Today and every day, UC Irvine and UCI Athletics take pride in honoring those that came before us and those who still to this day defend, serve, and protect this country as members of the military. With May as Military Appreciation Month, we spotlight the Martinez family and their connection as Anteaters and service members, and we salute them as heroes.
Anthony Martinez is in his third year with the Anteaters as a first baseman. He's defended the diamond for the 'Eaters playing and starting over 150 games with some impressive numbers. In a game famously known for the abundance of failure that goes with it, Martinez has succeeded more than most hitting .344 to this point of his career with 225 hits, 25 home runs, and approaching the program's all-time runs batted in record to earn All-Big West and All-American recognition among numerous accolades. In his sophomore season, he shattered a program record bringing home 74 of his fellow Anteaters with RBIs.
From this second straight season of consistency, discipline, and success on the ball field, he was honored with an invite to the U.S. Collegiate National Team training camp in Cary, North Carolina. The summer after his freshman season, he earned the same honor, but was not selected to the final roster. The sophomore invite did result in a spot on the roster playing games in the U.S. uniform in games against Chinese Taipei in the International Friendship Series.
Martinez has not himself served in any branch of the military, but his wearing the Stars and Stripes in his own way is his badge of honor to represent and honor his family who put their lives on the line.
Anthony's father, Carlos, served in the Marine Corps, as did his uncle Oscar, Carlos's brother, and both of Anthony's grandfathers, Oscar Martinez, an E-3 Seaman in the Navy, and Atanasio Dohina, a private in the Army, all served their country.
Grandfather Oscar was sent to Vietnam during his four years of service and stationed on the USS Hugh Purvis DD-709.
Carlos Martinez's older brother was in the Marines as a major specializing in aircraft avionics putting in 27 years of his life to the corps. He was already in the service when his younger brother was fooling around in high school. He challenged him to join the Marines - "I told him I can do that, easy", Carlos said, and sure enough he went right to the recruiting station passing his aptitude tests with flying colors and asked for their hardest assignment. "My brother told me that was the infantry, so I said ok, that's what I'm going to do."
November 7, 1999, Vallejo's finest was now at the MCRD San Diego school of infantry training as a Mortarman and Heavy Weapons Platoon Leader. He eventually landed in North Carolina as an advanced instructor at the Advanced Motor Leadership Course (AMLOC). With months left in his service as part of the Sixth Regiment, war had broken out, and Sergeant Martinez was looking to "dance".
"I checked in on a Wednesday, by Saturday I was on a ship headed to Iraq." Enough time to call his mom before the month long trip training before disembarking in Djibouti and then a helicopter flight to Saudi Arabia awaiting their call which came in the Battle of Nasiriyah.
Sgt. Martinez was part of the "Top Five" briefings discussing theories and mocking up strategies. The convoy began their entrance in full mount level gear. A Humvee crash derailed them for a bit as Army support continued ahead before making a wrong turn into Nazareth and were met with heavy resistance. Martinez and his unit quickly geared up, moved in as the first of two waves, and took Nasiriyah after an intense two weeks of fighting.
Sergeant and his unit continued to hold the line with some resistance in An Numaniyah and came out of his three months in Iraq returning back home. From being due to get out to volunteering to be shipped into a war, Martinez's father knew what he was signing up for and had all the confidence in the world in his abilities.
Next up was the process of checking out and toward becoming a drill instructor and a guaranteed spot in sniper school and the title of sniper. "With so much going on over there, I just knew in my heart that if I was shipped back again, I wouldn't come back." A gut-wrenching thought and decision for the sergeant dedicated to his country.
A decision that had another twist thrown in when he found out his wife, Erika, was pregnant with Anthony.
"That's when I made my decision to get out." Three years in the service with a spot in drill school and sniper school on the horizon, but also a sure redeployment in the cards. "I knew I was going to go back, so I had to make a decision to follow through with my career in the military or be a dad."
Martinez described his time as he had probably already spent his nine lives, while the introduction of Anthony, his first child, at the same time changed his entire life.
"When you get back from situations like that, it's hard to come back and turn it off. You're trained in the ways of the military; it's a different world out there. Anthony, he showed me what it is to love and 'be alive again'. The first time I hugged him and he hugged me back, it turned something in me. He changed my world and saved my life."
Carlos has always been raised to love his country in addition to their family cultures, and that rings true as a father. "It's a big deal for us to be American and we're proud. We love our cultures and we love being American, our country is our country."
Many of the things Sgt. Martinez took from his military training and lifestyle have been instilled on Anthony and his younger brother and sister. Anthony was put into wrestling growing up, a form of one of the hardest things you can do according to his father to set him up well. "Being disciplined, working hard, being well-rounded, be a respectful human to everybody. I want you to walk into any room and compete." Something at Anthony's core and that is first-and-foremost at UC Irvine baseball. "You have to practice, have hard work values, nothing is given."
Anthony takes a saying from his father's Marine lifestyle - "Pain is weakness leaving the body." - whether through an injury, a slump, a loss; things Anthony has experienced as an Anteater, but that he turns into mental toughness.
"It's all life lessons, you get up and go again. Same things apply to anything in life, even on the baseball field. You get knocked down, but you respond and compete and stay mentally tough."
Anthony Martinez has exemplified that in his play and by wearing his baseball jersey, whether it says "Anteaters" or "USA".
His uncle still works with the military contracted to maintain helicopters following 27 years of service. Along with Anthony's father serving on the front line and each of his grandfathers, even Sgt. Martinez's brother-in-arms, Corporal Kirk J. Bosselmann, all of their experiences and training instilled in Anthony as he represents as an Anteater and an American.
A salute to the Martinez family; heroes each and every day.
Major Oscar Martinez and Anthony's Grandparents Seaman Oscar Martinez Private Atanasio Dohina
