WAILUA — Army Paratrooper Eugene Delos Reyes Jr., 24, visited his father Eugene Delos Reyes Sr. for the first time since last summer. No big news to most families with sons and daughters in the military, but Eugene Delos Reyes
WAILUA — Army Paratrooper Eugene Delos Reyes Jr., 24, visited his father Eugene Delos Reyes Sr. for the first time since last summer.
No big news to most families with sons and daughters in the military, but Eugene Delos Reyes Sr. last June underwent surgery for a workplace accident, recovered from a 45-day coma, suffered a related brain injury from lack of oxygen while recovering, and became a long-term care patient at Mahelona Medical Center in Kapa‘a.
Needless to say, the past 12 months have been a life-changing experience for the Delos Reyes family. Son Eugene Jr. (the middle child; the couple has one daughter and another son) returned to Kaua‘i last Thursday to spend time with his dad for Father’s Day — he returns to his station at Fort Bragg, N.C. tomorrow.
“It’s my first time. I haven’t been home in awhile,” the younger Delos Reyes said. “I help when I can when I’m back,” he said. “I didn’t expect him to be this good, actually — the last time I saw him he was pretty angry at his situation.”
Eugene Delos Reyes Sr. before his injury at his workplace (a dairy on Kaua‘i), served in the Army National Guard and is an ex-Marine. During surgery last June, he went into cardiac arrest and lost oxygen to his brain, wife Grace Delos Reyes said. He remained at The Queen’s Medical Center on O‘ahu for 45 days. Then, he went to the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific, where the therapists worked with him to be able to walk, speak and function nearly normally. Grace Delos Reyes said Mahelona was the choice for her and their family because she couldn’t get him into a normal routine at home. She visits him every afternoon for three to four hours at a time.
Eugene Jr. said he knew his dad underwent surgery, but didn’t know anything else until after he completed paratrooper training. His commanding officers gave him about two weeks off in December 2003.
“The day he came home was the day he came out of the coma,” Grace Delos Reyes said.
“It puts a lot of pressure on me when I’m deployed. I think about my family a lot,” Eugene Delos Reyes Jr. said. In 1998 he served alongside his father in the same brigade of the Hawaii Army National Guard on Kaua‘i.
“I picked up everything from my dad. He was my role model,” he added.
After serving three years in the Guard, Delos Reyes decided to enlist in active duty. He was sent to Afghanistan for eight months, served another stretch in Iraq, and could be sent back to either place next January. Until receiving orders he’ll be stationed at Ft. Bragg for more paratrooper training. While in the windy desolate, tree-less valleys of Afghanistan, he said he saw his good friends get wounded, some killed in action.
Through all the danger and threats, Delos Reyes said there’s a spiritual nature to his work. “The one thing that hits me all the time is the kids. They live in extreme poverty. The children are scared, they’re timid, but even they can be a threat to us.”
He told of a boy he saw once riding a bicycle in Afghanistan. The boy laid his bike on the side of the road and the troops’ Hummer vehicle passed by. They drove just a few yards when they saw an explosion — a bomb was strapped to the bike’s frame.
And despite the danger, he said he plans to stay with the 82d Airborne Division.
“I enjoy what I do. It’s my job. It’s about what you’re doing for your country. (When you’re in action) you already decided: this is what I wanted to do,” he explained.
“If it wasn’t for my NCOs (noncommissioned officers) and friends out there, I would be deciding if it’s the right thing to do, going AWOL (absent without leave), or killing myself,” like he’s seen many soldiers do while stationed overseas.
“It’s like you have two families, one who you see every day (Army friends), and another who you want to come home to (his Puhi family).
“And they both count on you.”
Eugene Delos Reyes Jr. is a mechanic and a paratroooper with the 82d Airborne Division of the U.S. Army.
His unit is the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
The “Blue Devils” have a Web site: http://www.bragg.army.mil/3-504PIR/.
They deploy worldwide within 18 hours of notification, execute parachute assaults, conduct forcible entry to seize defended airfields, build up combat power and conduct military operations.
Kendyce Manguchei, Life & Style editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 226) or kmanguchei@pulitzer.net.
