Veteran trades military service for social service
by Claudia Bustamante
Gerardo Reynoso joined the Army because he wanted adventure and prestige. He signed up while still in high school during peacetime and was captivated by the idea of escaping his Southern California neighborhood and living in Europe, where the most danger he could possibly see would be in Bosnia.
But two days before graduating from boot camp, the plan changed. It was Sept. 11, 2001.
“I didn’t even realize it happened,” Reynoso said. He and the other privates went into a room that was streaming live news coverage of the attacks. “We thought it was fake, and they were testing us […]
