Honoring Veterans: Marine Veteran Brady ‘Totanka’ Cervantes

Brady Cervantes, often called 'Totanka,' became interested in the Marine Corps at a very young age, taking inspiration from his father, who served in the Marines during the Vietnam War. His father was a prominent figure in his life, one that Totanka had always considered to be his hero. He has spoken extensively on the skills his father taught him in the wilderness and how he knew he wanted to be in the military; it was not until reading up on snipers that Totanka decided he would be a Marine like his father.

Totanka also wrote about wanting to be a Marine in the 7th grade when-about to present his project in class, and unbeknownst to him and the rest of the country-the attacks on 9/11 were happening. His teacher asked if he wanted to change his project as a result, but he remained steadfast in what he wanted his future to look like: "That fear can control you if you let that happen."

Totanka went on to serve as an infantryman and a scout sniper, conducting permissive and nonpermissive combat operations and deploying worldwide. The combat missions he was a part of included two tours in both Afghanistan and the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. He has also talked about the toll of taking a life on the battlefield and losing fellow Marines. "I would still give my life to have my two guys back, even to this day. That is something I have to live with for the rest of my life," he shared.

After nearly 10 years of service, Totanka left the corps.

After his career in the military, Totanka focused on being a father, starting his own backcountry outdoors and critical skills training company, Level West Integral, and developing gear for fellow service members. He has also been a part-time and full-time instructor with several tactical training companies and rides bulls in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) organization. He currently resides in San Antonio, Texas, but is also based out of Montana for work. Totanka remains committed to those in the service by doing Veteran Backcountry Excursions.

We honor his service.

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA's Honoring Veterans social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It's easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to [email protected] with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Writer: Mariah Bailey

Editor: Ethan Oleson, Lillian Williams

Researcher: Charmonie Baugh

Graphic Designer: Alyssa Favorito

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