Supporting troops via e-mail
gives veteran's life new meaning
By Carlos Bongioanni,
Stars and Stripes
Enriquez |
PORTLAND, Ore. — Angel Enriquez became an Army Ranger in 1978 to
help America defeat its enemies. But his life came to a screeching halt, when he broke his
back in a 1981 auto accident.
Twenty years later, Enriquez still hopes to be of service to his
country, even if that means boosting morale by sitting at his computer and tapping out
e-mail messages to troops fighting in the war against terrorism.
Like many Americans, Enriquez was greatly disappointed to learn that
the military had suspended its “Any Servicemember” mail program because of the
anthrax scare. Writing encouraging letters is good for the troops, but Enriquez knows it
will be good medicine for his own soul.
For years, the Portland native has battled depression related to his
ineligibility for service due to his physical condition.
After waking in a hospital bed following his accident, Enriquez
overcame his life’s toughest challenge.
A neurologist entered his hospital room in Billings, Mont., woke him
from a three-day, drug-induced sleep and broke the news that he would never walk again.
“I was all doped up, so I wasn’t able to focus very
well,” Enriquez said. But as soon the doctor delivered the bad news, the soldier got
mad.
“I grab him by his tie and bring him to my face and say,
“I’m an … Airborne ranger, I’ll walk out of your hospital.”
Enriquez said he realized his father was in the room and saw tears
coming out of his eyes. It was the first time he had seen his father cry.
But in addition to the tears, his father had a wide grin on his face.
“Like ‘oh well, I guess he’s not going to give up just because of what this
idiot says,’” Enriquez said.
And he didn’t give up.
With his father’s help, Enriquez proved he could move his leg
under his own power.
“It was so intense,” he recalled. “You’d laugh,
but I’d break out into a sweat doing this routine [bringing his leg up to his chest
once] like I had ran two miles back in the Ranger battalion.”
After intense physical therapy at the Veterans Administration
hospital in Long Beach, Calif., Enriquez began working out again. He never doubted he
would rejoin the Rangers.
“I was born to be a Ranger,” he said.
In the early 1960s, Enriquez’ family came to the United States
as Cuban refugees. It was then that his “indoctrination in patriotism” took
root.
“I wanted to pay back those SOBs,” he said referring to
Fidel Castro and Russian communists.
But when he tried re-enlisting, an Army doctor told him his broken
back disqualified him.
“That’s when I started fighting depression, when I realized
I wasn’t going to be a Ranger.”
Two years ago, Enriquez began coming out of his depression when he
acquired a computer and got connected via the Internet and e-mail to his former Ranger
buddies and organizations.
Last year, he helped a Ranger association raise money for junior
enlisted troops to attend a Ranger ball.
“I’m happy to say, that was the best medicine he had
received in years,” said his wife, Maria.
When the two were invited to attend the Ranger Ball, Maria said she
had never seen her husband look prouder.
“My husband cannot stand up straight anymore because of the
severe pain he is in, yet when all the Rangers were asked to stand and repeat the
‘creed,’ he stood straighter than I have ever seen him stand.”
If he could, Angel Enriquez would re-enlist today to participate in
Operation Enduring Freedom.
“Unfortunately, a broken neck stops any military action; he
cannot even be in the Reserves,” she said. “So we thought that by writing to any
servicemember this would enable him to be involved.”
Back to November stories
Page Two news roundup
Stories from October, 2001
Stories from September, 2001
Stories from August, 2001
Stories from July, 2001
Stories from June, 2001
Stories from May, 2001
Stories from April, 2001
Stories from March, 2001
Stories from February,2001
Stories from January, 2001
Stories from December, 2000
Stories from November, 2000
Stories from October, 2000
Stories from August and September, 2000
Stories from June and July, 2000
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