As a young kid, not knowing how the Army would change his life, Hector enlisted into the military during the summer before his senior year of high school. He was then deployed to Iraq. 

Hector recalled the day the first member of his platoon was killed — That day, he realized he wasn’t untouchable. 

“That was the worst day of my life… We didn’t have time to stop and process it. It wasn’t even an option. You just had to keep doing what you’re doing.” 

He has three military tattoos:

• A sugar skull

• A grenade 

• The names of his brothers who were killed 

Hector says he got their names on his back because he felt like he carried them on his back. 

“I still carry the weight of them on my chest and on my back. I carry them wherever I go; they’re constantly on my mind. So, when I see it, it’s just a reminder that they’re there. The rest of the world goes on, but I know the legacy that they left behind, the impact that they left on me.”