Seminoles welcome home Sgt. Martinez
By Ed Muniz
When does coming home mean that much more? Try after serving two tours in Iraq! On September 26 the Wildwood Seminoles of the Chicagoland American Youth Football league made sure that Sergeant Raul Martinez received the welcome home he deserved.
The Seminoles honored Sgt. Martinez of the 6th Squadron; 8th Cavalry; 3rd Infantry Division with a pre-game introduction which informed the crowd of his return, his tours of duty and his continued service to our country.
Many parents, players and spectators from both sidelines took the time to meet Sgt. Martinez and thank him personally. Many took photos with him. The visiting Plainfield Prowlers and their fans honored Sgt. Martinez with hand-made signs that thanked him for his service and welcomed him home.
The sergeant was made an honorary referee and performed the pre-game coin flip at midfield with the American flag displayed.
What made this day even more special for Sgt. Martinez was that he saw his son Marcus Diaz play football for the undefeated Cadet Seminoles (5-0).
“It’s good to be home where it’s peaceful, watch the kids run around. It’s a change of pace,” said Sgt. Martinez. “Two completely different ways of life, but this is what I’m used to. It was fun seeing everyone being patriotic. When things get hard, people tend to stray away from what’s important, but it was great to see the kids especially remembering “Old Glory."
Sgt. Martinez also expressed his gratitude to the visiting parents from Plainfield.
“That was really nice of them," he said. "They brought their signs over and it was great to meet them. They were nice too. It’s been nice to be appreciated by the whole community. Overall it turned out great: saw my son play; the team remained undefeated; just a great day.”
It was a special day for Marcus too.
“Knowing that they were doing this whole celebration for my dad meant more than other games,” said Marcus, who scored on a conversion. “I think I played harder and I also think the team was playing extra hard. It was pretty cool playing in front of him, but I wish I could have broke through the line more and made a few more tackles.”
Sgt. Martinez plans on watching his sons practice now that he is home. He hopes of motivate them to work harder and get stronger.
He'll continue in the service as a drill instructor and be responsible for breaking in new recruits at several military bases.
Wherever he goes, it's unlikely Sgt. Martinez will ever forget the welcome home he received from the Wildwood Seminoles organization.