Strength and Sacrifice: Sgt. Leticia Mendoza’s Dual Role as Soldier and Caregiver

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas - The journey of a Soldier is as rewarding as it is challenging. For Sgt. Leticia Mendoza, it has also meant serving as a caregiver for her husband, Carlos, during his battles with multiple life-altering health issues and injuries.

Mendoza, human resource noncommissioned officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, U.S. Army South, has faced these challenges with remarkable resilience. Resilience she credits to her upbringing and the support of her Army Family.

Growing up in Porterville, Calif., Mendoza was surrounded by family values of duty and selfless service. As the youngest girl in a family of nine, she looked up to her older brothers, who served in the Marine Corps, as role models after their father passed away when she was only nine.

"After my dad passed away my brothers were like father figures to me," said Mendoza. "Even now, when I talk to them, I just want to make them proud."

Her mother's hard work and dedication to her children also shaped her character.

"My mom was a beast; she still is," Mendoza shared, describing how her mother worked multiple jobs to support her children. "Even at 72 years old, she was installing solar panels in open fields. My mom is a hard worker, and she never gave up on us."

This example of resilience became a guiding force for Mendoza as she faced her own life challenges, especially while living in Germany.

While working as an Army Civilian in Germany, she met Carlos, a newly enlisted Soldier. Though their personalities initially clashed, their relationship grew stronger through shared experiences.

"I couldn't stand him at first," she laughed, recalling her initial impression. "He was this quiet, serious guy, and I'm a bubbly, loud person. I'd say hi, and he'd just ignore me."

However, their relationship blossomed unexpectedly and they got married in 2009, but it wasn't long before their bond began to face significant tests.

As the newlyweds were getting settled into their new life, their world changed when Carlos was diagnosed with lymphoma while deployed to Kuwait.

"He called me one day and told me he was coming home," Leticia recalled. "I was so excited, but I was like, 'so is everybody coming home? What's going on?' He goes, 'no, it's just me. I'll tell you when I get there.'"

Leticia recalled the shock when she met him at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

"I didn't recognize him when he came home," Leticia recounted as tears welled in her eyes. "When he left, he weighed about 190 pounds, but when I saw him again, he was down to about 145. I went to hug him, and I could feel his bones."

With the diagnosis, Carlos was reassigned to the newly formed Warrior Transition Unit, where he endured a grueling cycle of treatments and medical appointments.

As a caregiver, Mendoza witnessed firsthand the toll that cancer took on her husband physically, mentally and emotionally.

"He was just a completely different person," she said, tears streaming down her face. "He'd break down, saying, 'I feel like I'm going crazy.' He couldn't control what he was feeling, and it hurt seeing him like that."

As difficult as it was to watch her husband suffer, Mendoza remained a steadfast source of support. Her daughter, Valara, was also deeply affected and grew closer to her stepfather, becoming his "little bodyguard."

"He is her everything," Leticia said of her daughter. "She's like his protector. She won't let anyone say anything about him."

Despite the challenges, Carlos fought to maintain a level of normalcy in his life while fighting to beat cancer and continue his military service.

"We still wanted to do things as a Family, so even when I was tired we would still go out and do things," said Carlos. "My goal was always to do 20 years, and I was still pretty active and in my mid 30s. So I wanted to go back to normal duty."

After a year of various treatment, Carlos went into remission, reenlisted and prepared for his next assignment with his Family, but paperwork complications separated the couple when Carlos was sent to Korea.

"That's when I told him, 'I will always follow you and be with you because I love you, but I want to have a career of my own,'" Leticia recounted. "While he was in Korea and I was in California, I went to the recruiter's office and joined."

As fate would have it, Carlos and Leticia reunited and headed to Fort Campbell, Ky., where their lives would be upended yet again.

While working on his vehicle, the hydraulic jack failed while Carlos was under the car. The truck fell on his head. The accident could have been fatal, but Carlos survived with the help of his friends, who managed to lift the truck off him.

Leticia called Carlos to check in and he frantically told her that he was on the way to the emergency room and he thought he was going to die.

"I thought he was joking," Leticia recalled emotionally. "But then his friend took the phone and told me what had happened."

Despite his injuries, her husband's spirit remained unbroken, but during his recovery, they received devastating news - his cancer had returned and was much more aggressive than before.

For more than four years of chemotherapy, surgeries, and treatments, Leticia and Valara stood by Carlos every step of the way, but they said it was their Army Family that allowed them to focus on recovery.

From friends helping get Valara to school during Carlos' long hospital stays, to the Warrior Transition Unit organizing donor drives, they always felt supported.

"Being in the Army, you're not going to be around your immediate Family," Carlos stated. "So your fellow Soldiers, the people in your units, your neighbors, those people become your Family. My choice to serve in the Army saved my life, and I was fortunate enough to have [Leticia] by my side."

After years of fighting, Carlos was medically retired from the Army in 2017.

As Leticia reflected on her journey, she said she remains grounded by her unwavering commitment to both her military service and her loved ones.

"It's hard, but I wouldn't have it any other way," she said. "My family is my world, and being in the Army gives me the chance to take care of them."

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