Daniel Aguilar:
CLASS OF 1972
Lawton High SchoolClass of 1972
Lawton, OK
Daniel's Story
I attended the 9th grade at Central Junior High School. It was quite a culture shock to be in the United States after living all of my life in the Far East and most recently in Germany, then France. I went to Lawton High School for all three years. I believe I was usually quiet, reserved in demeanor, and hopefully always respectful to, and considerate of, others and their dignity and feelings. I do remember being very self-confident in my personal abilities, but shy about personal relationships.
I joined the Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at LHS and spent all three years in that program. Got very involved in the ROTC Rifle Team and Color Guard. Was a member of the Science Club and National Honor Society as well, but my niche was the ROTC program. Liked to hunt and fish in my spare time.
Typical enough, my Senior year was the "best" of the three years. It was this year that from quiet and reserved I learned that I also liked to "party" a bit. The memories, and friends, from those short years, are the clearest and most fond despite the intervening years with their own experiences and memories. Perhaps we simply live more fully each "longest day" in those particular days of our youth?
Was fortunate enough to win the Army as well as Navy ROTC scholarships (which paid for books, tuition, fees, and a modest living stipend), otherwise our family could not have afforded college. Chose the Navy program and started my Freshman year at the University of Oklahoma. I suppose I was the typical college Freshman, majoring in Drinking 101, as well as behaving immaturely and undoubtedly obnoxiously. Woke up after the first semester when I was placed on academic probation and was informed I was in danger of losing the scholarship. Applied myself thereafter and ended up graduating on time (within four years). As in high school, I joined their varsity rifle team and was a member all four years. Shot with the varsity pistol team as a stand-in, as well as being an occasional stand-in for the drill team.
Each summer, as part of the program, we were required to attend training. The first summer was aboard a naval warship (a Destroyer) home ported out of Long Beach, CA. The California girls are, indeed, "kissed by the sun". Being at sea is an experience I loved for the eight years I spent at sea over the course of my 20 year military career. The second summer of college I volunteered for the US Army Airborne (parachutist) school in Fort Benning, GA. A moderately physically challenging course. I (was) apparently either fearless regarding heights, or too stupid to realize jumping out of a plane from 1500 feet could actually kill you, or (most likely) had typical 19 year old thoughts that I was immortal and invincible. I can describe the experience as sensory overload and a massive adrenaline rush. It is true that you have never lived until you have almost died. Always tended to be somewhat of an adrenaline junkie thereafter.
At Airborne school there was a rather unusual group of men going through with me; they tended to stick together. They did not look much different than the rest of us, as we had all been pre-screened and were in fairly good physical shape. It was their attitude that set them apart. I found out that they were U.S. Marines and resolved that, if I was intent on a military career, then anything worth doing was worth doing right, and that I would join the Marines. My mother cried upon my proclamation. I shrugged it off, The cult...Expand for more
ure of the US Marine Corps suited me; mutual respect due to what we had all endured to earn the title "Marine", a disciplined lifestyle, the freedom to take initiative and perform to your ability. I played at being a "Marine" my Junior year. The final summer it was time to pay the price for the title "Marine". I went to Officer Candidate School, at Quantico, VA, significantly during the months of late June through August (oppressive heat and humidity as only exists on the seaboard or deep South). It was "the most challenging thing" I had ever done at the time and, forty years later, still holds that title. I will say one thing about the Marine Corps; if you want to talk the talk, you better walk the walk. I had heard the horror stories about how tough it was. That never daunted me. It was, in fact, tough enough. Relatively physically challenging, but also very mentally and emotionally challenging. It was, and still is, the only endeavor that I felt truly challenged me to my capacity in completing. I learned about sheer willpower there. I was puzzled that there did not seem to be much rhyme or reason in who failed. I would observe men striving and then suddenly quit. These men first made the decision to quit, then did so. I slowly realized it was a simple matter of mental will, mental endurance, and stoicism, not so much physical ability. I wanted to quit too. Too many times. The lessons I learned there, regarding willpower and simple perseverance, have stood me in good stead and made for relative success over two full careers and life in general. I learned that I liked to be in positions of leadership and responsibility.
My duty stations varied from California twice (29 Palms and San Diego), to Michigan (recruiting duty), to Oklahoma twice for schools, New Jersey to command a company, and Okinawa, Japan three times for a total of seven years in Japan. There is always something interesting to see and do anywhere you may be. Was sent to many foreign countries in the Far East, and traveled through many others there, and in Europe, over the years. Always wanted to see what was just around the corner and over the near horizon. Took up SCUBA diving while in Okinawa, and have since dove in Canada, the Marshall Islands, and in the U.S.
Married first time at age 32, to a Lawton girl (EHS) who also went to OU, did not work out after two years. Married the second time within a year; still married only because she is tolerant of my many faults. Only recently learned to admit someone else was possibly right, and to say "I'm sorry . . .",; it only took her 30 years of "training", but then I was never accused of being a fast learner.
Undoubtedly, as I mentioned, I have many faults, however I am generally happy with who I am, what I have done, and life in general. My only regrets are any hurt I may inadvertently have caused to others, as such was never my intent, and ever telling any of my three children I was too busy with work to play with them (soon enough you realize they have quit asking). My kids are productive and decent, so I have no complaints there. Would I ever want to go back and do things differently? The initial thought might be "Of course!", but then "Maybe not . . ." as all that you are, to others who have liked or loved you, was based upon what you said or did over the years, and would you wish to lose even one of those people?
I am retired now, work part-time when I want to, and enjoy fishing, deer hunting, and reading real books.
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