SHARIE DERRICKSON

Sun Correspondent

WAUCHULA — On Sept. 15, Wauchula native Craig Trotter’s life will drastically change. He will take off his U.S. Marine Corps uniform for the last time — a uniform he has proudly worn for almost four years.

While 1st Lt. Trotter has mixed feelings about his upcoming transition to civilian life, he said he is leaving his “band of brothers” with a sense of accomplishment. He feels he helped make a difference to the people of Iraq — made them feel safe for the first time in many years.

That, he said, is his proudest accomplishment and one he shares with those who served with him at the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines out of Camp Pendleton, California, as part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

When one first meets Trotter, or “Lieutenant,” as the folks around Wauchula respectfully call him, it is easy to tell he served with the Corps. His manner is polite, humble, and he carries himself like a Marine even in civilian clothes — crisp and confident.

Trotter could easily be on a U.S. Marine Corps recruiting poster. What one might find surprising, however, is how young he looks. Trotter is 27, but his experiences of war have seasoned him and helped him hone many of his skills, including his ability to lead.

Before he left Iraq, the infantry officer was promoted to executive officer of his company, a position where good leadership could mean the difference between life and death for the 200 Marines under his command.

The lieutenant is presently on terminal leave awaiting discharge from active duty to begin a new life as a civilian. He hopes to work in the business sector using his bachelor’s degree in marketing. Since he has been home, he has used his time to talk to several civic organizations in the Wauchula area about his experiences in Iraq, The message he wants to send is that people should listen to the full story — that there is progress.

“There is some interesting stuff going on over there. I think it is a viable thing we are doing and like anything else, it needs time,” he said, adding that he feels the American public is not getting the full story and mostly hear negative stories.

Trotter said that change will come slow in Iraq, but insisted it is definitely changing for the good.

That change, he said, will mean sacrifice, and liberty comes with a price. “Everything accomplished in America, there has had to be some blood spilled to get it,” he said.

Despite the possibility of the sacrifice he and his fellow Marines are willing to make, he said Marines do not feel sorry for themselves. “We all signed up for this,” he said. “It is not like we were forced to do this — the first thing you learn when you join the Marine Corps is mission first. Let’s do it and do the best we can.”

In September 2006, he and his fellow Marines were deployed from San Diego via the USS Dubuque to al-Rimadi outside of Baghdad. “We were shipped out not knowing where we were going to end up,” Trotter said. “We weren’t sure if we were even going to Iraq.”

Once boots hit the ground in Iraq, Trotter said that his unit worked hard to gain the trust of the Iraqi people. Members of his unit lived in the village.

“It was scary because there were a lot of bad guys out there,” he said, adding that it was difficult to distinguish who was the enemy.

Slowly, he said, the Marines’ presence helped promote change in the neighborhood.

“We went in there and it was tough to start communication out of nowhere, but it started building. We had eight or nine come out to help us,” he said, adding that many wore ski masks and only came out when it was dark so that they could not be identified.

“They didn’t want to get killed or have their family get killed,” he said. “They would go out with us and point out the bad guys, and write sworn statements. It’s one thing for a coalition force to write a sworn statement, but for an Iraqi to write a statement on another Iraqi, it could mean he is done.” Trotter admired their bravery.

As the people became more comfortable with the presence of coalition forces, the neighborhood, he said, became safer.

“We had at least 200 people come in and volunteer to be Iraqi police,” he said. “After that, the place turned around.”

Trotter enjoyed interacting with the local people, especially the children, teaching them games such as tic-tac-toe.

“That is what makes you know what you are doing is a good thing — when you get to sit with and talk to the kids.”

Leaving behind a safer neighborhood is what Trotter feels most proud of. “We went into al-Rimadi and every mission we did was at night because it was so dangerous. And now, and I talk to buddies still over there, and they are walking down the streets in the daytime. It is now a different place — it is a different world — secure — the kids laughing.”

The people of Wauchula have been very supportive of Trotter and of all those who serve, the 1998 Hardee High School graduate said. Trotter is appreciative of gifts sent and prayers said. “People in the community hand made about 200 of these camouflage pillows and you would see a Marine going out on a truck with one of these pillows on his pack.”

Trotter said that Wauchula has welcomed him home warmly and residents have thanked him for his service.

“Many people went up to my parents and said, ‘We have been thinking about you and tell Craig we are thinking about him.’ That helped out more than anything because it isn’t just that you need people being supportive of the military guys. Over there, we have the best family you can imagine,” he said, stating that it is those who remain behind who need the support.

Trotter left behind his parents, Wauchula residents and school teachers Wayne and Emily Trotter, and his older brother Blayne. He is glad to be home now, and brings with him not only pride of a job well done and stories of his experiences in Iraq to share, but he also carried home a special gift for his father — an American flag flown in Iraq. “My dad is one of the reasons I went into the military.”

And while Trotter said he misses his military family, he is happy to be home — closer to his biological family.

“It is a kind of bitter-sweet getting out of the military,” he said. “I miss the camaraderie.”

But, Trotter said, inside, he will always be a U.S. Marine — Semper Fi — always faithful. When asked why he decided to serve his country, Trotter said, “I was in college and then there was 9/11. I thought, ‘I am an able-bodied person,’ and it was my duty. It was a calling.”

When asked why he specifically chose the Marine Corps, Trotter grinned and said, “They are the toughest — the best of the best.”