By Lili Ramirez
Staff Writer
On Nov. 11, America pays its respects to those who’ve served by celebrating Veteran’s Day.
The country takes pride in celebrating courageous veterans, who have solemn pride for their country and have participated in these acts of heroism.
And there are plenty of CSUDH vets, who will be recognized for their service at events throughout the month.
“Being in the Marines helped mold me into the person that I am today,” said Bryan Palomera, a junior majoring in business management. “It changed me as a person in general from the person I was growing up to be, and the person I thought I was. It molded me to see the better part of life, learn how to be a better leader, seek mentors and advice. You grow to be a better person.”
These men and women have dedicated and invested valuable time to our country, and sacrificed time away from their loved ones. Palomera, for example, served in the Marines from 2008-12.
“The positive experiences I had had to do with great leadership, listening to their stories and being inspired by them,” he said. “It almost made me reenlist.”
Palomera expressed gratitude toward his leaders and peers. He said they were like his family, that the Marines built an irreplaceable bond that lasts during enlistment and beyond.
It wasn’t all positive. He encountered difficult times. Not everyone he knew survived.
“Some experiences were hard because you lose great friends along the way, but it made me tougher,” he said. “But overall the experience I had was … I can’t even put into words, you really have to join.”
Palomera said his life took a positive turn when he joined the Armed Forces. His mother pushed him to sign up in order to learn discipline and avoid problems faced by so many young people.
He gives advice to men and woman who are interested in enlisting.
“Go in open-minded, and try and gain the best experience and knowledge out of there,” Palomera said. “It’s not for everyone. It breaks a lot of people. You just have to see for yourself.”
Palomera has joined the Veterans Alliance on campus. November 7-11, the organization is sponsoring events to celebrate all veterans. The club will be holding events on the East Walkway.
The former veteran concluded with his thoughts and feelings about Veterans month.
“Veterans month means a time of unity,” he said, “and it doesn’t matter what branch or service or what war you fought. It’s a time where everyone reminisces on everything that happened and all the hardships and show gratitude towards one another.”
