Timothy Hernandez

Timothy Hernandez with son, Anthony

My hero is a guy named Timothy Hernandez. He is an amazing guy with an amazing story. He has a wife and four kids, his parents recently died and he has a brother in prison. His parents were looking after the kids of this brother, but when they did he took in his nieces and nephews as his own.

Ten years ago it was looking like he’d end up like his brother, in jail. But after he had his first son, he decided that he needed to be a better person and get out of all the things he was involved in, so he joined the army. He had heard and believed that the army could change your life and make you a better person. He had many heroic experiences out in Iraq, where he was a gunner on a military vehicle. He got injured in one of these and they had to send him home to a hospital. He wanted to go back, but he was having shooting pains throughout his body so he decided to go for a medical discharge. Soon there after, both of his parents died and he took in his brother’s kids that they were taking care of. This in itself makes him a hero.

One experience that he had out in Iraq is the kind that we tend to label as heroic. As he was riding in a convoy, there was a roadside bomb ahead that had blown up a trailer. When Timothy got there, the insurgents were firing everywhere. He got in there and for the next hour he was pulling people out of the whole mess while taking injury himself. He also saved maps and other important things from the burning vehicles. He got shrapnel wounds in the knee, foot, hip, and lower back. For his heroics he earned a bronze star, a purple heart, and a promotion. A few months after this, he took injury to his forehead, eye, and cheek. He got another purple star, and a lot of people telling him that it was time to quit. He wanted to keep it up, but his injuries held him back.

I really respect this guy for his wanting to be better for his family. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy thing to do. I respect his courage out in the battlefield and at home. His willingness to do what is right, even if it means taking on some sacrifice, is very admirable to me. He is currently serving as a father and a family man. He is taking care of his four kids and his brother’s four kids, which isn’t an easy feat. He’s able to do this because of his medical discharge. This is a guy that you can look at, and say, “I wish I could be more like him.” I believe that we should strive to be better people, like Timothy Hernandez has done. It makes our lives better and also the lives of others.