Civil and Construction Engineering, Building Studies and Fire Essay

Civil and Construction Engineering, Building Studies and Fire Engineering - Essay Example National Academy for Professional Training I would like to acknowledge National Academy for Professional Training for providing consultants to assist me in the visit to The Torch Hotel. 1.0 Introduction The topic I have chosen for my final dissertation for Civil and Construction Engineering Building Studies and Fire Engineering is a review of The Torch Hotel in The State of Qatar against the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards applicable and the standards implemented in The State of Qatar. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been selected as the best practiced standard for my project due to The State of Qatar implementing NFPA as standard requirements for new buildings in The State of Qatar. The Civil Defence Department in The State of Qatar has recently adopted the NFPA standards and based on such my dissertation on The Torch Hotel will identify if the already completed and approved inspection from the Civil Defence meets the standards set forth by NFPA and any other relevant standards applied by the Civil Defence in The State of Qatar. It has been noted that although the local government Civil Defence has adopted NFPA standards for new building requirements, the equipment used by the Civil Defence is based on British Standards and European Standards. Further reviews shall take place during the dissertation on the differences for certain connection requirements on breeching inlets and hydrants. British Standard Connections are different to NFPA standard connections on hose lines. The Civil Defence Introduction The fire service in The State of Qatar is managed by the General Directorate for Civil Defence, a uniformed service organisation under the Ministry of Interior. The General Directorate for the Civil Defence was named as the â€Å"Extinguishing Police Section† during its creation in 1955. Its name was then changed to â€Å"Civil Defence Department† in 1991 and finally to its present name, General Directorate for Civil Defence in 2005. The General Directorate for Civil Defence is generally mandated by law to discharge the following: - Enforcement of Qatar Fire Safety Regulation through the conduct of review and evaluation of building plans and fire safety inspections on all buildings and/or structure prior to issuance of occupancy or renewal permits. - Respond to fire and emergency calls - Promote public fire safety awareness - Review, approval for certification of fire equipment or any other fire safety standards//requirements before they are installed or distributed in the market. 2.0 Background Code Enforcement and Inspection Procedures At present, Qatar has no Fire Code yet being enforced. The GDCD has adopted the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes and Standards to be its referenced Code/standards in the enforcement of fire safety regulations and practices in Qatar. GDCD on its part has a Fire Safety Standards to supplement the NFPA requirements. The local Fire Safety Sta ndard is somewhat generalized in its form and has deviations or modifications against some sections in the NFPA. These modifications are aimed for the purpose of making some enhancement to suit with the country’s special requirements and added safety as well. In cases where a conflict between the requirements under the NFPA Code/Standards and local fire safety standard occurs, the requirements from the latter must prevail and should be followed. Building Plan Review and Evaluation The

Pre-eclampsia discussion on hypertension in antenatal Essay

Pre-eclampsia discussion on hypertension in antenatal - Essay Example A midwife’s primary role in properly assessing the situation and giving diagnosis is discussed. Focus is also given to the cooperation between midwives and other HCPs when dealing with conditions that are not usually seen among patients. To aid in the discussion, a case of a pregnant patient, Julie, is used as an example. Julie’s pregnancy is made complicated by the increased blood pressure and protein in blood observed late in pregnancy. The flow of this paper is as follows. First, a summary of the patient’s case is given. More details, should the summary be found lacking, are provided in the appendix. Next, the various roles of midwives are elaborated, especially in cases of pregnancy. Third, pregnancy-associated high blood pressure disorders, its causes and risk factors, symptoms, complications, and treatment are looked upon. Finally, the appropriateness of the attending midwife’s actions in dealing with Julie’s case is assessed. There is a concerted effort among international HCP associations to care for not only the physical, but the psychological, spiritual and social well-being of a woman and her family. A midwife must do her part on this venture by monitoring such aspects of a woman’s life, especially during the child-bearing cycle. As defined by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), midwives are licensed, autonomous HCPs who are specialized to provide well-being related to women’s reproductive health including gynaecological tests, family planning, sexual health, antenatal tests, delivery, postpartum care and menopausal care. Aside from facilitating birth giving and taking care of the newborn infant, they are responsible and accountable for giving proper advice to expectant mothers so that each of them will have a normal pregnancy and natural parturition. This includes preventive measures such as giving advice on diet and

Justice System And The Cases Of Miscarriages Criminology Essay

