I joined the US Army in August of 1973, serving in the infantry. I did my basic training at Fort Ord, California. My first duty station after basic was to Fort Lewis, Washington, then home to the 9th Infantry Division. I was there until September 1975 when I received orders for the first overseas duty station, Ft Gulick, Panama. Later my unit moved to Ft Davis. We were Bravo Company 4/10 Bushmasters. Our main job was to help train those that came down to the Jungle Training School at Fort Sherman, Panama. I served three years in Panama before being stationed back to Ft Lewis in September 1978.
When it came time for re-enlistment, in August of 1979, I changed MOS to 68G and was sent to Fort Eustis, VA for training in Aircraft Structural Repair. Being former infantry, this was kind of a 9-to-5 job. When I finished training at Fort Eustis, I was assigned to the 101st at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. After two years at Fort Campell, I decided to go back into Combat Arms and applied to schooling for the new M-1 Abrams main battle tank.
I was sent to Fort Knox for training but after the first training they cut orders for me to go to Fort Riley, Kansas but the M-1 tank was not at Riley then. Turns out they sent me to the wrong tanker school, so I went back to Fort Knox and completed the proper training. While I was doing this my family was still at Fort Campbell. I was then assigned to a tanker unit at Fort Hood, Texas. My family and I arrived there in February 1984.
My time as a tanker was short lived. A year after I arrived, in February of 1985 I was involved in a military training accident. While heading out to a field maneuver the 2 1/2-ton truck I was riding in hit a patch of ice while going down a hill. I and twelve others ended up in a rollover and I was pinned under the truck; my pelvis was fractured in five places. After eight weeks in the hospital and a fight to prevent a medical discharge for about a year, the Army returned me to 68G and sent me to Camp Humphreys, Korea. My family left Fort Hood and returned to Fort Lewis, Washington, as I would be stationed there at the completion of my 1-year Korea tour.
It was from Fort Lewis that I left to serve in the Gulf War in 1991. After my return to Fort Lewis, about a year later, I was sent back to Korea, this time to Camp Stanley. My family then left Fort Lewis and returned to Fort Hood, as I was to be stationed there when my Korea tour was over. After my return to Fort Hood, I finished my active-duty career there in August of 1995, having served 22 years.
After I retired from the Army, I stayed in the Fort Hood area. I applied to DynCorp Intl for a contract job with them. At the time they were not hiring but kept my application on file. I worked part time at Central Texas College in the PE department and worked part time at the local H E B store. After a year, DynCorp called and I went to work at Fort Hood doing the same job I did with the Army, Aircraft Structural Repair. This was a job I did for another 26 years, having been in many locations with DynCorp.
Besides my work at Fort Hood, I did road trip crews for DynCorp working at different National Guard locations around the country, helping to train their personnel and worked on aircraft. I got to travel more than when I was on active duty. I’ve worked in Mexico, Colombia, Egypt, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Kosovo over the years. I hung up my contract boots in January of 2021 and fully retired. I now work around our daughter, Julia’s 40-acre farm in Missouri and travel when I can. This I really enjoy doing. I loved my Army career and doing contract work but being on the farm and with family is even better.
My wife and I have been married for 50 years now. We met at Fort Lewis, Washington during my first tour there. She was born and raised in the Northwest. We have 5 children, 3 girls and 2 boys. They are all successful in their lives. Our oldest daughter works for a moving company out of Virginia. She coordinates moves and does their claims department. She and her husband just moved from Virginia to Missouri, as her job is tele-work now. She has two sons; one is a Recon Marine and the other just started a job as a guard for a correction facility in Virginia.
Our second oldest daughter enlisted in the Air Force, shortly after high school. She later went to OCS and became an Air Force officer. She is now in the Space Force as her job was in Space Command. Her oldest son is active-duty Air Force and is a doctor of Psychiatry of Wilford Hall at Lackland AFB, Texas. Her youngest three boys are still in school. Our third oldest daughter had the farm in Missouri and is the HR director for Big Cedar Lodge. She and her husband had also done contract work and for a time were in Kuwait. Our oldest granddaughter was born there; she will graduate next year. Her two younger siblings are still in elementary school.
Our oldest son is a West Point graduate; he served 12 years active duty, with a tour in Iraq and a tour in Afghanistan. He now works for NOAA and is an LTC in the Texas Army Reserve. He and his wife have two girls. Our youngest son is active-duty Air Force and is currently stationed in Hawaii with his wife and young son. In total we have 5 children, 12 grandchildren, soon to be 13 and 1 great-granddaughter.
My kidney function began to decline in 2023, and my VA team referred me to a nephrologist. My function has been on a steady decline, and I am now in stage 5 but not yet on dialysis. In August of 2023, I was also diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma cancer. The good thing is that it was discovered at stage 1 due to having a small accident while on a cruise ship, which led to a CT scan. After chemo and a stem cell transplant the cancer is in remission and has been now for one year.
After my cancer treatment, my kidney function declined faster than normal. Between my kidney disease and my cancer, my energy is not what I would like. This has been hard for me since I have always been a very active person. I’m often fatigued, and the grandchildren say I’ve gotten a little grumpy as well. That more than anything really bothers me. I hope with a kidney transplant I can get more of the happy and fun Papa back.
I enjoy working in the garden, it’s one of the few activities I love to do that I can still do. I love the outdoors, camping, hunting and hiking but I’m not able to do much of that anymore. I serve in my church as best I can. Travel is another thing I enjoy but that as well has become limited. Cruising is one of my favorite things. I find it to be very relaxing. Being with family is the activity that I love the best.
For medically cleared donors, giving the gift of life through living kidney donation has been proven to be very safe. DOVE will assist all prospective donors throughout the process and make sure they do not incur any out-of-pocket expenses related to the evaluation or surgery. A healthy person can live a normal life with one kidney and save Jose’s life with the other!
Your support, whether through spreading the word on social media or considering becoming a donor, can make a profound impact on his life and the life of his family!
Please click on the link below if you would like to learn more OR call (551) 233-1611