Eighty days and a wake up! Every day that I wake up, that’s the first and last thing on my mind which keeps me going in Afghanistan. It was over 17 years ago when I first thought about joining my beloved Marine Corps, I was only 17 years old and nowhere to go. My best friend (Leah) and I joined the delayed entry program because our recruiter (SSgt Phillips) was one of the most articulate men we had ever met. He asked what we wanted to do with our lives and all we wanted to do was travel, boy did he convince us in a heartbeat. I was inspired by the Gulf War to make a difference for my country. I got a call to go to boot camp early because my best friend was selected as the Honor Graduate and in order to get Lance Corporal out of boot camp, I had to join. That was easy. I signed up and over 16 years later, here I am in Afghanistan enjoying the rigors of traveling.
My family was a little hesitant but overall they knew this was my journey to have a better education and life. I was raised in South Texas in a very patriotic town called Weslaco. Harlon Block, one of the original Flag raisers on Iwo Jima is from my town.
Gunnery Sergeant Bonnie J. Diaz at the MC Ball in 2007
My mother of Mexican decent and father of Scottish Irish decent worked extremely hard to keep a roof over our heads and it seemed like a struggle everyday of our lives. I can appreciate those struggles because they define my inner strength to be the best, work hard to get the things I want, and never give up. I grew up with that determination and I didn’t want those struggles for my future children.
I have been extremely fortunate in my life that the Marine Corps not only made me who I am today, it also brought me, my husband, a retired Gunnery Sergeant, and our three boys, Alex 15, Victor 9, and Tomas 5. We have raised our boys with a sense of purpose to be good American citizens and to never forget where you come from. My husband was born and raised in Juarez, Mexico, one of the toughest border cities in Mexico. His mother and father are the strongest Mexican Americans I know and raised 11 children all while immigrating to Texas for a better life for their kids. My husband and I were raised by parents who wanted their children to have a better life and now we’re trying to do the same.
Enjoying a meal in Iraq.
At the Basrah Airport.
During my Marine Corps career, I’ve enjoyed traveling to many countries, Okinawa, China, Philippines, Russia, Germany, France, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Egypt, Kuwait, Iraq, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. I keep telling myself that’s what I get for telling my recruiter I wanted to travel! In Afghanistan, my main priority is fixing broke trucks and bringing all my Marines home to their loved ones. I’ve been in two Operations; Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Both of which have taken 14 months away from my husband and children, which is the worst part of the job for me. Just thinking about the times that have missed my son Tomas’ first tooth falling out, his first day of Kindergarten, the first time he rode his bike, and his first day of 1st grade makes me cry thinking about that. But what gets me through the day is that he’s taken care of by my husband and his brothers.
I have learned along the way that the Marine Corps is not an institution but rather a family. Even being in Afghanistan, I’ve learned that family is not too far away, I’m surrounded by the best citizens of our wonderful country that fight day in and day out, sleep under the moon, and provide that security blanket for all!
By Gunnery Sergeant Bonnie J. Diaz
CLC-151 “Black Arrows”
IMA Motor Transport Maintenance
Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan
[This article has been
edited for
www.latinastyle.com. For the full version,
check out the September/October issue of LATINA Style.]