Justice System And The Cases Of Miscarriages Criminology Essay INTRODUCTION Cases of miscarriages of justice have come to light in recent years and have become a celebrated issue in the society. Different reasons have been given for it like poor investigative interviewing practices, court processes and custodial practices. However, investigative interviewing practices is the most rated as the cause of these injustices, hence, the purpose of this essay is to see how these cases of miscarriages of justice have helped in changing investigative interview practices for better. INVESTIGATIVE INTERVIEWING An interview is a conversation intended to yield information, it is essential to obtain correct, detailed and comprehensive explanations that are rich in detail from all those involved within the criminal justice process; from victims, witnesses, colleagues, friends, neighbours, family and suspects. Interviews are generally non-accusatory; during the course of an investigation the investigator will conduct interviews with all available witnesses and potential suspects. (Milne Bull, 2003, p.111) Investigative interviewing is an important part of the investigative process for patrol officers, loss prevention agents, detectives or other investigators. Most information is derived from people, which makes it important to have knowledge and skill in interviewing, in order to get the best of the interview process. The investigator should ask open-ended questions in an attempt to elicit as much information as possible. The interview subject should do most (75%) of the talking during the conversation (Reid Associates, 2001). If, during the interview it is found that the subject has lied, the investigator should generally not confront the subject. In most cases it is best to challenge a lie during a follow-up interview or once the interviewer has moved into an interrogation. Interviews are conducted at different levels of the investigative process, ranging from the initial police interview of a victim, witness, or suspect to an in-court interview in front of a judge or other decision makers. Interviews conducted during the initial phase of the police investigation are usually the most critical in determining whether a criminal case is solved (Fisher, Geiselman, Raymond, 1987), especially when there is little or no physical evidence and only one witness to guide the investigation. At this point in the investigation, there is considerable potential to extract extensive, accurate information, because the event is still fresh and, hence, relatively accessible in the witnesses memory. Furthermore, witnesses have had little time to think about the event, so their immediate perceptions are likely to be pristine, untainted by later influences. Properly conducted interviews may thus advance the police investigation immeasurably by yielding thorough, accurate rec ords of the crime details. On the other hand, poorly conducted interviews have the potential to distort the witnesses memories and contaminate the entire investigative process. (Hoffman, 2005) Among the most important traits for a successful interviewer are Empathy, Communication and Professionalism. All three of these characteristics combine to send a powerful message to the subject. That is, that the interviewer is an honourable person, who has all of the necessary evidence, and truly understands the feelings of guilt within the subject. Empathy is considered an essential characteristic of a good interviewer. EMPATHY Empathy is the ability to understand and share in anothers feelings (Webster, 1972). Investigators who adopt empathy easily identify with other people see things through anothers eyes. An interview or interrogation is a conversation between two human beings. The subject and interviewer are on an equal basis. Unlike the interviewer, the subject likely has no training whatsoever in interviewing. But as a person the interviewee communicates with others all the time and can identify when dealing with someone who is insincere. It is difficult to convincingly offer explanations and understanding to a subject when the interviewer cannot identify with the other person. This might make the interviewer seem insincere and make it difficult to obtain a fair account of the issue on ground. COMMUNICATION One of the most important traits of a good interviewer is being able to communicate excellently. When people communicate they use more than words. Tone, inflection, volume and pauses are all essential aspects of Para-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is as important as what is actually being said. Gestures, posture, hand, eye and head movement (or lack thereof) are vital parts of a persons non-verbal communication. The interviewer should also take note of the messages sent by the subjects physiological responses such as skin tone, sweating and respiration. In some circumstances the interviewer will notice that one can visibly monitor the subjects heart rate by observing the carotid pulse. The most important communication challenge for the interviewer is to be aware of all of these methods of communication. The interviewer must take note of what he or she is receiving and also of what one is passing across. The core of interviewing is communication, but how the interviewe r presents oneself to the subject is the first communication that occurs. PROFESSIONALISM The interviewer should be dressed in a professional manner. The interviewer should put into consideration the subject and the location of the interview before deciding on attire, the interviewers attitude should always be professional. No matter the outcome of the interview, the interviewer should not make sarcastic or disapproving remarks during or after the interview. The interview should begin civilly with a handshake and end in the same manner. The final role that professionalism plays in the interview is the attention to detail paid to the confession and statement. Someone, perhaps the interviewer, spent valuable time preparing the investigation. The