A Mentone Marine overcomes obstacles to succeed at West Point
By Chantal M. Lovell, Staff Writer
Redlands Daily Facts
Posted:07/20/2009 08:39:36 PM PDT


REDLANDS - Victor Hernandez has never balked in the face of challenge, and is not starting now.

Hernandez,of Mentone, became a citizen while in high school, applied to military academies multiple times, served two tours of duty in Iraq, and is now trying to transfer from one branch of the military to another, where he hopes to "begin" his career.

"It's hard to imagine a more fitting example of someone dedicated to his country," said Jim Specht, spokesman for Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, who nominated Hernandez for West Point and the Naval Academy.

While attending Redlands East Valley High School in July 2002, Hernandez, a native of Mexico, became a United States citizen. One year later, he applied and was denied entry to the United States Naval Academy because he was diagnosed as colorblind. The United States Military Academy at West Point also denied his entry, because of a medical condition.

"They said my feet were messed up, so I ended up joining the Marine Corps," said Hernandez.

Left with few options, he enlisted in the Marines just after graduating high school in 2002, and was stationed in San Diego.

In January 2003, Hernandez, now 25, went to Iraq on his first tour of duty. After returning in October, he was stationed in Twentynine Palms until leaving in August 2004 for a second tour.

It was during that tour when Hernandez gave the military academies a second thought.

"During my second tour, I was looking at getting out," Hernandez said. "I was accepted into Texas A&M, but I applied to West Point."

This time, the West Point admissions officer was more willing to help Hernandez get accepted and said his feet no longer presented a problem, Hernandez said.

But the decision of which school to attend was not so easy; he wanted to attend both. He knew he faced several challenges at West Point, being one of the oldest freshmen, among other obstacles.

At age 22, Hernandez transferred from the Marines to the Army and began his first year at West Point, a year before he would have been too old to enter. He discovered hitting the books after four years out of school was difficult.

"Getting back into the academics was really tough, but once you get into it, you're into it," Hernandez said.

Of everything at West Point, Hernandez said time management was the most difficult, but he overcame the challenges to major in one of the school's most demanding programs, civil engineering.

"They could tell right away he wasn't their average grunt," said Mentone Senior Center coordinator Ellie Lafferty, who has known Hernandez for more than 15 years. "He was really smart and he knew the higher math, he knew the calculus. For him to do it after not being in school for four years was really amazing."

As he enters his senior year, Hernandez faces another challenge - getting back into the Marines. In October, he will sit before a board to explain why he should be allowed to transfer from the Army to the Marines. He said he is a Marine at heart.

"There's no such thing as an ex-Marine," Lafferty said. "Once you're a Marine, you're always a Marine."

Hernandez said he wants to be a Marine for the sake of being a Marine.

"If you look at other services (Navy, Air Force, and Army) they always give you something," Hernandez said. "(The Marines) don't give you anything - it's just to be a Marine. It's a different mentality, a different being."

If he stays in the Army after graduating from West Point in May, Hernandez will pursue a career in special forces. If he is placed in the Marines, he will go into reconnaissance.

"He's like the ultimate, all-American story. We'll be hearing about him 10 years from now," Lafferty said.


E-mail Staff Writer Chantal M. Lovell at clovell@redlandsdailyfacts.com

Ellie