Venezuelan Marine enlists to repay America

TCPalm.com By Ike Crumpler staff writer April 3, 2003

Well before he ever heard a drill instructor yell, Stuart resident Eugenio Caceres exhibited the sprit of the Marine Corps motto sempre fi. His "always faithful" attitude was evident in his eager determination to serve.

"He graduated (from high school) on a Thursday night and he left for the Marines in the morning," says his mother, Livia. "He said he didn't want to lose the momentum."

A 2002 graduate of South Fork High School, Lance Cpl. Eugenio Caceres grew up in Stuart after his family immigrated from Venezuela in 1987. Now the 19-year-old is in the infantry in Iraq, fighting with the 2nd Division.

An avid follower of history who also loves to dance, he has two brothers, Samuel, 16, and Israel, 14. Though he stands over 6 feet tall, he's known as "Little Eugenio" to family. His father's name is Eugenio as well.

The Caceres practice a timeless Venezuelan ritual. Children -- regardless of age -- request a blessing or benediction from their parents each time they greet and before exchanging good-byes. Livia Caceres bestowed the honor on her son -- when he called from half a world away, two days before the invasion.

"He said, 'Mom, would you bless me? We are being given the ammunition and we are going in. Would please pray for me? 'Cause this is different,' " she recalls. "That was the last time I heard from him."

The Marine Corps made all the difference in transforming Eugenio Caceres from an aimless teen to an admirable man, his mother says.

"We'd say, 'Pick up your room'; 'Pick up your shoes'; 'Do your homework,'" she says. "Now he's the one who keeps us in shape."

Recognizing how rudderless he was, Eugenio Caceres knew the military would provide his life with a strong foundation. Even more, he saw an opportunity to express his gratitude to America for allowing him a better life. His mother is certain that realization is the result of the principles he was taught in his youth taking root.

"When we first came to this country, we always tried to instill in him good values, the ones that respect the American people," she says. "He chose the Marines, that's what we've been standing for all these years. He has seen the way this country has blessed us. That is why he joined the Marines, as an act of love. Many love by birth. We love by choice."