investigation file will likely be full of detail and description. Once the subject confesses, the professional interviewer will follow through with developing the confession and capturing it in a detailed and accurate statement. Investigation is a core duty of policing. Given that the interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects is central to the success of an investigation, the highest standards need to be upheld. In order to do this, forces need to develop and maintain the valuable resource that the skills of their interviewers represent. Interviews that are professionally undertaken and quality assured can realise several business benefits. In particular, they can: Direct an investigation, which in turn can lead to a prosecution or early release of an innocent person; Support the prosecution case, thereby saving time, money and resources; Increase public confidence in the Police Service, particularly with witnesses and victims of crimes who come into direct contact with the police. Conversely, failure to professionally undertake and assure quality interviews can have adverse consequences in terms of failure to adhere to legislation, loss of critical material, unsolved crime, lack of credibility and loss of confidence. The gathering of information from a well-prepared victim and witness interview will contribute significantly to the investigation. An effective interview of a suspect will commit them to and account of events that may include an admission. In the admission, the suspect may detail how the offence was committed and thus the investigation can be more focused. The value of a properly obtained admission can prove the mens rea of the offence, beyond doubt. (Hoffman, 2005) MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE The mistakes that occur within the criminal justice system can be described in various ways; the criminal justice system is founded on the presumption of innocence; a legal fiction intended to insulate the individual from abuses of state power and reduces the likelihood of a factually innocent person being convicted. In order to cast this protective net as widely as possible, the appellate test has to be expressed in the neutral term of safety. The media and campaigners have different motivations and usually focus upon cases of innocence in order to attract public interest and to achieve reform. Despite the moral and political impact of innocence cases, for those who seek to safeguard the rights of defendants and to uphold the integrity of the criminal justice system, it is imperative to resist allowing the criminal justice debate to degenerate into competing claims of guilt versus innocence. Miscarriage of Justice has been defined as A grossly unfair outcome in a judicial proceeding, as when a dependant is convicted despite lack of evidence on an essential element of the crime. (Barak, 2007). This definition can be attributed to wrongful arrests, wrongful charges or indictments, wrongful sentences, but most notably wrongful convictions arising from improper and insufficient investigations. According to Barak, There are two general types of miscarriages of justice which are errors of due Process and errors of impunity. Errors of due process involve unwarranted harassment, detention or conviction, or excessive sanctioning of people suspected of crimes. Errors of impunity refer to a Lapse of justice that allows a culpable offender to remain at large or escape justice in some way. Error of due process can lead to error of impunity, thus, if a person is wrongly arrested, convicted and imprisoned for a crime that he/she did not commit. There is a good chance that the real offe nder will remain free to commit other offences, meanwhile, there is a probability that the real offender will be arrested, convicted and arrested for another crime. Both types of error can undermine the integrity and legitimacy of the Criminal Justice system. The origin of most miscarriages of justice can be said to be from the roots, which is the law enforcement agents. The police have a big role to play in ensuring justice is carried out always, but in doing this, proper investigations and interview have to be carried out to ascertain the right facts. There have been many celebrated cases and many more of miscarriages of justice, as in the case of Stephen Downing who was convicted of the murder of Wendy Sewell in a  Bakewell  churchyard in 1973. The 17-year-old had a reading age of 11 and worked at the cemetery as a gardener, he was made to sign a confession that he was unable to read by the police. The case gained international notoriety as the Bakewell Tart murder. After spending 27 years in prison, Stephen Downing was released on bail in February 2001, pending the result of an appeal. His conviction was finally overturned in January 2002. Miscarriages of Justice highlights the shortcomings of the Criminal justice system, it also reflects a tendency for police investigators to develop a theory as to responsibility for a crime and then to exclude all other avenues for investigation. (Dixon 1999). This may occur as a result of not following up other potential avenues of investigation or by active manipulation of evidence to support the theory. As in the case of The Cardiff Three, Steven Miller, Yusef Abdullahi, and Tony Paris who were falsely jailed for the murder of prostitute Lynette White, stabbed more than 50 times in a frenzied attack in a flat above a betting shop in Cardiffs Bute town area on Valentines Day 1988, and jailed in 1990. This was a serious case of miscarriage of justice as a result of poor investigation and interrogation by the police officers involved, the young men were bullied and coerced to falsely confess to a crime they did not commit, they were charged to court with the barest minimum of evidenc e and were later cleared on appeal in 1992; it was not until 2003 Jeffrey Gafoor was jailed for life for the murder. The breakthrough was due to modern DNA techniques used on evidence taken from the crime scene. Subsequently, in 2005, nine retired Police Officers and three serving Officers were arrested and questioned for false imprisonment, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and misconduct in public office. Another celebrated case of miscarriage of justice is that of Rachel Jane Nickell  (23 November 1968-15 July 1992) who was the victim of a  sexual assault  and  murder  on  Wimbledon Common,  London, on 15 July, 1992. She was stabbed 49 times. On 18 December, 2008,  Robert Napper, 42, pleaded guilty to Miss Nickells  manslaughter  on the grounds of  diminished responsibility.  