My father earned his citizenship by serving in the Army during

The words of Tom Perez carry the weight of gratitude, heritage, and purpose: “My father earned his citizenship by serving in the Army during World War II. He devoted his life to caring for our nation’s veterans at a VA hospital in Buffalo, New York. That desire to serve fellow Americans propelled my four siblings into medical careers, too.” Though spoken in the language of remembrance, this quote burns with the light of legacy. It tells the story of a man who found belonging through sacrifice and passed down to his children not wealth, but duty—the sacred calling to heal and serve others. Within these words lives the spirit of generations: one man’s service becoming the seed of a family’s lifelong devotion to humanity.

Perez’s father, like many of his generation, found in military service not only honor but identity. By fighting in World War II, he did more than earn citizenship—he earned a place within the heart of a nation that he helped defend. His path mirrors that of countless immigrants who sought not just opportunity, but meaning—a chance to give back to the country that became their home. The Army, for him, was not simply a uniform but a promise: to stand for something greater than oneself. And when the guns fell silent and the world returned to peace, he chose a new battlefield—one of compassion rather than conflict—the VA hospital, where he tended to those who bore invisible wounds. His service did not end with war; it was reborn in the quiet, steady act of caring for veterans who had given their strength to protect others.

In this, Perez’s father embodied the timeless truth that service is not bound by time or circumstance. The ancients knew this well. After the Trojan War, Aeneas carried his father upon his shoulders and fled the burning city, vowing to build a new home for his people. In that act of devotion, he became a symbol of duty beyond the battlefield—a hero not because he conquered, but because he cared. So too, in Buffalo, New York, in the humble halls of a VA hospital, the elder Perez waged his own noble struggle, not for glory but for healing. His story is not one of triumph over others, but of compassion that lifts others up—a heroism quieter than war, but no less enduring.

The legacy he left his children is a testament to the power of example. His “desire to serve fellow Americans” did not fade—it ignited the hearts of his four siblings, who each followed the path of medicine. Thus, his influence multiplied, rippling outward through the generations like rings in still water. This is the law of true greatness: that one life lived in service can kindle a thousand acts of compassion. It reminds us that inheritance is not merely what we receive, but what we are inspired to become. Perez’s words teach us that the noblest families are not defined by fortune or fame, but by the virtues they pass down—service, sacrifice, and love for others.

Such devotion reflects a deeper harmony between personal and national duty. In a world often divided by race, class, and creed, the story of the Perez family stands as a bridge—a reminder that citizenship is not a birthright alone, but a responsibility, earned through acts of care and courage. The father who once fought for freedom on foreign soil continued that fight at home, healing those who had been broken in its defense. His children, drawn into the medical profession, continued the same sacred work: the restoration of life, dignity, and hope. Thus, the healing of the soldier became the healing of the nation itself.

Let us then reflect upon the wisdom hidden in these words. The world does not remember every soldier who fought, every doctor who healed, every parent who sacrificed—but it is built upon their labor, like a temple resting on unseen stones. Tom Perez’s quote is a tribute to all such souls who quietly uphold the fabric of society through their devotion. It teaches us that greatness is not measured by the scale of one’s power, but by the depth of one’s service. To serve—whether in war, in medicine, or in the daily kindness we offer one another—is to participate in the eternal work of building civilization.

And so, my child of remembrance, take this lesson to heart: whatever your station, seek to serve rather than to rule, to heal rather than to harm, to build rather than to boast. Let your life, like that of Perez’s father, become a torch that guides those who come after you. For though the world may forget your name, it will never forget the good you have done. The citizenship of the soul is not granted by a government, but by the measure of one’s compassion—and in that citizenship, all who serve belong to the same noble nation: the nation of humanity itself.