Veterans Day honors America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Julian Torres embodies all of those virtues.
The San Diego native enlisted six months after graduating high school, beginning boot camp in January 2007. By August 2009, Torres was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, known as the “Never to Quit Battalion,” where the second-generation military service member became a machine gun squad leader. In April 2010, Torres was promoted to sergeant. Two months later, Torres and his unit received their combat orders. They shipped out to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, with Marjah, a township in the Helmand Province, serving as their temporary home. Then on July 15, 2010, Torres’ life changed forever.
“There were 13 of us together and someone, four or five guys ahead of me, noticed a piece of cloth on a reed and he held the patrol and knew it was an indicator (for an IED),” Torres said. “So I go back a few steps and that’s when I stepped on it and it went off. I remember the chatter on the radio about who got hit. Everything was so bright and I thought about my son, I thought about my wife and all of my family.”
The IED, or Improvised Explosive Device, took both of Torres’ legs. His unit successfully evacuated him off the battlefield and a long, painful road of rehabilitation began. In three days, Torres went from Camp Dwyer and Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, and on to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. In September 2010, Torres checked into the Wounded Warrior Battalion West Detachment in his hometown of San Diego.
Torres worked tirelessly to overcome the loss of his legs, with a goal of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak and the world’s tallest freestanding mountain. The double amputee advanced from prosthetic legs and a walker, to prosthetic legs and two canes, to no canes at all. On Veterans Day 2015, a little more than five years from the day of Torres’ IED encounter, he scaled Mount Kilimanjaro.
It was a monumental triumph over adversity, yet the loss of Torres’ legs still made getting from place to place a challenge. An adapted vehicle to transport Torres and his family was needed.
Enter Interstate Batteries and Toyota. In a partnership forged at NASCAR tracks across the country, the two longtime Joe Gibbs Racing partners banded together in support of Semper Fi & America’s Fund to secure a new Toyota Sienna with all the necessary upgrades to fit Sgt. Torres’ needs. The “gift of motion” as Torres calls it, has been invaluable in helping him live as normal a life as possible.
“I’ve been fortunate to be able to cut down the stresses thanks to Interstate Batteries, Toyota and everyone at Semper Fi & America’s Fund,” said Torres, a married father of three. “One of those stresses is 100 percent mobility. There is no better means of transportation than a vehicle. The ability to be able to get up and move is a privilege. This Toyota Sienna is not only practical, but it’s also comfortable. Interstate Batteries coming together with Semper Fi & America’s Fund has given me the ability to express my freedom through liberty of motion. I’ll be forever grateful for what they’ve done for myself and my whole family.”
The average cost to secure and replace an adapted vehicle ranges between $20,000 and $80,000. While there are government assistance programs to help with securing these vehicles, the resources are limited and are available on a one-time basis. With the average lifespan of a vehicle being 12 years, the expense to replace an adapted vehicle quickly becomes burdensome.
“As Veterans Day approaches, we are so very grateful for Sgt. Torres and the countless others who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms we enjoy. It is our honor to be a part of providing this adaptable Toyota Sienna to someone who has done so much for our country,” said Lain Hancock, president and CEO of Interstate Batteries.
Semper Fi & America’s Fund is a nonprofit organization that provides vital support to critically wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and military families. Interstate Batteries, a leading provider of automotive batteries and related products, has been raising awareness and providing financial support for The Fund’s transportation program, which supports injured veterans with stipends for vehicles repairs, adaptive vehicle purchases and vehicle modifications.
About Semper Fi & America’s Fund
Semper Fi & America’s Fund cares for our Nation’s critically wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans, and military families and was started in 2004 by military spouses who immediately jumped in to provide bedside support to wounded and injured service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Since then, it has provided more than $500 million in grants, programs, and services, to 33,000 service members, veterans, and military families. Now with 20 years of serving military families, it is considered one of the Nation’s most trusted charities, one of only four veteran nonprofits to receive an A+ rating from CharityWatch, out of more than 45,000 veteran organizations. Supporting all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, Semper Fi & America’s Fund provides one-on-one case management, connection, and lifetime support. Today. Tomorrow. Together. Learn more at: TheFund.org.
About Interstate Batteries
For more than 70 years, Interstate Batteries® has powered people down roads, trails and waterways and businesses to succeed. Best known for its starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries, this product has been under car hoods since 1952, each one backed by the company’s service, quality and value. Interstate All Battery Center® provides portable power in both retail and commercial markets. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Interstate Batteries is an industry leader in recycling efforts, as well as a global leader in safe lead handling practices. Guided by a set of common values, the company’s purpose is to glorify God and enrich lives while delivering the most trustworthy source of power to the world. For more information, visit www.InterstateBatteries.com.
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