted to the University of Utah by the interviewer or interviewee. I may request permission for other uses, in writing to Special Collections at the Marriott Library, which the University of Utah may choose grant, in its sole discretion. I agree to defend, indemnify and hold the University of Utah and its Marriott Library harmless for and against any actions or claims that relate to my improper use of materials provided by the University of Utah.
Date Digital 2015-07-08
Spatial Coverage Kuwait, http://sws.geonames.org/285570/ ; Iraq, http://sws.geonames.org/99237/ ; Utah, United States, http://sws.geonames.org/5549030/
Subject Bancroft, Justin, 1978- --Interviews; Veterans--Utah--Biography; Iraq War, 2003-2011--Veterans--United States--Biography; Iraq War, 2003-2011--Participation, American; Latter Day Saints--Biography
Description Transcript (58 pages) of an interview by John C. Worsencroft with Justin Bancroft on 29 August 2009. Part of the Iran and Afghanistan War Veterans oral history project, tape IA-02
Abstract Justin Bancroft (b. 1978) was born in Anaheim, California where he spent most of his childhood. His family moved to Utah in 1989. He never felt he was the best student in school and looked to the armed service as an option after school. Furthermore, he discusses his early respect for the armed forces. After meeting with several recruiters from different branches of the military, he decided to enlist in the U.S. Marine Reserves. Upon completion of boot camp he checked into Fox Company 2 / 23. He was able to serve an LDS Church mission and start a family before 9/11. Shortly after news broke of the attacks he was packing his equipment and getting ready for deployment. Though eager to start his service, it was mainly with the thought of getting it done and returning to his new family as soon as possible. His unit deployed as a quick reaction force in California for a period of about ten months. Most of this time he and his fellow Marines were filled with uncertainty and he recalls the monotony of drills, physical training, and classes. When he returned home, he felt it would not be long before he was deployed again. He was correct and in 2003 he was shipped overseas as a part of the 1st Marine Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.Justin´s unit arrived in Kuwait and the initial experience reminded him of his time in California except with sandstorms. When his unit finally crossed the border into Iraq he was scared to death but excited to get the job over with. He remembers seeing U.S. aircraft and tanks attacking buildings but the reality of war did not hit him until he started seeing the dead bodies. He talks about how there was no way to prepare himself mentally for the brutality of war. His unit was one of the first to enter Baghdad. Upon entering the city, he remembers feeling as if he was being attacked from every direction. Once the intense fighting subsided his unit needed to find ways to keep themselves entertained such as playing baseball. Justin´s journey back home went very smoothly. He was thanked by many people, had his meals paid for, got to march in a few parades, and most importantly was reunited with his family. However he feels that many Americans under-appreciate their freedoms and wishes that people would show more respect for their country. Project: Saving the Legacy. Interviewer: John Worsencroft
Type Text
Genre oral histories (literary works)
Format application/pdf
Language eng
Rights Digital Image © 2015 Utah State Historical Society. All Rights Reserved.
Scanning Technician Niko Amaya; Halima Noor
Conversion Specifications Original scanned with Kirtas 2400 and saved as 400 ppi uncompressed TIFF. PDF generated by Adobe Acrobat Pro X for CONTENTdm display.
ARK ark:/87278/s6pp11r8
Topic Veterans; Iraq War (2003-2011); Mormons--Biography
Setname uum_elc
ID 836658
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6pp11r8
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