Colin Stagg had earlier been charged and then acquitted in relation to this murder, as there was no forensic evidence linking Mr Stagg to the scene, the police asked  criminal psychologist  Paul Britton to create an  offender profile  of the killer. They decided that Mr Stagg fitted the profile and asked Mr Britton to assist in designing a covert operation, Operation Ezdell, to see whether Mr Stagg would eliminate or implicate himself, an undercover police woman using the pseudonym Lizzie James contacted Mr Stagg, posing as a friend of a woman with whom he used to be in contact vi a a lonely hearts column. She attempted to obtain information from him for over five months by feigning a romantic interest, meeting him, speaking to him on the telephone and exchanging letters containing sexual fantasies. Believing on the advice of the  Crown Prosecution Service  that there was sufficient evidence to convict Mr Stagg, the police arrested and charged him on 17 August 1993 with Miss Nickells murder. When the case reached the  Old Bailey,  Mr Justice Ognall judged that the police had shown excessive zeal and had tried to incriminate a suspect by deceptive conduct of the grossest kind. The entrapment evidence was excluded and the prosecution withdrew its case. Mr Stagg was acquitted in September 1994. This case is a clear example of a miscarriage of justice from different aspects; bad investigative interviewing, ignorance of other leads, bad decisions and errors on the part of the police officers. The main culprit was left roaming around and went on committing crimes before he was eventually caught for another crime. There have been lots of other cases of miscarriages of justice with poor investigative interviewing being the major cause and other factors too. This led to the emergence of Judges Rules which was drawn by Judges in 1912, which was revised over the years and added to over the years and remained in force until they were replaced by the Police and Criminal Evidence act (PACE) 1984 and the Codes of Practice (Home Office Circular 89, 1978) as a result public outcry concerning highly publicised miscarriages of justice (e.g. Guildford 4) in the UK, the Home Office is the central government department responsible for the criminal justice system) and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) developed the investigative interviewing; ethos and PEACE training course in the 1990s PEACE continues to be the Police Service framework for interviewing. There are five phases to the PEACE framework which are: Planning and Preparation: This includes what to consider when planning for an interview, understanding the main aim and the essence of the interview to the case at hand. Engage and Explain: This describes how to cope with the special features of getting an interview started, involving the interviewee in the conversation, building rapport, setting the interviewee at ease and informing him/her about rights and other legal necessities, and establishing the ground rules. Account, Clarification and Challenge: This deals with the central issue of obtaining the interviewees account, clarifying this and, where necessary, challenging it. Closure: This is an important aspect of the whole process, a good closure is necessary to ensure that there is a mutual understanding about all that transpired, it describes the considerations before closing an interview. Evaluation: This consists of asking questions about what was achieved during the interview and how it fits into the whole investigation. Evaluation also includes the development of an interviewers skill level, through assessment (self, peer and manager) and feedback. According to Griffith Milne (2005) Most of the identified problems with police interviews prior to PEACE were due to miscarriages of justice linked to false confessions. These false confessions were due to bad police interviewing processes, though subsequent legislative which has authorised compulsory audio tape recording of all interviews with suspects and the right for a suspect to have a legal representative present should avoid a repetition of such occurrences. Miscarriages of Justice also led to the need to review police interviewing initiated under the auspices of the Association of Chief Police Offers (ACPO) and the Home Office. The National Strategic Steering Group on Investigative Interviewing exists to ensure the development and delivery of the most effective interview strategy. Its role is to ensure that a consistent and professional approach is adopted by the Police Service, which is able to withstand judicial and academic scrutiny and has the ability to instil public con fidence. The overall aim of the National Strategic Steering Group on Investigative interviewing is: To provide direction on the development of policy, practices and procedures to ensure that the interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects supports professional investigation. The terms of reference of the National Strategic Steering Group on Investigative interviewing are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To maintain an effective dialogue with key stakeholders to ensure high standards of professionalism and service delivery. