"The Things They Carried" Brings Vet To NLHS

The first thing Cpl. Derek Farrington showed an English class at New London High School on Tuesday morning was a cigar box, worn at the seams after a long journey.

“This is just a collection of crap from a couple of tours,” he said.

The love letters and other mementos in the box were joined by a collection of commendations (to “make you feel better about getting shot at”) and medals. After this came some of the basic supplies of fighting a war: a medical kit, cleaning pack, one-man tent, and tourniquet.

Farrington was invited to the school’s English classes to discuss his service in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Several classes are reading The Things They Carried, a collection of stories by Tim O’Brien about his time in the Vietnam War. The titular story notes the variety of items carried by the soldiers during the conflict and their significance.

Evan O’Neill, an English teacher at the high school, said one of his colleagues came from the same hometown as Farrington.

“To actually have someone who served in front of you takes it to a different level,” said O’Neill.

Farrington joined the Marines in 2004, serving three tours of duty with the 3rd Battalion 10th Marines and 1st Battalion 6th Marines. His first two tours were in Iraq, his last one in Afghanistan. He has been back in the United States since 2008.

When he answered questions from students, one of the first queries to come up was why he chose to join the military. Farrington said he was inspired by reading books about war and that he became the first person in his family to serve since World War II. He also said that the various political topics of the war are not an issue on the ground, as it comes down to a simple matter of fighting the enemy.

“You’re really not fighting for anything except to save yourself and the guys next to you,” he said.

Some of the other things he and his fellow soldiers carried: about 60 pounds of body armor and a heavy rucksack.

“There’s a driving force with all this weight that says, ‘This stuff is going to save your life,’” Farrington said.

Farrington said the return from combat was a major readjustment. He said he is recovering from depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, and still doesn’t sleep well. He has gotten a job and schooling, married between his second and third tours, and celebrated the birth of his first child on Monday.

Asked if he would return if called to service, however, Farrington didn’t hesitate.

“Of course I would,” he said. “It’s my country. It’s my Marines.”