Photo of Bonsteel with an Eagle Plushie perched on his shoulder. (Photo was taken by Features Editor Justin Ramirez)
The Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Space Force, have are all Military branches that have protected and served the United States as far back as 75 years. We are eternally grateful to the men and women who have risked their lives to fight for the right cause and protect us from other dangerous countries.
We celebrate Veteran’s Day on the 11th of November every year to thank a loved one, someone we know, and the ones we’ve lost to thank them for their service and fighting for our freedom. Our HP Staff is no exception to this as we have multiple veterans among our teachers.
Mr.Bonsteel has served in multiple branches of the Military such as The Marines, Marine Corps Reserve, and The California Army National Guard, which he very much enjoyed his time in. He stated that given his multitude of branches in the service, he often traveled to many different countries and states which from he learned many life lessons and even made fond memories.
“I got to travel around different places, experience a lot of different things, so yeah I had a really great time doing it and I got a lot of life experience out of it”
Mr.Bonsteel comes from a generational line of Veterans, as he’s stated his father and grandfather both served in their own respective military branches and serving different periods of time. Which evidently led to him even as a young boy taking an interest in the service. During his time attending high school, Bonsteel had joined the ROTC Program (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps), which even further cemented his drive to want to serve his country.
“I think it’s always been something I’ve kind of wanted to do, dressing up as a kid and playing soldier, all that stuff.”
Mr.Bonsteel for as long as he can remember he’s always seen himself going into the military after high school and before college. He believed it would help teach him things he wouldn’t be able to learn in school.
“I kind of needed to grow up a little bit out of high school, and I used that time in the service to grow up, and I grew up pretty rapidly.”
Bonsteel has learned many things throughout his time serving, and one thing that has stuck out to him throughout his life has been, people are put in charge of you for a reason, they may know a little more than you do, so if they tell you something to do, do it.
Bonsteel highly suggests others enlist in the military for a multitude of reasons, it’s a great way to pay for college, a great way to gain job experience, get a job that you would be able to take with you outside of the service, and apply for, and you will receive the best training in the world going into the military.
“No, I never regretted it at all I always thought this is what I wanted to do so I’m going to see this out.”
We’d like to once again thank all our incredible and brave veterans inside and outside our spartan family. Thank you for your service.
Written By: Features Editor Justin Ramirez