By Dominic Mercado and Ron Espinola Posted June 6, 2024
Everyone has dreams about what they want to be when they grow up. For many, This means being a professional athlete or an astronaut or some aspiration that is simply beyond a child’s grasp. Others never realize their dream and choose a different path in life. However, for Eduardo Angeles he set a goal and in July will achieve it.
“I always wanted to be a Marine since I was a little kid,” said Angeles. “And I just sort of thought, I don’t want to reach the end of my life and have to talk to little Eduardo. And he’d be like, ‘Well, do we ever become a Marine?’”
Angeles continued.
“Did we ever do what we wanted to do? And I don’t want to tell him, oh, no, we did something else. But I feel like me joining, because you can still fail, but I feel like being able to tell younger me, I went and I gave it my all, but I didn’t make it is 1,000 times better than me telling him that I didn’t try at all. Yeah, so that’s why.”
Angeles will be giving back for the generosity he has received.
“I just want to also serve my country,” said Angeles. “America’s been very generous, and there’s not enough words to describe how much I love America.”
Bailey Peterson, on the other hand, is going into the army. She will be leaving on July 1.
“I’m looking forward to doing the job I really wanted, which is military police,” said Peterson. “I get to go to Germany for my station spot so that’s super exciting.”
Peterson will go to basic training for 10 weeks and then AIT with her job training which will take 3-4 months. Altogether, it will be 5-7 months before she can come home. When she returns, it will only be for about two weeks, and then she leaves for Germany.
“The military offers a lot whether it’s schooling or life lessons,” said Peterson. “That was something I really wanted to experience.”
Juaquin Zamora has joined the Marine Corps. He leaves on August 19 for basic training.
“I am looking forward to the experiences and to be a part of something much bigger than myself,” said Zamora. “But mostly just to see how it helps me grow as a person”
Zamora wants to go in for an aviation mechanic working on left wing and rotary wings but cyber warfare is a second option. He just wants to be better for himself and the people around him.
Raymundo Abrego will continue his family tradition of military service when he enters the Army in July. Abrego’s father, uncle and grandfather all served.
Abrego appreciates the benefits that the military provides and plans on making it his career.
“I’m 91 Echo, so my MOS is going to be welding, and I’m going to be going to South Carolina for Jackson for boot camp,” said Abrego.
Chad Frazier is joining the Air Force after high school. He will leave for boot camp in Alaska two days after graduation for two months. He has put in a lot of work preparing to become a pilot. His grandfather was a pilot in the Air Force in Vietnam, which inspired Frazier to become a pilot.
Easton Ham and Tyson Grimm are also planning careers in the military.