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To monitor the potential impact of any changes in law and procedure on interviewing practices and make recommendations on further changes as necessary. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To provide advice to ACPO and other key stakeholders on technical and procedural issues that impact on the professional practice of investigative interviewing. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To ensure that the National Occupational Standards applicable to investigative interviewing are fit for purpose. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To inform the design and development of effective learning and development products that supports the National Investigative Interviewing Strategy. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To establish an effective partnership with the NPIA to develop professional practice and maintain operational support. The principles of investigative interviewing (NSLEC, 2004, pp. 16-20) which have generally stood the test of time have been revised. The Principles of Investigative Interviewing 2007 are: The aim of investigative interviewing is to obtain accurate and reliable accounts from victims, witnesses or suspects about matters under police investigation, accurate information to seek truth and not coercing false confessions. Investigators must act fairly when questioning victims, witnesses or suspects, vulnerable people must be treated with particular consideration at all times. Investigative interviewing should be approached with an investigative mindset. Accounts obtained from the person who is being interviewed should always be tested against what the interviewer already knows or what can reasonably be established, investigative interviewing should be approached with an open mind. When conducting an interview, investigators are free to ask a wide range of questions in order to obtain material which may assist an investigation. Investigators should recognise the positive impact of an early admission in the context of the criminal justice system. Investigators are not bound to accept the first answer given. Questioning is not unfair merely because it is persistent, the interviewers duty is to get accurate and reliable information from an interviewee no matter the number of times the question is asked, as long as it is done carefully and not in an oppressive manner. Even when the right of silence is exercised by a suspect, investigators have a responsibility to put questions to them, if the interviewer believes truth can be derived from the person in question. Miscarriages of justice threaten the very foundation of a society, because in every liberal legal system, legal rights and autonomy are paramount. Miscarriages of justice undermines these individual rights which has led to an outcry by society and prompted the necessary bodies to build laws, policies and practices to be adhered to in order to prevent further miscarriages of justice arising from investigative interviewing and thus has improved investigative interviewing practices. RELEVANT CASE LAW R. v. Downing (2003, March 10) Newstatesman R. v. Miller, Paris and Abdullah [1993] 97, G. App. R. R. v. Stagg (1992) The Sun. Retrieved 3 January, 2011.

Macbeth - Foreshadowing Using Animals :: essays research papers

Thesis Statement: Throughout the play of Macbeth, Shakespeare chooses to use animals to portray foreshadowing, to develop character and to evoke a wide variety of emotions from the audience. A) Dramatic Purpose #1 To Characterize to show the development of a person/character. helps the audience to understand the true personalities of characters (not what their portrayed to be to others). 1. a) "... Approach thou like the rugged Russian bear, / The arm'd rhinoceros, or the Hyrcan tiger; / Take any shape but that, and my firm nerves / Shall never tremble ..." (Act 3, Scene 4, Lines 123-125). Macbeth is speaking to Lady Macbeth about Banquo's ghost he says that if any of these fierce animals should come near him, he would never be scared. Macbeth doesn't want Banquo to be in any part of his life, that's why why he killed him. Now that he's come back as a ghost (he's trembling/scared that Banquo will never leave him alone) the use of these fierce creatures compared to Banquo shows that Macbeth may be regretting the murder of Banquo. Shows he's not as strong as he portrays himself to be, he's a coward inside, he can't face up to what he's done. b) "... As sparrows, eagles, or the hare, the lion." (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 39).the soldier is speaking of Macbeth and Banquo. just as an eagle easily defeats the sparrow or the lion easily defeats the hare, Macbeth and Banquo defeated their opponents. this is portraying one as an eagle and the other as a lion. either way, there was no competition between Macbeth and Banquo and their enemies. Shows the characters of Macbeth and Banquo and how fierce they really are. the lion and the eagle are fierce animals, whereas the sparrow and the hare are very weak. They can easily be killed. c) "I come, Graymalkin. Paddock calls; --anon." (Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 11-12). the witches companions, demons, are familiar spirits who are calling the witches. Graymalkin is a cat and Paddock is a toad. shows the witches are ones who believe in evil spirits, as most witches are portrayed as. shows they have foretelling knowledge - evil spirits, cats, they vanish. Shakespeare uses a cat as a spirit, as cats are significant to witches a toad portrays their ugliness, as described earlier. B) Dramatic Purpose #2 To Create Emotions to make the audience's sympathies lie where the dramatist wants them to lie.

