Camacho: Spam saved my life

Sergeant 1st class Michael Villagomez Camacho said if it weren’t for the good ol’ Spam his family and relatives kept sending him in Afghanistan, he would have died of boredom.

The 33-year-old Camacho, who visited the island on “block leave” from the U.S. Army last June, said his family would send boxes of the product—a staple on the island—every two weeks to his station in the Middle East. He and his men would cook the luncheon meat as a sort of pastime.

Camacho joined the army in 1989, right after graduating from Mt. Carmel High School. He said he went to basic training at Fort Benning in Georgia where he trained for three and a half months. After the training, he was stationed in Oahu, Hawaii for five years.

When he came back to Saipan, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Lilian Salas Concepcion, whom he married in 1994. They now have four children: Rosalia, Michael, Collette, and Britney.

Camacho said there were several reasons why he joined the Army but one was to improve himself and acquire a better education.

Camacho was born to a family of servicemen. He said two of his uncles were part of the military.

“That motivated me…both of them fought during the Vietnam War. I kind of followed in their footsteps,” he said.

He said one thing that inspired him more was his father, Frank. “My dad’s proud of me. I thank him for what he had taught me when I was a little kid. I owe him a lot,” he said.

ON HIS MISSION TO AFGHANISTAN

Camacho was then deployed to Afghanistan from April 2004 to April 2005. He served as platoon sergeant and took charge of 30 infantrymen.

He wouldn’t go into details about his experience in Afghanistan but mentioned how he and other soldiers were relieved whenever packages and letters from homes were delivered to them. He said the gestures were very uplifting for the soldiers, especially in midst of the heat. “In Afghanistan, it’s hot.”

He said anything that happens during deployment is unforgettable for a soldier, whether it’s in Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other place.

Camacho said everybody is scared, although they wouldn’t admit it. “I was scared of dying,” he said.

He added that as long as a soldier knows what he’s doing, that he keeps his head up or keeps his head down, he would be able to survive.

Though he said he has never been in a huge battle, his thoughts were always about his family whenever he is involved in some encounters. “If I would get out from there, I wanted to see my family,” he said.

Camacho returned from Afghanistan after a year of deployment. From his training and experiences on the field, Camacho said he has learned that he should enjoy life, that he should squeeze as much experience as he could from things that he used to take for granted.

On the other hand, Camacho said he has realized that things like picnics and parties on weekends are just superficial matters because he knows now that there are a lot of things happening outside Saipan. People need to be aware of this, he said.

ON LETTERS OF SUPPORT

Camacho said he has been very thankful for the support soldiers from the CNMI get from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He said he received letters from the group during his deployment in Afghanistan. “They sent me care packages with phone cards, letters from my kids. It was nice of them,” he said. He said the letters helped the soldiers cope with the solitude they face during their deployment.

“I see a lot of it, support for troops that they need to uplift them a little bit more. They go through a lot and I went through a lot. The thing that made me survive is the love from my family.” Camacho said it has been a great experience for him.

ON BENEFITS OF BEING A SOLDIER

Camacho said the Army has given him several benefits that he and his family currently enjoy such as housing, scholarship, etc. He said the U.S. Army has helped him feed his family. “They [Army] are very good in taking care of their soldiers. The Army gives you responsibilities and directions,” he said.

He also said the Army provided him opportunities to travel to training sites in Thailand, southern Philippines, and Malaysia.

“I recommend the Army big time,” he said.

He encouraged parents that if their child is interested in joining the Army, they should research and find out more about the subject—that it is not all combat, that it would also teach their children great lessons in life. The Army would teach them to be more proactive.

“Don’t let things happen. Try to prevent it from happening,” he said.