on Saturday in the Titan Student Union, 800 N. Sanchez will deliver the keynote address at the 13th annual Veterans Day celebration at Cal State Fullerton. “Here’s a Mexican-American the county should honor and recognize for his achievements and patriotism.” “In my opinion, he’s the equivalent of Colin Powell,” Aguirre said. The general did not charge for the speeches he gave. The organization sponsored Sanchez’s trip to Fullerton. Aguirre is involved with Latino Advocates for Education, a group that for years has held ceremonies honoring Latino veterans. Aguirre, who wanted the retired general to spend a few days at the Cal State Fullerton campus. Sanchez came to Fullerton at the request of Orange County Superior Court Judge Frederick P. “He said, ‘Do you know who I am? I’m the president of Iraq. “He was incredulous when we brought him in,” Sanchez said of the later-executed dictator. Within hours, DNA tests conclusively identified the man with the unkempt beard. Hussein’s onetime lieutenants – including his captured second-in-command Tariq Aziz – were paraded in front of the cell and asked to identify him. Military crews followed procedures rehearsed weeks before to ensure Hussein’s Geneva Convention rights were honored, Sanchez said. He described how Hussein was flown into Baghdad in the middle of the night, then placed in a holding cell with a one-way window.
2003, when soldiers found former dictator Saddam Hussein hiding in a one-man shelter.Īfter following lead after lead after lead, “you’re not quite sure you’ve done it,” Sanchez recalled. If you can change one life or encourage one person to continue their education, it makes a difference.” … It’s a duty,” Sanchez said later, to “help wherever we can. Inside the book, in large, bold strokes, Sanchez inscribed: “Thank you for your willingness to answer the call of duty.” She smiled as she clutched Sanchez’s book, “Wiser in Battle: A Soldier’s Story,” about the retired general’s 33-year military career. “You don’t see a lot of Hispanic officers in the Army,” she said. ROTC Cadet Susan Mejia – a Latina herself – came to hear the general speak. Sanchez said he was proud to have changed the commander’s mind. Army.Īt one point in his career, one of Sanchez’s commanders admitted that he didn’t want Sanchez on his staff because he hadn’t had good experiences with Latinos. Sanchez is one of three Latinos to earn the rank of lieutenant general in the U.S. That’s why, he said, it was a jolt to join the military governed by a “lily-white” command. He grew up in an area he described as “98 percent Hispanic,” joking the “five gringos” who graduated high school with him spoke Spanish perfectly. Sanchez’s parents are Mexican-American and all four of his grandparents were from Mexico.
When he travels, airport security guards often recognize him, many of them having served in the military under his command. Sanchez, 58, now frequently tours the country, signing books and speaking to veterans’ groups, among others. The San Antonio resident has made headlines for criticizing the handling of the Iraq war, calling it “flawed.” He retired in 2006 after he was replaced following the Abu Gharib prisoner-abuse scandal. He caused consternation, he said, but felt much better when his troops did arrive in the Middle East a month later. Sanchez said he got some of that heat when he notified Pentagon brass that some of his soldiers needed more training before they shipped out to Iraq. … Be ready to stand any heat that will come at you for doing what is right. You’re going to be tested immediately upon stating your service to the country or a profession. “You have to trust your instincts, because they’re right,” he told his audience. Leadership, he stressed, is “about values, common sense, and taking care of people.
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