Eduardo A. Ortiz also known as “Eddie”, was raised down the road from Bandera, in the small town of Medina, Tx.  where he graduated from High School. Eddie ranked in the top 10 of his class; however, there were only 13 students that graduated from Medina High School in 1984. That year in August of 1984 he shipped out to MCRD, San Diego for Marine Corps Boot Camp, 1^st Battalion, A Co. He went in a PFC and graduate out of boot camp as LCpl. He served 10 glorious years in the Marine Corp, when given the opportunity to travel and see new places, he always volunteered for the opportunity. His First duty station was Barstow Logistic Base, Ca, then on to MCRD, San Diego, Camp Pendleton, Ca, Okinawa, Japan, 1^st MEB Kaneohe, Hi, Saudia Arabia, Kuwait (Desert Storm/Shield) and MCRD, San Diego as a Drill Instructor with 3^rd Battalion, I Co, then MCRD San Diego, Hq CO RT Bn. until his discharge after 10 years. He did get the chance to travel to Midway Island, Guam, Diego Garcia, Philippines, Korea, Iwakuni, at the time of his Honorable discharge in Mar 1994 he held the rank of Sgt. While serving as a DI, he did get in trouble due to his alcohol use that led to him going to treatment at Balboa Hospital. While in treatment there he finally came to his moment of “clarity” that he is an alcoholic and that he needed help. At this time, he made the decision to become honest, willing, and open-minded to the process of a 12-step program to learn a new way of living without having to drink alcohol to feel or think differently.  It does not mean it was easy and that he accepted everything, it was that he stopped debating what he did not know, and he started listening. After learning to listen he started to see and hear things differently & much more clearly.  By the time he got out of the Marines he had achieved 3 years of sobriety. He often remembers how the base substance abuse counselors would send the drill instructors that were having issues with alcohol or drugs to talk & share with him about being a DI, in the Service, being in recovery, & how he had stayed sober.

My Why: 

June 3, 1991, is my sobriety date.  I refer to myself as an “elder statesman” in recovery not a “bleeding deacon” type. I continue to enjoy and value the importance of the 12 Step program and Fellowship daily, while without it – like the say “jail, institution, or death” I already been to two of them, don’t want to try the last option “the ultimate sacrifice” which is “death” of the alcoholic/addict. Today I keep it simple, I remember what I have control of & focus on that only, I remember that I have a choice today which I make &  leave the result up to my Higher Power, I stay in today because that’s all I am promised, staying in low expectation – high acceptance, I count my blessings & show gratitude for them by the way I live and my living amends and lastly continuing to stay honest, willing, & open-minded. I usually get all these just by going to a meeting and helping someone. After I got out of the Marine Corps, I was lost on what to do with my life, I took a position with a gas station chain supervising 10 to 15 locations. Throughout my time working with this company, I learned that the incentives were heavily pushed toward alcohol, and I felt that my sobriety was at risk and met with my sponsor. During this meeting my sponsor introduced me to the career field of LCDC (licensed chemical dependency counselors) from here I took the dive into that field and fell in love with it, I got to listen to other people’s stories, I got to give back to my community, I got to share my experience and knowledge with others and the greatest thing about this field is being able to watch my clients grow throughout their treatment and become a whole new person. The “why” I’m here at Warrior Heart, this will be my last stand or last who-rah, after this I will be hanging it up and start my journey in travelling the many state & national parks that America has to offer with Davie my dog. What better place to give back and especially to give back to the same class of Warriors I’m built from.  In war it’s about the warrior who is next to you and that we come back home safely to our loved ones.  Well, I’m not in war no more; however, our warriors are still in war with their addiction in their broken mind, body, and spirit, I would like to help them by bring them back home safely to a healthy body, mind, and spirit to return to their family, wife, children, themselves, and their Higher Power. Just like it was done for me.