Human Physical Appearance

How many times have you formed an impression of someone even before you got to know him or her well? How many times you felt bad because you were judged? Why do people misjudge? It is because, we’re human. We all misjudge all the time. It is easy to misjudge people based on outward appearances. People nowadays are judgmental; they’re basing their behavior towards others through physical appearance. Though appearances people create their own stereotypes and misjudge the other person.It is easy to create a mental prototype through basing something on an individual’s physical attributes. Almost everyone in his or her lifetime has misjudged someone at least once in her/his lifetimes. A lot of times people misjudge others by the way they look and a lot of people do not know how that it can sometimes affect or hurt someone. We know that it is wrong for other people to look upon others and judge them but nobody is perfect. People misjudged others is by their appearance because they think that appearance is everything.In conclusion, everyone has either been misjudged or judged at least once in his/her lifetime. Misjudging someone can be very unfair to others and in some cases you never know when other people are going through the same thing as you had gone through at some point of your life. Nobody should judge a person by their appearance. When people misjudge other people, they don’t give them the chance to experience a good and healthy life without being hurt by what others say and think. Lastly, nobody wants anyone o misjudge other in any kind of way.

My grandfather

Few events impact the lives of humans as war.   The United States found itself in many wars during the twentieth century, in every corner of the world.   The common trait throughout all these wars was that they were fought by young men, many of whom had little political education or any idea why they were fighting.   My grandfather, Francisco Martin, was one of these young men, as he fought in the Korean War.   Through the violence and the confusion, he survived to create a family and life of peace, though the memories of the war always stayed with him. My grandfather was born in Puerto Rico in 1930, and was still a young man when the Korean War broke out.   As a twenty-year-old college student at the University of Puerto Rico, Francisco knew very little about Korea, save for what he learned in history class.   After World War II, in a 1945 agreement reached by the allies at the Potsdam Conference, Korea was divided along the 38th Parallel into North and South Korea.   It was an early indicator of what would become the Cold War, as the communist Soviet Union would occupy North Korea and South Korea would be occupied by the democratic U.S. forces. However, only five short years later, on June 25, 1950, North Korean communist forces launched a massive surprise attack on South Korea quickly overrunning the capital.   U.S. Intervention was ordered on June 27 by President Harry S. Truman on the same day the U.N. invoked military sanctions against North Korea.[1]   As a citizen of Puerto Rico, my grandfather was also a citizen of the United States, and his dual citizenship in each country would prove desirable to the armed forces, as well as his college experience.   Less than a year later, young Francisco would put his studies on the shelf when his country called. As a student at the University of Puerto Rico, my grandfather had some experience in the R.O.T.C., and he could also speak Spanish and English, so his qualifications for the military were more than adequate for what the military needed and he was inducted on October 5, 1951.   For young Pvt. Martin, adjusting to life in the military was no easy task: â€Å"It was difficult.   The transition from being a University student, to being a trainee preparing to go to war was not easy.   It was a drastic change in mentality and attitudes. After all, it was sort of ‘brain storming’ in order to prepare the soldier to go to possible ‘combat areas’ as was called.†[2]   After four months of basic training in San Juan and Salinas, Puerto Rico, Pvt. Martin found out that he would be going to South Korea, which came as no big surprise.   However, finally hearing about his destination filled him with fear and trepidation, and he worried about what would come next.   While his commanding officers repeated that it was their duty to serve and go to Korea, this did little to quell his fears. My grandfather’s unit left Puerto Rico in April of 1952; at the time he was twenty-one years old and celebrated his twenty-second birthday on the way past Honolulu, Hawaii.   He describes the long journey by boat to South Korea as being difficult, uncomfortable, and lacking enough fresh water for the troops.   â€Å"We showered with salt water†¦ It was awful†¦ We spent approximately one month on board. We passed Hawaii and reached Japan; it was civilization at last!†[3]   The experience of Japan after the long journey was a welcome relief.   In particular, Tokyo proved to be an eye-opening experience for the young Puerto Rican American soldier, and made life off the ship that much more enjoyable:   â€Å"Nice food, big city†¦Ã‚   No more rotten eggs for breakfast as in the ship. No more seawater for bathing.   No more nasty odors and boring hours.