Retired general recounts life story for Dundee-Crown students

When Freddie Valenzuela was five years old, growing up in a poor but respectable family in San Antonio, Texas, he told his mother that one day he was going to be a general.

Coming at a time when few Latinos had reached the highest ranks of the U.S. military, Freddie's dream seemed like a longshot.

In a speech to 350 students at Dundee-Crown High School Friday, the retired major general for the U.S. Army explained how that longshot dream became reality.

While in high school in Texas, Valenzuela described himself as a "C" student more interested in clowning around with his friends than excelling in his studies.

The day before he was to graduate, Valenzuela and a few buddies loaded up a car with liquor and got in an accident while driving drunk. No one was hurt, but they had to spend the night in jail.

After the ordeal, Valenzuela's father took Freddie, then 17, to a courthouse judge who gave him two choices: go to jail or enlist in the military.

"I decided that the Army was probably better for me," Valenzuela said. "I didn't want to go to jail."

It wasn't exactly smooth sailing from there. Valenzuela's first drill sergeant told him, "Young man, you are the worst soldier I've ever seen in my life. My advice to you is to be an officer."

The drill sergeant's recommendation pushed Valenzuela to enroll in college, where he joined the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

Of the roughly 10,000 who enlisted in the Army in 1970, Valenzuela said, he was one of only 31 people to attain the rank of general.

During his 33 years in the service, Valenzuela served in six wars, spent 12 years doing covert missions and met four presidents.

But Valenzuela did not visit the Carpentersville high school to recruit. Instead, he was there to inspire them. Driven by five helicopter crashes, covert missions he's not proud of, and the 21 soldiers he eulogized, he encouraged the high school students to educate themselves.

"Education is the most important thing you can do in your life," Valenzuela said. "We need you more as an educated clientele than we need you in the military."

Valenzuela's message seemed to resonate with students in Dundee-Crown's auditorium. As his speech came to a close, they peppered him with questions and encouraged him to continue speaking.

"He never really quit after being in front of the judge," said junior Chris Steele. "It was kind of cool to see someone in that situation make the most of it."