Mick

A Passionate HeroPhoto by CarlyA Passionate Hero

We were asked to pick a hero, a hero whom we respect, a hero who has traits that others look to for inspiration, so I chose my grandpa. My grandpa was born in Indiana in April of 1948. He moved to Arizona when he was just five years old and then joined the United States Marine Corps when he was 18. At the time, young men were being drafted into the military and he decided he would rather choose for himself than to have the government choose for him. Having to make such big life decisions at a young age requires determination, adaptability, and optimism. 

One of his best traits is determination. He wanted to work hard in boot camp and become an expert marksman. After boot camp, he was sent to Vietnam. Sadly during the war, he was wounded in his face, forehead, arm and both legs. He never gave up. He inspires me because it takes a lot of positivity to recover from an injury like that. Once he made a full recovery, he was awarded the Purple Heart medal for being wounded in the war. He still was determined to make the best of his life, and while being stationed at Camp Pendleton, he climbed the ranks till he made Corporal. 

My grandpa was optimistic when he came home from the war. At the time, when soldiers came home, they were not recognized and celebrated as they are today. He felt as if he shouldn't tell people he was a soldier, despite all of his hard work. He was optimistic that one day veterans and soldiers will be treated with respect for signing up or being drafted to defend our country.

My grandpa was honorably discharged when he learned his father had become ill and couldn't work. He decided to go home to support his parents and had to make money. He started his own construction business, and while he was doing that, he had a second job as an Arizona boat tour guide on Canyon Lake. While running his construction business, he also made and sold green sand for golf courses when construction jobs were low. With all the experience from construction, he also started flipping houses and finally retired sometime after that after being a construction consultant. My grandpa was definitely optimistic and was able to start another business if one didn’t work out and became willing to adapt to change. This is, in my opinion, one of his most admirable traits.

I believe having all of those traits allows you to control your own destiny. My grandpa would have definitely liked to stay in the military and climb the ranks just as he had always thought of, but he gave that up to help the people he loved. His adaptability allowed him to change courses in his life to make it all work out. His optimism kept him going as well because, without it, he would be nowhere near close to the point he is at today. He was determined to make his life well worth it, and I bet if you were to ask him, he would say he did just that. This project showed me the true meaning of a hero, and it just goes to show that anyone can be a hero. I am so grateful for everything my grandpa has taught me, and his resilient traits make me respect him so much more. My one hope would be to grow up just like him and make him proud.