Page 29 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2021- Online Magazine
P. 29
Benny Guerrero The Passionate Marine corps
Warrior
by Jane Bromley
In 6th grade, how my career will be?’ and he
Benny saw said, ‘Yes, if you can't control
news footage of your attitude.’ I went home that
then-President day, read the Bible, and promised
Reagan saluting God I would change.”
a Marine after
he had survived 1st Deployment: Panama – “to
an assassination get Manuel Noriega. I was 20
attempt. “My life years old and excited to finally
changed,” Benny be going on my first mission. We
said. That’s when landed in Panama and secured
he decided to Howard Air Force Base. Then,
become a Marine. just before we got to Noriega’s
palace, we were told to abort.
By then, Benny Finally, on Dec. 19, we got our
had developed orders to go in at midnight. We
a reputation as took the Bridge of the Americas,
a “protector”. and I thought, ‘This is real, but
Even the teachers I also faced a moral dilemma. I
relied on him to found myself identifying with
defend students the Panamanians. I didn't feel
who were being like an American, even though
bullied. The rep I was a Marine. I didn't want to
he mission statement of the continued through his time kill people who looked like me.’
VFW includes advocating at O.L. Slaton, Alderson, and Then I heard over the speaker,
Ton behalf of veterans, Matthews Jr. Highs. At Lubbock ‘Marine down.’ Everything
ensuring that they are respected High School, he discovered changed. I became an American
for their service and recognized that he “may not have been that day because a Marine
for their sacrifices. West Texas the smartest student, but I had brother was down.”
veterans could have no better respect, even from the teachers.”
representative than their current He graduated in 1987 and The night of Dec. 23 was
Commander Benny Guerrero. In immediately joined the Marine expected to be a bloody battle.
fact, it’s hard to imagine anyone Corps. “The chaplain had us write
more passionate about that letters home because we might
mission than Benny. He thrived in boot camp. Benny not make it, but we improvised,
had endured so much hardship adapted and overcame. On
He grew up in Lubbock, but life in his first 18 years that the Dec. 24, we were pulled off the
was tough as his single mom Marine Corps didn’t have much front line. During a combat
struggled to provide. Benny they could use to “break” him. patrol, I heard a distress signal
attended ten different elementary “Everything I'd gone through in from a distant patrol who was
schools. He remembers being my life had prepared me for my surrounded by the enemy.
told that he’d “never amount to future. Nothing fazed me.” Against orders to stay behind,
anything” – at least until Mrs. I left with three trucks and 12
Storey, his 3rd grade teacher at Benny's first duty station was at Marines to support the distant
Hunt Elementary, told him, “You Camp Lejeune, NC. He trained patrol; safety was not my
are somebody.” She planted a and trained and trained. “They concern.” Using his Spanish
seed that still produces tears in sent me to so many schools, I was fluency and backed by superior
the career warrior. one of the most trained Marines fire-power, he convinced the
around. I asked a gunny, ‘Is this
Lubbock Senior Link 29
