My Uncle’s Journey: The Bold Risk That Changed Our Lives Forever
How One Brave Decision Opened Doors for Generations
Welcome to the Storytelling Sparks Newsletter! If you’ve received it, then you either subscribed or someone sent you this link.
If you want to subscribe, click on the button below:
I’ll never forget what my dad told me when I was six years old.
“Son, if it wasn’t for your uncle, we wouldn’t be living here in the United States.”
My dad would tell me and my sisters during our childhood years.
At the time, I didn’t fully understand, but that moment changed how I saw my uncle.
My Uncle Med was the reason why our family came to the United States.
Living in California, he traveled the world while serving in the U.S. Navy.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. His journey started with hardship in the Philippines, raised on a farm.
Until... he found a door of opportunity.
I can imagine his younger self, full of energy…ready to take on the world.
My Uncle Sought New Opportunities
It was the late 1970s, when disco ruled and Levi’s jeans were the height of fashion.
The Vietnam War had just ended for a few years and the world was in a different place.
Mangoes were being sold in the local markets of my uncle’s small hometown— Naguilian, La Union, Philippines.
Naguilian (Nah-geel-yun) meaning, “a place where people from other places come to stay”, was famous for its agricultural landscape: rice, tobacco, root crops, vegetables and sugarcane.
My uncle’s hometown was about 4.5 hours north of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
My late grandpa received word that the U.S. Navy was recruiting potential sailors at Subic Bay Naval Base, located four hours away.
My grandpa worked real hard around the farm & encouraged my uncle to join.
At first, my uncle hesitated. But people around town kept telling him this was his ticket to…America.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
My uncle decided to travel to Subic Bay Naval Base, a 4-hour bus ride and signed up at the Navy recruiters office.
I wonder what went through his mind.
Was he making a mistake?
What about his family?
But he didn’t focus on the short-term worries.
He kept his eyes on the long-term possibilities.
America, the Land of Freedom
The year was 1978 and the U.S. Navy sent my uncle to Great Lakes, Illinois, for a 10-week, rigorous boot camp.
He went through an intense physical and mental training.
After graduating boot camp, they sent him to his first duty station: San Diego, California.
Once he arrived in California, he immediately called his brother (my dad) in the Philippines to join the U.S. Navy too.
My uncle couldn’t stop talking about his life in America.
So many opportunities compared to living in the Philippines.
But my uncle missed home…a lot.
At the time, my dad was working as a hotel manager in the Philippines.
While he was great at his job, he needed to think about his future.
Should he stay and settle for his current manager position?
Or take a leap of faith and join his brother in the Navy?
A Life-Changing Opportunity
My uncle took a HUGE leap, paving the way for his family, including my dad.
Every year on Veteran’s Day, I make sure to thank him.
I can’t imagine what my life would be like if he hadn’t taken the risk to join the U.S. Navy.
His story always humbles me.
As I sit and contemplate his journey, I’m reminded that life itself presents us with so many opportunities.
We just don't know when the unexpected will come knocking on our door.
My uncle showed what real risk-taking looked like.
It wasn’t easy, but he seized the opportunity.
Thank you, Uncle Med.
You’ve shaped my life in ways I’ll forever be grateful.