>>>POR MUCHAS HISTORIAS Y EXPERIENCIAS DE VETERANOS
QUE HAN DEJADO SUS FAMILIAS, AMISTADES
Y ALGUNOS PERDIDO SUS VIDAS POR IR A DEFENDER NUESTRA NACIÓN.
HOY CONOCEREMOS ALGUNAS ANÉCDOTAS DE ERICK ROSA,
VETERANO DEL EJÉRCITO DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS.
ROSA CUMPLIÓ DOS TURNOS DE SERVICIO EN IRAK,
ANTES DE MUDARSE EN MASSACHUSETTS
CON SU ESPOSA E HIJAS,
FUE ELEGIDO VETERANO DEL AÑO
DE LA CIUDAD DE SPRINGFIELD EN EL 2016
>>>I WAS SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD
WHEN I FIRST DECIDED TO JOIN THE MILITARY
I WASN'T SURE IF I WAS GOING TO ATTEND COLLEGE OR NOT
I WASN'T A GOOD STUDENT IN HIGHSCHOOL
I HAD A LOT OF FAMILY MEMBERS
WHO WERE ALSO PART OF THE MILITARY
THEY HAD RECOMMENDED THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD
THING FOR ME TO DO
I DID HAVE PRIOR DREAMS OF BEING AN ACTOR
I HAD TAKEN SOME HEAD SHOTS
AND BROUGHT THEM DOWN TO A CASTING AGENT
AND TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO MY LEAVING FOR BASIC TRAINING
I GOT A CALL STATING THAT I GOT A PART AVAILABLE
AND THEY GAVE ME THE DATE FOR THE SHOOTING
AND THAT WAS THE DAY I WAS LEAVING FOR BASIC TRAINING
SO I HAD A CHOICE TO MAKE AND I FIGURED
I CAN TAKE THE CHANCE WITH ACTING OR
I CAN BETTER SECURE MY FUTURE BY JOINING THE MILITARY
I MET A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE
I LEARNED A LOT OF AMAZING LIFE SKILLS
TEAM BUILDING, LEADERSHIP,HOW TO READ MAPS,
HOW TO BUILD A FIRE, HOW TO BUILD A SHELTER,
LIFE SAFTEY SKILLS THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY
LEARN GROWING UP IN THE CITY STREETS
MY JOB I WAS A CARGO HANDLER
AS WELL AS A BRADLY TANK MECHANIC
MOST VECHILES THAT I HAVE COME THROUGH IRAQ
I HAD GOTTEN MY HANDS ON TO DRIVE
SO THAT WAS A VERY FUN EXPERIENCE
SOME OF THE THINGS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED AS BEING U.S CITIZENS
VERSUS PEOPLE CURRENTLY LIVING IN A WAR ZONE
WE DON'T LIVE IN THE SAME FEAR THEY LIVE IN THEIR SHELTER
CAN BE BOMBED ANY MINTUE
IT'S A CONSTANT STRUGGLE FOR FEAR
AND LIFE AS OPPOSED TO FEAR FOR
IF YOUR GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET A MEAL
OR IF YOU NEED A CAR RIDE SOME WHERE
SO I THINK TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
WHATS GOING ON THERE THE REALITY
THE HORROR THAT'S THE PROPER WORD TO USE THE HORROR
AND THE ATROSOTIES THAT ARE OCCURING IN WAR ZONES
ALL OVER THE WORLD
I DON'T THINK THE REALITY IS FULLY UNDERSTOOD HERE
WHEN I CAME HOME THINGS WERE A LITTLE DIFFICULT
TRYING TO FIND WORK WAS PRETTY HARD
EVERY JOB THAT I WOULD APPLY TO
AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT THE RESUME
AND SEE THAT I WAS IN THE MILITARY AND A LOT OF TIMES
THE QUESTIONS WERE HAVE I SEEN DEATH
OR HAVE I EXPERIENCED THE DEATH OF A CLOSE PERSON
AND I KEPT RUNNGING INTO THIS
I STOPPED APPLYING FOR WORK AND I KINDA FELL INTO A DEPRESSION
WHERE I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS
I DIDN'T WANT TO BURDEN ANYONELSE
WITH WHAT I EXPERIENCED
HAVING MORERDERS DROPPED FEET FROM WHERE YOU ARE SLEEPING,
BEING SHOT AT EVERYDAY IT A CONSTANT STRUGGLE
BETWEEN FEAR AND LIFE
WHEN YOU DO EXPERIENCE THOSE THINGS YOU FEEL
THAT NOONE ELSE UNDERSTANDS
BECAUSE THEY DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING
THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME FEELING
IN THEIR HEART THAT YOU HAD
BUT I WAS ALWAYS ACTIVE SO I LOOK FOR OUTLETS
TO WHERE IT WASN'T SOMETHING I WOULD SOCIALLY
OR VOCALLY EXPRESS WHAT MY TROUBLES WERE
BUT I KNEW HOW TO FIGHT THEM BY STAYING BUSY .
WHEN I STARTED TAKING ACTION I STARTED TO SEE THINGS COME
THAT I WAS ASKING FOR,HAPPINESS THAT I WAS SEARCHING FOR.
SO MANY AWARDS I HAVE RECEIVED
SINCE RETURNING HOME FROM OVER SEAS SERVICE
I RECEIVED SPORTS AMBASSADOR AWARD
FROM THE PUERTO RICAN PARADE COMMITTEE
WITH MY WORK IN THE MARTIAL ARTS
AND TEACHING KIDS BRAZILIAN JIT ZIT ZU
I ALSO RECEIVED AN AWARD
FROM THE SPRINGFIELD VETERANS ACTIVITY COMMITTEE
FOR VETERAN OF THE YEAR FOR THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD
I WAS GIVEN APROCLAMATION DAY WHICH WAS OVER WHELMING
AND VERY NICE
I WAS ALSO GIVEN CITAITIONS BY THE STATE SENATE
AS WHILE FROM THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD
RIGHT NOW IAM A FIRE INSPECTOR WITH THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD
AND IAM ALSO A YOUTH SOCCER COACH
I LOVE SPRINGFIELD IVE BEEN HERE TEN YEARS
AND WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE AND I LEARNED ABOUT THE HISTORY
OF SPRINGFIELD IT DREW ME IN EVEN CLOSER
AND I WANTED TO BECOME PART OF IT
WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF KIDS OUT THERE
WHO DON'T HAV ACCESS TO A LOT OF THINGS
SO I WOULD LIKE TO BE THE HELP TO CHANGE THAT
I FEEL YOU SHOULD YOU SHOULD HELP A LITTLE BIT
TO THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE AS MUCH AS YOU HAVE FOR THOSE
WHO ARENT IN AS COMFORTABLE SITUATION AS YOU MAY BE IN
I AM THANKFUL TO BE HERE TODAY
I PRAY FOR THOSE THAT CANT BE