†[4]   After being initially assigned by to be a translator because of his ability to speak Spanish and English, he was slowly beginning to adjust to life in the army, of course helped by being in the big, fast city of Tokyo.   However, before too long, he and his unit were finally shipped to South Korea to continue their duty and fight the communists of the North. My grandfather left Tokyo by train, leaving behind the many creature comforts of life in the big city, such as hot food and comfortable beds.   Back on the old, uncomfortable train he was forced to sleep on the floor with the rest of the men, or on the hard, wooden seats.   The only food they had for the trip was canned rations of spaghetti and meatballs, and once again life in the military seemed harsh and monotonous.   After the long train ride and a short ferry ride, they were finally on the mainland of Asia and in South Korea. When arriving in Pusan in the summer of 1952, it became immediately clear to all the soldiers that they were in a war zone: â€Å"On our arrival to Pusan, we could here the guns from far away.†[5]   There was no mistaking that there lives were now at stake, and the uncomfortable boats and the trip to South Korea did not look so bad. My grandfather remembers vividly his early days in South Korea: â€Å"I was assigned to the Second Division.   This army division arrived to Korea in 1950.   In 1951, the 9th Infantry regiment played an important role in the offense and defense in Korea.   I was there.†[6]   He recalls the large military presence and the continuous movement of trucks, tanks, and troops coming and going. He also remembers the differences in the attitudes of the soldiers, which depended highly on which direction they were heading: â€Å"Soldiers were leaving Korea and heading to Tokyo in their way back home (from U.S.A Puerto Rico, Colombia, and other countries in South America).   We (the incoming troops) were sad.   But they (the ones leaving) were very, very happy; it is understandable that after fourteen months in the combat zone.†[7]   Pvt. Martin prepared himself for the idea of spending the next fourteen in the combat zone, but failed to realize at first that the main feelings would be of alienation. After going through the long journey to get to South Korea, my grandfather found himself deep in a learning experience upon arrival, with little companionship from any fellow Spanish-speaking soldiers: â€Å"I went through a learning period.   Everything was new for me; nobody spoke Spanish. It was a harsh process of adaptation because everything was uncertain.†[8]   In addition to the hard adjustment of life in a combat zone, he was also met with repeated stories of the violence that took place not far from his post, which filled him with even more anxiety: â€Å"I was fearful after listening to all the stories of the battles, the misery, and violence.   Everybody around me was very pessimistic.   I was sure that I was not going to make it.†[9] The young soldier would hear stories of the biggest battles while in South Korea, including â€Å"Bloody Ridge,† which was the name given to the twelve-day siege waged by the men of the 9th Infantry regiment against a communist held hill in the fall of 1952.   Because of security reasons, the military publication Stars and Stripes would not disclose the exact location of the bloody battle, and soldiers in my grandfather’s regiment were left to wonder just how far away the violence raged. He would even hear stories about his fellow Puerto Rican soldiers fighting and dying in the battle of Kelly Hill, which also occurred in the fall of 1952, making him realizing the deadly cost of the war: â€Å"The Puerto Rican regiment (the 65th infantry regiment) participated in ‘Kelly Hill Battle’ that happened in the fall of 1952.   Half of the 743 Puerto Rican soldiers that died in the war, died in this battle.†[10]   But, as with so many soldiers and civilians caught in combat zones, it was only the faith in his God that gave him the strength to ignore his fear and do his duty.   My grandfather credits this for returning home and proclaims, â€Å"My faith was the only thing that kept me alive.†[11] As a soldier, Pvt. Martin served in the 9th Infantry regiment for around a year, moving to and from many different locations throughout South Korea.   Despite his close proximity to the frontlines, he was fortunate enough to avoid all major combat events.   Though he knew that his fellow soldiers were fighting and dying, he did his duty as assigned, not matter how fearful he was or how dangerous the duty seemed: â€Å"I did not fight a person-to-person combat or patrols.   But I stood for guard many times.   I remember guarding from 12:00am until 4:00am in a wet, cold and scary dangerous forest. Nights were horrible.   There were constant bombings but we had to get used to them and pray for our lives.† [12] One time on guard duty, he suffered the lowest moment of his time in Korea: â€Å"While supervising guards and moving the soldiers to different posts, one of my legs suffered frostbite.   I was hospitalized for a period of time and received treatment.   Once I was cured, I was sent back to the frontlines.   In that period, I was serving in a technical capacity.   I was part of a special unit called I.R.I.   That unit was in charge of distributing tools and explosives to those soldiers assigned to difficult missions as mine finding.