Yassiel Rivera, 26, is elated to be home in West New York following a dangerous one-year tour of duty in Iraq that he says has made him stronger and more appreciative of his life.
“I’ve matured,” said the lifelong Hudson County resident recently, fresh from his second tour in Iraq in less than five years. “I feel like I am years ahead of my current age, and I appreciate a lot of things that people take for granted.”
But when Rivera got off the plane that brought him and his fellow Marines to Newark less than two weeks ago, he made sure his transition back into society happened slowly.
“I didn’t come back to West New York right away” he admitted. “My friends and family took time off from work and joined me at my brother’s house in Clifton for a couple of days. I felt like a 12-year-old boy, and all I was expected to do was go out and have fun again!”
First return was difficult
This isn’t the first time Rivera has had to readjust to being a regular West New York resident after fighting in the war. In 2006, after his first deployment to Iraq, he found it really difficult to return home.
“The first time I returned from Iraq it was difficult being around people in general. I didn’t want to stand around windows. Seeing debris in the street would make me think about IED’s [Improvised Explosive Devices] and my heart would skip a beat,” he recalled.
“This time around, thanks to the support of my family and friends, I was more prepared for the transition,” added Rivera.
Chose a different path
Rivera attended Union Hill High School, where he excelled at sports. He played football and was a member of the historic 2000 team that made it into the state championship game against Passaic Tech. After high school he enrolled in the business administration program at St. Peter’s College. But in his sophomore year, he decided it was time for a change.
“I needed a change, so I joined the Marines because I wanted to work with the best.” – Sgt. Yassiel Rivera
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That meant joining the front lines and going door to door looking for the bad guys as part of the Marines’ Infantry division.
“I feared for my life every day – not only for myself, but also for the members of my squad,” said Rivera, who has achieved the rank of sergeant. “As a squad leader, you know one of your guys may not make it back home, and the stress of having to explain what happened to a family member of theirs can be overwhelming.”
In 2006, during his first tour, Rivera lost friends in Iraq.
“I learned that life can be taken away from you at any given time. Don’t stress the little things because life is short. I appreciate the smallest things in life now, like being able to get up in the middle of the night and eat a snack,” he explained.
During his second deployment, things had stabilized. “It wasn’t as crazy as the first time. Things are getting better in Iraq. They have figured out that we are sticking around. There are still attacks, but not as continuous as it used to be.”
Back home, but may reenlist
Rivera admitted he was homesick in Iraq and wanted so much to be home.
“It’s a completely different world from here,” he said. “You don’t go out. When you do go out, it’s to patrol. I missed my home, especially my balcony. I also missed the nightlife in Hoboken – the coffee shops and restaurants and the chicken parmesan from Presto’s in West New York.”
“If we stayed home, they would have more time to prepare and attack us.” – Yassiel Rivera
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“We are bringing the fight to the enemy. If we stayed home, they would have more time to prepare and attack us,” he said.
In a few months, Rivera plans to return to Fidelity Investments where he works as an Intermediate Associate. Asked if he would reenlist with the Marines, Rivera said: “It’s a possibility. I love the Corps. And I am proud and willing to serve my country.”