Home » Archives » "Firefighter Shares His Experience In Iraq"

Firefighter Shares His Experience In Iraq

Oct-15-2004 » Filed Under: Iraq News

[Link to Full Article]
Reported by: Jennifer Steiner

A Sycamore Township firefighter who risks his life everyday to help fight fires in Iraq says he'll do it all over again in an instant.

For three months Zach Van Lieu has been working to keep members of an Army engineering detachment in Mosul safe from the constant threat of fire.

9News interviewed Van Lieu three months ago when he first left for Iraq and recently spoke again with him in a phone interview about the constant danger in Iraq.

"You're used to an everyday lifestyle of being able to do everyday things like getting in your car and drive down the street to the store, go out with your friends to a bar, and that is non-existent here," said Van Lieu. "If you go outside the wire you're dealing with probably not coming back."

Life as he knew it at the Sycamore Township fire house is over.

Now he lives and works on a military installation in Mosul, Iraq. [...]

Van Lieu says though, in the end, it's worth it. He says he believes he's making a difference in the lives of the Iraqi people. Most of whom he says, are happy he's there.

"You have these people that are just wonderful people that want change, that want freedom, and want to have the abilities to do things they've never been able to do," said Van Lieu.

Last week crews broke ground on two new firehouses and Van Lieu is training Iraqi firefighters so they'll be better prepared when he goes home -- whenever that may be.

"The culture, the people, just the way of life and just being able to make history and help people," said Van Lieu, "and see change, see positive change in things is something I would love to experience all over again."

Zach Van Lieu has signed on for one full year in Iraq. He's considering staying for a second year.


Advertisements