†[13]   Once again, it was his religious faith that helped get him through the most difficult times of the war. Though my grandfather did not experience any serious combat while in South Korea, the threat of combat was always present.   When coupled with the often monotonous life of being a soldier, and the extremely hot and wet summers and extremely frigid winters, the days and nights could drag on and become terribly lonely and fearful times.   The only things that usually made this go away were the letters and news from back home: â€Å"Receiving letters was very important. Receiving mail from the family and friend brought me happiness and strength.†Ã‚   This was especially true of the letters from his young wife:   â€Å"Ana’s letters were well received and expected.   She was very consistent in writing and that helped me a lot.†Ã‚   In addition to letters from loved ones, the soldiers were sometimes offered breaks from constant life on the frontlines. Trips to Japan for rest and recuperation offered soldiers a welcome break from soldier life, and according to my grandfather: â€Å"I spent a week in a city called Sasebo Kokura.   It was nice, good food, movies, and trips to the city, dancing in the fort, rest, and sleep.   But after a period of â€Å"relaxation and distraction† I was sent back to Korea, but this time by plane.†[14] Even away from the war zone, terrible things can occur, and the plane ride back from Japan would stay with my grandfather for the rest of his life:   â€Å"The flight was dangerous, the plane had no seats.   I was standing strapped to the wall.   It was a horrible and traumatic experience.   Today I suffered of ‘flight fear syndrome.’   I still have flashbacks of that moment.†[15]   However, with his strong faith and fortune to avoid serious combat while there, he avoided many of the pitfalls that claimed other soldiers such as depression, alcoholism, and mental illness. There were also some good times in South Korea, which my grandfather recalled fondly, especially Christmas of 1952.   The Army threw a large Christmas party complete with treats and Christmas dinner:   â€Å"There was ice cream, turkey, fruitcake, juice, and candy†¦ It felt like home.   I went to mass, we received letters, and I even received food from home!   I still remember that day; we had a Christmas tree and everything that goes with it.†Ã‚   [16] What made the holiday even better for the young soldier is that it would not be long that he would be able to leave South Korea.   He recalled: â€Å"By that time, there were three or four more moths to go — we were ready to rotate–other troops would replace us.†[17] However, he still had a few more months to go and realized that anything could happen, as the stories of battles and casualties continued to pour in.   But, he could not get around the fact that he was so close to the end of his time in South Korea.   Around March of 1953, Pvt. Martin received news that his time in Korea was up.   As he lived in a bunker at the time and news was delivered by a messenger, he remembers when a messenger came to his quarters and stated: â€Å"You, F. Martin, are leaving Korea. You are heading to Tokyo (back to Seoul and the Tokyo).  Ã‚   A modern ship will take you back to the U.S specifically to Seattle, Washington.†[18]  Ã‚   And, after fourteen months in the combat zone, his time was up and he could leave with the satisfaction that he served his country and did his duty.  Ã‚   He transferred to the U.S. Army Reserve on June 23, 1953, and finally finished his military service with an honorable discharge on October 6, 1959, after a full eight years in service. After his experience in Korea, my grandfather took with him many lessons learned about life and war.   His view of the war is that there were no clear winners.   Tens of thousands of Americans died, along with countless more Koreans, Chinese, and Russians.   However, he cannot help but feel that some progress was made concerning the state of South Korea:   â€Å"South Korea obviously gained†¦ Today it is a prosperous, well-developed nation, technologically advances and democratic.†[19] But, he also acknowledges that the conflict itself failed to succeed in its greater goals: â€Å"On the other hand, that place is a divided nation! North and South are divided! Families separated! North Korea today is in bad shape; hunger, famine, no democracy at all.†[20]   Though my grandfather did his duty, he does not claim to be a politician or have answers to the most complex political questions facing humanity. He prefers to be a kind, decent man that loves his family and tries to impart his simple wisdom whenever possible.   Though many memories of Korea stay with him, he considers himself fortunate to be able to share his wisdom and experiences with his children and grandchildren, and is proud to be both Puerto Rican, and a citizen of the United States. Bibliography Martin, Francisco. Interview by author.   Written notes.  Location, date month year. [1] Francisco Martin. Interview by author.   Written notes.  Location, date month year. [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid. [6] Ibid. [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. [9] Ibid. [10] Ibid. [11] Ibid. [12] Ibid. [13] Ibid. [14] Ibid. [15] Ibid. [16] Ibid. [17] Ibid. [18] Ibid. [19] Ibid. [20] Ibid.