By ALEXANDRA NEWMAN

Erik Hise spent four years in the U.S. Army, part of which was in Iraq, and having packed his car with all he owned, he was ready to head home for Chesterton from Fort Bragg, S.C. However, someone drove off with his car and everything he owned, save the clothes on his back.

He saw someone drive off with the vehicle. The vehicle was involved in an accident the next morning, but when police located it, everything inside it was gone. Hise, an E-4 Specialist, member of the 27th Engineers, flew home with money he borrowed for the flight. His grandmother gave him money to purchase clothes and his parents also lent him money to help him.

“At first I thought it was a joke,” Hise said when asked his reaction to the theft. When he realized it was not a joke, he said, “It was pretty low.”

The 23 year-old has since had to have copies made of all his paperwork, including military records—everything. He currently is waiting to begin a new job. He was trained in the military service to operate heavy machinery.

While in Iraq, Hise said his unit was responsible for clean-up and patchwork of an airport runway and around Fallujah, Baghdad and elsewhere.

“For three months we were located in the middle of nowhere,” he said.

Hise said his time spent in the military was worth it for him.

“I learned a lot about myself, discipline, and I was working towards the right cause,” he said.

“The military is not for everyone, but I found it easy. I showed up at the right time and followed instructions. It can’t get much easier than that,” he said, adding that soldiers get used to hearing the exchanges of gunfire.

When asked about the reaction of the Iraqis while he was there, Hise said it was a mixed bag. “Some people welcomed us, others spit on us. But more people than not want us there,” he said. “Lots of people came up to us to thank us.”

Hise also spent time in New York and S. Carolina. At West Point he and his peers helped train cadets about the engineering duties in the Army.

Since he has been home, he has followed his kid brother’s games with Liberty Rec. “My brother’s team made it all the way to state,” he said showing pride in his brother’s accomplishment. He himself was active in sports while attending Chesterton High School.