Describe your experience of being a veteran

When you’re a veteran your experience is going to be completely different than somebody else’s. There was a guy that jumped off the pier that’s a good 30 feet tall and the water is definitely not soft. It’s like hitting concrete. I’ve seen guys get kicked out for smoking on the ship but instead of actually kicking them out they are kept on the ship and assigned 45 days of extra work.

Where were you when you decided to join the military?

When I realized I wanted to be in the Navy I was at the gas station where I worked on Denver Street; a pretty rough neighborhood at the time. I was looking through the windows and I was watching the world. As I looked out the gas station windows I felt like I was getting left behind as the world progressed around me. I felt like I needed to take action in life which led me to the decision of joining the Navy.

What is an important value that you took away from your experience?

When I was working out at sea the lives of my shipmates were on the line, meaning that I was party responsible for their lives. This value of responsibility remained an important value to me even beyond my military experience.