My Summarized Story

I was born and raised in Manila, at the age of 20 I immigrated to the United States. Seeking a future and to better myself, I decided to enlist in the U. S. Marines, and was placed in the Delayed Entry Program (under Combat Arms Options). I stepped out of the bus on December 24, of 1990. Completed Bootcamp and ended up with 3rd Combat Engineers in Okinawa for a year. Spent the last 3 years in Camp Lejeune and participated on a Medetteranian deployment with 24MEU-SOC, where we did an operation in MOGADISHU, Somalia. At that time, enlistment in the U. S. Military does not automatically grants American Citizenship through a Naturalization process with the Immigration Department. I failed my first interview due to not knowing the Senator’s in my state. I’m now a naturalized citizen and retired from Civilian Federal Service. It is truly an honor and a life accomplishment to be able to earn the title, as well as serving the country as a way to show my allegiance and appreciation to the United States in giving me the opportunity to become a better person, citizen and a new path towards a new life. I am old now, and have many ailments but I feel that I had accomplished something great that I consider an exclamation mark in my life and will finish strong.