Page 31 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2021- Online Magazine
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three days to 11th Deployment: Benny was married up until
extract the “In 2011, I was his 8th deployment when the
UN and US sent back to stress took too great a toll, but
citizens.” Okinawa and he is still good friends with
then to Bahrain to his ex-wife. They raised three
7th plan a classified children together and have four
Deployment: operation. At the grandchildren.
1995. By that same time, I was
time, Benny found to be a Benny Guerrero has been
had three perfect match for Commander of the Lubbock
Combat a cancer patient Area VFW for five years and is
Action Last official act as an enlisted Marine: who needed a now District Commander for 38
Ribbons. applying silicone to a rear differential cover bone marrow counties. Wherever he travels,
When his transplant. I had he tells people, “The Plains of
boss saw to choose between Texas clothe you with their cotton,
how much action he’d already her and my country. I was gone fuel you with their oil, feed you
seen, he got orders to Augusta, for 30 days, but somehow, they with their cattle and grain, and
GA where he trained reservists kept her alive. When I got back secure your freedom with their
for three years on American soil. in August, the Marine Corps warriors.”
flew me to DC where doctors
8th Deployment: 1999. Okinawa harvested my bone marrow, To young people, he says, “You
and Thailand – four years. “We transported it to another hospital only get one life. Lots of people
went in to demonstrate our where the patient was waiting. I have made sacrifices for you to
firepower as a deterrent to Korean still hear from the hospital telling have that beautiful life, so make
president Kim Jung Il. After that me she is alive and cancer-free.” the most of it.”
deployment, I was promoted to
Warrant Officer.” 12th and Last Deployment: Korea. And to every veteran of a foreign
“Kim Yung Il had been trying war, “Join the VFW. There is
9th Deployment: February 2004 to provoke South Korea. We did healing in coming together, and
to October 2004. Iraq. “Often, another show of force to remind we will make sure that your
we had the job of recovering him of our firepower.” legacy continues.” The passionate
damaged equipment and remains. and compassionate warrior is still
Years later, when I would meet “I've been asked why I deployed fighting on behalf of a just cause.
the families of those killed in so many times – I wanted to
action, I would remember how make a difference with my life,
they died. But the family would but another big reason is because
remember how they lived. That every single
was the beginning of healing.” deployment,
In 2005, he became Company a Vietnam
Commander.” veteran was
there to see
10th Deployment: 2006. Iraq. me off and
“That unit was comprised of there to
Marines from all over the world. welcome me
Just before redeploying back home. They
to the U.S., one of our Marines, knew how
CPL Jennifer Parcell was killed important
by a suicide bomber. It took that was.”
everything out of the unit. We
were devastated.”
Lubbock Senior Link 31
