1LT Heather Torres, U.S. Army

I was originally born in the Bronx, New York. Only being months old, my family decided to move to a small town, Deltona,Florida where I grew up. So far I am the only woman in my family to serve in the military, and the only person in the family that has served in the U.S. Army. I have an older brother in the Marine Corps, a cousin in the Navy, and another cousin that recently retired out of the Air Force. Both my uncle and father served in the Marine Corps as well.

Even though there were so many family members in my family that had served in the military, I never thought in a million years I would be one of them. It wasn’t until I went to my brother’s graduation from Boot Camp in Parris Island. He might not even realize this but I remember watching him march across during his graduation ceremony, the sense of honor and patriotism really moved me and I knew at that point I was going to serve my country like him. Fast forward nearly 8 years and he would render my first salute as a Second Lieutenant.

Although I am a health care service administrator, I have the honor and privilege to be a part of the Army Reserve Honor Guard. I attend and render on average 3-4 Military Funeral Honors to local veterans and retiree's. I feel that this is my way of not only giving back to those who have served but also to their families. I feel that it is my duty to show these families and fallen comrades respect and honor for their faithful service to our Nation.