The first time Rick Muston saw Marines in action, he was a child at home eating deer chili. History played on the TV as images of Marines hurdled over the berm into Iraq during the first Persian Gulf War. But it was the remark from his father that stayed with him.
“My dad, who I thought was the toughest guy, said, ‘Those are United States Marines, and they are the toughest men on the planet,’” Muston recalled.
From then on, he knew he wanted to serve.
As a lance corporal in Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, he knew a deployment to Iraq was approaching but was clueless about the impending battle. Trained for intense combat, he was initially disheartened by a lack of fighting. Reality set in when leaders described the extensive operation.
“The terrain model was the size of a room,” said Muston. “They were going through machine gun positions that were fortified, told us to expect technicals. It was going to be a fight.”
They estimated the battle to last six months and to expect a “ridiculously high casualty percentage.”
“Anybody who looked at that terrain model and heard that briefing was scared,” Muston added.
As Marines approached Fallujah, Muston was gripped by dark humor, which, while serious, injected some levity.
“One Marine said the bad news is they have [improvised explosive devices], vehicles and a city filled with people who want to kill us,” he recalled. “When I asked what the good news was, he replied, ‘I just saved 15% off my car insurance by switching to Geico.’”
In the heat of battle, Muston saw his fellow Marines do anything to accomplish the mission at hand.
His company commander, a captain, fought with the lieutenant colonel, who wanted the Marines to push forward while engaged in a sustained 360-degree firefight. In another instance, Marines sprinted while maneuvering between the city mayor’s house and a municipal government building. Bullets impacted in front of the Marines, which caused them to slow down, while the cracks they heard from behind encouraged faster speeds.
“What got us through such a grizzly battle was the grit, determination and pride, knowing we were the ones called on it for a reason,” said Muston. “Whenever you have a heavily fortified and toughened enemy en masse asking for a fight, you call the United States Marine Corps infantry.”
He stayed in the Marine Corps until years later, when grenade shrapnel embedded in his leg since the battle caused him to medically retire.
When considering the mental costs of the war, he has struggled with intense survivor’s guilt in quiet moments.
“Whenever I went into Fallujah, I was a wild, hard-drinking, bar-fighting knucklehead,” said Muston. “To see some of the greatest men I’ve ever known die, but I get to keep on? That was hard for me.”
Learn more about Fallujah: 20 Years Later at fallujahstories.org.