USMC Wounded Warrior visits Warriors of the North

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Bonnie Grantham
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Former U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Salvador Gonzalez visited Grand Forks Air Force Base Jan. 29 and 30 to share his story of overcoming adversity through resiliency.

"We're here to promote resiliency," Gonzalez said. "'Resiliency' gets thrown around in the military. We're here to tell a real life story about bouncing back from adversity."

Gonzalez spoke to and had lunch with Airmen from approximately eight units on the installation.

One Airman who attended Gonzalez's visit with the 319th Air Base Wing Honor Guard said he found Gonzalez's story to be meaningful encouraging.

"It's important to meet people who have success and recovery stories of any kind," said Senior Airman Grant Gleason, 319th Logistics Readiness Squadron air transportation journeyman. "It's even more meaningful to hear personal accounts from fellow military members. I thought it was encouraging to meet someone who has real world experience in facing a disability and dealing with deployment related
stress."

Gonzalez's story began in his high school English class. He never planned to join the military, but to instead pursue a career in music.

"All I wanted to do was play music," said Gonzalez. "That all changed on Sept. 11, 2001, when I watched the twin towers fall."

Gonzalez joined the USMC in October 2003 and became a heavy machine gunner.
While deployed in Ramadi in 2004, his Humvee suffered several blows from roadside bombs, he said. The seventh hit proved to be the final straw for Gonzalez's Humvee, resulting in the loss of his lieutenant, Matt Lynch, as well as his lower left leg.

After being medically discharged 12 months later, Gonzalez found himself back at home in East Los Angeles. No longer surrounded by the support group he had found in the hospital during his recovery, he found himself feeling alone, he said.

"Learning to walk again was easy," Gonzalez said. "The hard part came after when I was no longer around other warriors and veterans to talk to about my experiences. I was around just normal people. Normal people don't really understand what it means to go to war or how it makes you different."

Still struggling with depression, survivor's guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder, Gonzalez said he not only sought comfort from his guitar, but also from the bottle. He ended up moving to Nashville in 2006, and began surrounding himself with other veterans who could share in his stories.

"Talking to other veterans and helping other veterans helped me a lot because I was able to talk about my experiences while helping them," he said.

Today, Gonzalez tours with American300 Tours to keep telling his story and teaching resiliency to service members across the nation, and even in deployed locations. American300 Tours is a strictly volunteer, non-profit organization with the mission to increase the resiliency of American Armed Forces Members.

"We seek out veterans and ask them to give up their time and speak at bases," said American300 founder Robi Powers, who accompanied Gonzalez on the tour. "American300 Tours create long term relationships focused on being the best we can all be in duty to our country, families and friends."

The visit from Gonzalez successfully had a lasting impression with Grand Forks Airmen.

"I think it was a good representation of resiliency and the challenges wounded warriors go through," said Airman Samantha Rislove, 319th Medical Operations Squadron public health technician. Rislove was selected to attend the Airmen lunch with Gonzalez. "These events are a great opportunity for Airmen to speak with a wounded veteran, and I would like to see more of these in the future."

"It's always good to have personal interaction with someone who has a story to tell," added Capt. Ellen Williams, 69th Reconnaissance Group aircraft maintenance unit officer-in-charge. "It gives a lot of perspective to know he had to go through a lot of stuff, and if he can do it, so can other people."

Gonzalez said his motive for sharing his story with other people is to be able to show people that there's always a way to overcome difficult situations, even when they feel like there isn't.

"I served my country, but what good is it if I don't continue helping my brothers and sisters in arms?" Gonzalez said. "Resiliency isn't just a word to me. It's a way of life. As long as I'm still above ground, I'm going to fight for something. If I can reach just one person in the smallest way possible by telling my story, then I think that's fantastic."