The Espinoza Family

Family: Gerardo and Michelle Espinoza

Station/Living: Swansboro NC / last duty station: Camp Lejeune

Branch: Marine Corps

Rank: Gerardo: E-6 Michelle: E-4

PSU Connection: Student

Jerry and I met in 29 Palms California where we were both stationed as active duty Marines. Together we have two amazing children: Christian (19) and Alicia (13). Jerry served 20 years in the Marine Corps before retiring on 4 September 2020. I served 5 years in the Marine Corps. Due to a severe spinal injury that led to a complex spinal fusion and 2 years of rehabilitative therapy to walk again after my surgery, I was medically retired on 31 August 2007. I am currently a 1st year doctoral student at Penn State pursuing a Ph.D. in Special Education. My focus is on supporting families and children that are navigating various speech and communication challenges.

Being a military family means facing challenges together and supporting others facing the same challenges. It meant being resilient- moving every 3-4 years is hard! Having to navigate the constant changes in not only in our world as adults but for our children as well. Teaching children about various cultures, backgrounds, and developing a profound appreciation for the diversity of people has been a huge part of our lives! Being exposed to a wide variety of people from so many different walks of life really led our children being able to accept people for who they are no matter where they are at in their lives. Being a military family also means heartbreak. It’s being afraid to go home when your partner is deployed and you see the military chaplain parked in front of someone’s home. It’s praying endlessly for your neighbor and people you don’t know. It’s watching the bus pull away for deployment while tears of pride and fear stream down your face. It’s hoping every seat is filled when that bus returns- but knowing there will be empty seats. It’s a pride and love for your country that only a small portion of people will ever understand.

Our most interesting duty station was Kaneohe Bay Hawaii. Before leaving we sold almost all of our household possessions and did everything and anything we ever wanted to do in Hawaii! We went Mountain Float Tubing through canals and tunnels on Kauai that were hand dug circa 1870, made the best of friends with Octupus at the Kanaloa Octupus Farm and Research center. Jerry and I went free diving (cage-free) with the sharks at the North Shore of O’ahu, we went on a night swim with the Manta Rays on the Big Island off the Kona Coast of Hawaii, and saw the power of a Volcano as we watched a volcano at the early stages of eruption at the Volcano National Park on the Big Island. We had the best wine tasting at the Volcano Winery, and so much more! The best experience though was through things that can’t be replicated. We intentionally engaged with local Hawaiians to learn about the culture, how to best respect the Islands and respect native Hawaiians. Those experiences are the ones we will hold most dear in our hearts.

At the end of it all, being a military family is all about loving hard, forgiving fast, and never taking life for granted. It also means having memories and experiences that could never be put into just a few sentences.