SPC Steve Gonzales

Specialist Steve Gonzales sat down with me for Heroes I Know.

Denver. Born and raised. Wrong people for a while. Eleven. Twelve. He lived with his grandma. She put him on the right path. His grandpa was a Ranger. Hard. Fair. Steve still looks up to him.

Baseball was first. Then football. He played semi-pro four years. Tore his shoulder at work. He got out December 27, 2009. He has coached youth baseball and football ever since. Kindergarten through third grade. You show them. You show them again. Then it clicks. Their eyes light up.

He wanted the Army from a young age because of his grandpa. The night before he shipped he went to his grandma's grave. He told her he made it. Grandpa came to the swearing-in.

He was a Tango. He came to Korea as a replacement. The unit was already in the field. Diaz. Green. Shrum. Coats. Fields. I was his first sergeant. Thirty days on post. Soju. He saw me that night. Parade rest. Top I am not going to lie. I am drunk. Have you been here thirty days. I sure have. Carry on.

He had never been around people who actually asked if he was all right. And meant it. That was the high. The low was calling home. Young daughter. Daddy when are you coming home.

Later the drinking came back. Bad temper. On his way to handle some business. Next thing he knew he was pulling into his brother's mom's church. She is the pastor there. He got on his knees. She prayed over him. Tingling. The heaviness lifted. He gave himself to the Lord that night.

He does not think of himself as a hero. He thinks it should be everyone's duty to want to serve. His boy is in the eighth grade. He thanks God every day. That is why we hit record. Get the story on tape before we are too old or too sick to tell it.