Rivera still special to community

David Rivera couldn’t help but shoot some hoops when he made a recent visit home.

Rivera, 21, casually shot around inside the Ocean View High gymnasium with a few of his friends, ones who are part of a group that played together in the Seahawks basketball program and have remained close since graduating from the school three years ago.

It was the final visit home to Huntington Beach for Rivera, a Specialist in the 173rd Brigade, 2nd 503 Battalion of the U.S. Army, before he returned to Vicenza, Italy, where he is stationed.

He is scheduled to complete his three years of service on Sept. 16.

Rivera signed up with the Army in November of 2002, during the first semester of his senior year at Ocean View. He went off to basic training in September of 2003, just three months after graduating from Ocean View.

He said that he joined the Army in an effort to not only serve his country, but also looked at the move as stepping stone toward his future.

“I wanted to be part of something that would make me proud,” Rivera said. “I just wanted to work hard, to say that I did something that might have made a difference.

“Basketball is like a brotherhood, where you try to be there for your team. That’s what it’s like in the service. You want to be there for the guys.”

Like many soldiers, Rivera said he has gotten an up-close-and-personal reality check at worn-torn parts of the world, where he has worked to help others gain freedom from oppression.

“War has taught me to appreciate what we have and that our lives are not so bad,” he said. “It has made me very grateful for what I have been given in life and what I have.

“I would have to say there are other great parts of the world, in both war-torn countries and countries at peace. But no matter how great or awful it is, none of those places will ever be ‘home’ to me.”

Rivera has been involved in action combat in the province of Zabul in Afghanistan. He said that in his trips to Afghanistan, his company has worked with the Afghan army, helped to build a bridge, brought food for the locals and provided security to the area.

He said that snows were deep and summers were hot in Zabul, that his company was ambushed there once and its truck got stuck in a river for nearly five hours.

“The conditions could be very intense,” he said. “It was as though we were world police officers.”

Rivera’s admirable and important work has been highly commended.

He said he received the Soldier of the Year award, presented by the Veterans of the Vietnam — members who were in the same company as Rivera when they fought the Vietnam War. Other honors he’s garnered include an Army Accommodation Medal for serving in OEF 6 and a Bronze Star V-Device for “Valor in Combat,” for his actions during a fire fight.

He was presented with his Bronze Star V-Device last week in Germany, where he has been in training. He received the medal in front of fellow soldiers and officers who were together in their mess hall.

“David’s courage in the field of battle in Afghanistan is well documented,” Ocean View High basketball coach Jim Harris said of his former student and player. “I feel like David was born with a courageous soul. He was raised by two wonderful and supportive parents, so he always has had stability and good hard-working, God-loving role models in his life.

“His extended family of Ocean View basketball players and coaches are extremely proud of him, extremely grateful and extremely in awe of this young man. He knew what he wanted to do and went out and did it with passion, courage and yet has maintained a real sense of compassion for others.

Harris said that Rivera, a starting guard during his senior year at Ocean View, made an imprint on the Seahawks program.

“My memories of David as an Ocean View Basketball player were pretty much the same,” Harris said. “Very respectful, very hard working and he was always first or very near the top in every task that was presented to him. He took leadership when needed, but never forced his will on others. And he was very tough physically, mentally and emotionally. A very high achiever in every facet of his involvements.”

During his time in service, Rivera has stayed in close contact with and has been able to visit his family — parents Phil and Glenda and siblings Michael and Erica — and his core group of friends and fellow teammates from Ocean View: Albert Truong, Matt Potter, Jeff Wilson and Casey Ortiz.

In addition, he’s also been lent a helping hand by Mari Shigemasa for the past year. A student at Village View School in Huntington Beach, Mari has sent Rivera care packages — that include, among other things, candy, sunflower seeds, soups and hot cocoa — as her community project for the Girl Scouts.

Rivera’s mother, Glenda, said that in a phone conversation she had with her son Sunday, Rivera’s company is being assigned a three-month mission to an undisclosed location soon. He might complete his service before the company is deployed, however.

Upon his return home, Rivera, who helped start a basketball league on his post this summer, said his immediate plan is to get into Golden West College. His long range goal, he said, is to become a teacher.

“The reason why I came into the military was to open doors and have some new and different life experiences. It also helps getting money for college and other veteran’s benefits, like the VA loan.

“I have been fortunate to also have the opportunity to see the world by being stationed in Italy. One weekend, I got to go up to Germany to be around the World Cup and it was an awesome experience to be around the fans.”