James Joseph Maddix, Jr.Maddix, Jr.James JosephSCIraq War, 2003-2011Army1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment; 146th Transportation Company, 7th Transportation Battalion, Army National GuardSergeantMichigan; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Carson, Colorado; Logistics Support Area (LSA) Anaconda, IraqNoVeteran"There was only three attacks throughout the entire deployment where I actually had to engage the enemy.... And all three times it made me realize I am no Rambo; I'm more like Beetle Bailey." (Video Interview, 16:51)After serving on active duty with the Army and then several years with the National Guard stateside, Sergeant James J. Maddix, Jr., suddenly found himself on his way to Iraq. Married with two children, he was forced to close his business in Michigan and move his family before he left. Maddix deployed with the 146th Transportation Company which provided such materiel as food, ammunition and tires to the troops. On three separate occasions his convoy was attacked by insurgents. During the last attack, just outside Fallujah, he questioned whether he was ever going to make it home alive again to see his family. While Maddix speaks modestly of how spoiled he was, living in a two-man trailer equipped with a PlayStation, DVD player, microwave, and other modern conveniences, he voices his appreciation for those less fortunate who served before him.James Maddix [2005]The Global War on TerrorJoining the military to avoid telling his father he had spent all his graduation money; Army returning his voice mail message twenty-two seconds before the Air Force did.Joining the National Guard; thinking he would never deploy; losing his business; wanting to deploy when he was single, instead deploying after he was married with two children.First attack: truck breaking down, funny story of dealing with dysentery in truck on way to Taji, explosion in truck behind him; AK-47 fire; his buddy's near miss.Second attack: riding in the back of a five-ton truck with two soldiers just out of high school; explosive device thrown off bridge; taking fire from all sides; crawling on hands and knees to avoid fire from his soldiers.Third attack: getting fired on just outside Fallujah but having to stop due to stalled-out gun truck; seeing and hearing rounds fired; silence; three insurgents with AK-47s aiming right at them, shooting an enemy they had nicknamed "Santa Claus."Negative views of the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) and Iraqi National Guard (ING).Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congresshttps://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.27736/DLC-AFC2022-04-26loc.natlib.afc2001001.27736