King High Remembers

Olivia Staley, Denia Campuzano, Mike Harris

CoronaU.S. History Period 3

Gilbert Estrada

1976 Boot Camp Picture19 Years Old

Basic Information On the Veteran

• Gilbert is currently 53 years old, he joined the Marines straight out of high school when he was 19.

• He plays the trumpet at Marine funerals.• He was stationed in many different places while

serving his time in the Marine Corp.• He felt like he needed to do something with his life

and branch out away from his mom.

Playing the Trumpet at a Funeral

The Team of Marines he Does Funerals With

Playing the Funeral Precession

Gilbert

How It All Started

• Gilbert was enlisted in the mid 70’s.• He did not got to or see battle he was on

pending to handle the Iran Hostage Crisis on November 4, 1978.

• These pending calls were called off after careful and successful negotiations, thanks to President Reagan.

Past life

• Before Gilbert enlisted into the Marines he did everything a teenage boy would do, he loved to go to parties and had a lot of friends to hang out with.

• He chose to go into the Marines, his mom wasn’t happy about his decision, because she knew the risks that went with the Marines, but of course she supported her son

Gilbert and His Mom His First Year In the Marine Corps

Continued…

• He knew that enlisting in the Marines would mean leaving everything behind, his family, belongings, and friends.

• When he went back home after his term he kept on getting the same question that seemed to shock him, everyone asked “where have you been and why haven’t I seen you in a while?”

• A lot of the friends he used to hangout with were in jail due to drug use or selling and robbery.

• He felt the marines had definitely kept him out of trouble, put him in place, and laid out a foundation for the rest of his life.

Continued…

• He was afraid of seeing battle but knew joining the Marines meant a high risk of seeing combat.

• His mind was set on joining and nothing was going to get in his way.

• He wanted to join the military because he wanted to do something with his life and make a difference in the world.

Gilbert’s Time Of Service

• Basic training was challenging for him, but every part was a learning experience.

• After basic he went to Camp Pendleton, and then to 29 Palms Marine Base.

• While at Camp Pendleton he practiced random ambush simulations in the middle of the night where the Marines would have to reenact a defense battle against enemy squads ambushing them with the element of surprise.

Continued…

• While at 29 Palms Marine Base, he became a driving instructor for jeeps and jeep transportation around the base in Barstow, California.

• For most of his time in the Marines he drove the jeep around the base transporting different officers.

• When at boot camp, you would take an aptitiude test and two days later the would make you take it again to see if you remember.

• If you were caught cheating, you would be dropped from the Marine Corps, of you passed you were considered to enter basic training.

Becoming An Instructor Or Certified

• The way to become an instructor or certified in something you wanted to do in the military, you had to sign up on a roll sheet for what you wanted learn and the Marine Corp would send you to different classes based on the skill you wanted to acquire.

• After you are done with the class, you have to show the instructors that you know how to do the skill proficiently, then you will be certified.

After Marines

• When he got out of the marines he said he missed it.

• He said the practical jokes they played on each other is what he missed most.

• Gilbert said the guys become like your new family and you would do anything for them.

• When he left, he said it was hard, it was like leaving your family.

Continued…

• The service did many great things for him, it disciplined him in getting his life going in the right path and kept him out of trouble.

• He stayed out of trouble so much, he earned a medal for it, to earn the medal you have to stay out of all trouble for three years.

• His favorite part of his uniform is the French Fourragere that he got, because only the fifth and sixth Marine regiment of the Corp got to wear it.

Point of View on Current War

• Gilbert states that he agrees that the troops should be in Iraq.

• He says we only see the civilian side of things and not the militaristic point of view of war.

• We only see what the government want us to see, he said.

• He said he would enlist now, if he wasn’t so old.

Continued…

• Gilbert thinks the youth of America should be encouraged to be part of the Military forces.

• He says anything little helps, and it makes you feel great, like your fighting for millions of peoples rights.

His son

Graduation January 19, 2009

His Family

• Gilbert’s son wanted to follow in the same path he did and join the Marines around the same age straight out of high school.

• Gilbert was hesitant, because he knew his son would see combat,

• His son decided tot join and was sent to Iraq, he is currently home but will be leaving for Afghanistan.

• He currently lives in Fontana with his wife, and they are happily married.

His son and daughter.