In command of our future, grateful for our past | Article

This May, during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month, I am honored to share my story of service. I am a third-generation American of Chinese descent on my father’s side and Filipino descent on my mother’s. It gives me great pride to acknowledge those who paved the way for my American journey in the U.S. Army starting with my grandfathers, both immigrants from their respective countries and both U.S. Army Soldiers.

Some of my earliest memories are from family gatherings in my grandparents’ home where photos of my grandfathers in the U.S. Army pinks and greens were ever-present on the mantels. My dad’s dad was a grocer and businessman in Salinas, California when World War II began, so when he was eventually drafted, he was assigned as a cook, trained at Fort Ord, California and eventually stationed at Ft. Lewis, Washington. My mom’s dad was a carpenter by trade but was drafted into the field artillery while living in California, and eventually deployed to the Pacific. Their stories of service to their adopted country inspired me to serve in our great Army.

I grew up in the 1980s and 90s in the Silicon Valley, specifically in Fremont, California, now home to the modern Tesla factory. Like many AAPI homes, my parents placed a premium on academic excellence starting at a young age. Education was the great equalizer for minority families in America, and a guaranteed way to secure a future for us. College was really the only acceptable option after high…