神奇的(紫色)SPC之心

ST. PHILIP'S COLLEGE STUDENT ALBERT BORREGO SHARES HIS PURPLE HEART STORY DURING VETERANS DAY 2018 CEREMONY

Many families have more than one member who has earned a Purple Heart for service in heroic circumstances. 但很少有双份的, triple and quadruple-Purple Heart families have a member whose “heart” took an eight-year-plus journey before its owner saw it for the first time in 2018. 

有很多高潮, 每颗紫心勋章背后需要克服的低谷和情绪, 还有阿尔伯特·博雷戈, 他是圣. 菲利普学院，描述了他的紫心勋章之旅.

问:圣. 菲利普的大学 become part of your life journey, and why?

A: I first started in the automotive technology program in January, and I graduated from Madison and Lamb of God High School in 2002. 我家是做汽车生意的. 

Q: So you're here to become more literate in the terminology of your family business---automotive technology.

A:这是家族生意, 我只是想接受更多的教育, 不仅仅是为了找出我不知道的东西, 还有术语...

我小时候最早的记忆是我的祖父. He had a paint and body shop and my family has dabbled in mechanics, not only vehicles ... 我父亲自己修理洗衣机和烘干机. Watching them got me interested when they said "hey, hand me that tool right there."

Q: What does a family member in an entrepreneurial family business in 圣安东尼奥 see over the years?

A:很多. Watching the different vehicles coming into my grandfather's shop for paint and body... 有很多定制的汽车经过. 他裁员了很多. 这家商店过去在弗洛雷斯街.他现在已经80多岁了. Working out of the house on a couple acres in Elmendorf, he’s still doing about 10-12 cars a week. He knocks 'em out, from minor dents and dings to a full paint job.

问:你为国家效力. 告诉我们你的故事. 

A: I was a knucklehead and troublemaker from the wrong side of town. And my mom's dad was a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient. Being a knucklehead, he always pushed me for that as well. 我在军队里. 我是一名空降步兵. 差不多八年了. 我不记得我在美国待了1 - 2年. After each deployment, we had 30 days of leave to come back.

Q: You served in heroic circumstances, moving back and forth from the war to family in 圣安东尼奥. 详细说明你愿意分享的东西.

答:我在伊拉克. 那是早上8点到10点之间.m.他刚结束夜间巡逻. 太阳升起来了. We started a foot patrol and we were getting to our objective and one of the guys stepped on an IED. 大约有十几个人和我在一起. 我掉进了沟里，是最先进去的两个之一. When I got up I didn't even know I had a shrapnel wound and I had no idea I was knocked out for a while. They threw me a metal detector and we were searching for IEDs in a minefield. I was knocked out for a minute or two and searched for more mines. 我没意识到我的手指掉了. And I had shrapnel in the arm, back and legs, a pretty good brain injury.... 

问:你还记得自己的服务得到过认可吗?

A:六到八年之后我才获奖. They offered it at first and I didn’t want what was offered to someone who lost their life and it took me a long time to accept it.

Q: Can you recall being treated for your experience with the IED?

A:当我受伤时, I went to the treatment clinic and then got discharged from a disconnected field clinic. 当我把这件事告诉她[他的医生]时, that's when she started digging and the award was one of the results.

There was a senator or congressman who wanted to present it. 我不擅长做这种事. 我让他们把它寄出去. 信是装在一个大旧马尼拉信封里的.

Q: That's a ceremonial-quality envelope, and a large shadowbox. 可能还有更多东西可以分享, but you need time to change focus on your class that begins in a few minutes. 感谢分享你的故事. 

A:谢谢你. I 选 在一次车库拍卖中，我把盒子装起来，加了玻璃和毛毡. There’s my dad’s blue infantry ribbon, and things I had on my uniform when I was injured, 包括 大红一块. There’s a wreath that says I received fire and I returned fire. 专业的射手，和空中的翅膀. 我获得了一些不同的奖项. There’s my Army photo to be used in case I was captured or needed to be identified… I’m headed to the Veterans Day ceremony today with our department chair and his wife, 代表汽车技术. 我们在那儿见.