By Jimmy Quezada

December 16, 2004 | Like so many immigrants from south of the border, Daniel Caro's parents moved to the United States from Juarez, Mexico seeking a better life -- especially for their children. Life in the heart of Mexico's cotton belt hadn't been easy. Underemployment, political strife, drug trafficking, you name it, the Caros had seen it all. And they wanted out.

Caro was born in Santa Ana, Calif. in an environment entirely different from the one his parents had to confront growing up. His life south of the rambling metropolis of Los Angeles, with Disneyland only a short drive away, was anything but a struggle. Caro was raised conscious of his debt of gratitude. And four years ago, he joined the U.S. Army to pay it back.

Caro is one of more than 107,000 Hispanic Americans serving on active duty in the military. That's nearly 7 percent of the nation's total defense force. According to recent national statistics, there are currently more than 15,000 soldiers with Hispanic roots serving full time in Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq. Increasingly, Hispanic immigrants are signing up to serve their adopted country.

Listen to Spc. Emerson Rivera, 23, an El Salvadorian currently serving in the 2nd Battalion of the 222nd Field Artillery unit based in St. George, Utah.

"I was looking for some fun and excitement in my life. Plus, school money sounded pretty good," Rivera said. "I've been in Georgia for two weeks, Kentucky for one month, Fort Carson, Colo. for three months, Washington for three months and now Iraq. If it weren't for the military, I wouldn't have seen many of the different states I've been to."

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld praised the contributions of Hispanic Americans in a speech at the Pentagon last September. Vowing to continue working to increase Hispanic representation throughout his department, Rumsfeld saluted the vital role played by Hispanic Americans "in every war and every battle our country has fought from the American Revolution to Operation Iraqi Freedom."

"Name after name is a Hispanic name," Rumsfeld told the American Forces Press Service. "It's a wonderful thing ... being able to look (these troops) in the eye and thank them and tell them how important it is what they're doing for their country."

In a report published in October this year, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City thanked Hispanic soldiers for their unstinting service to the American flag. Since then, at least five soldiers -- two from Utah -- have paid the ultimate price.

Lance Cpl. Cesar F. Machado-Olmos was only 20. Assigned to the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Machado-Olmos was killed in a vehicle accident in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq in September. The first Utah County resident to die while serving in the Iraqi conflict, Machado-Olmos was not the typical military type.

"I was quite surprised (when Machado-Olmos joined the military) because I always thought of Cesar as a gentle soul, not as a military person," Spanish Fork High School librarian Debi Gardner told The Daily Herald . "He would read some of my newer books on the military. I asked him 'Why the Marines?' and he said, 'Because they're the best.' That's the only explanation he ever gave me."

Sometimes, the only explanation is a really simple one: The desire to serve. Said Caro: "I strongly encourage my fellow countrymen to serve our great country and preserve our freedom. Only you can make a difference."

For others, the Army offers economic stability and attractive benefits for families. There's also the opportunity to pick up skills in a variety of diverse fields -- handy for life after release.

Jose Manuel Estrada of Mexico, currently living in Logan, is toying with the idea of a career in the Army. It beats packing cookies into paper bags at Pepperidge Farms.

"Joining the armed forces means a feeling of personal satisfaction knowing I would be serving the country in which I live," Estrada said.

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