Palatine soldier thriving despite dangers at home, abroad

When Palatine police visit the Rand Grove Village apartments, a low-income housing complex off Old Hicks Road, they're typically not there to pay a social call.

But officers last week weren't about to miss an opportunity to shake hands with a hero home for the holidays.

After spending the last seven months patrolling Afghan villages and training the war-torn country's police and military forces, 23-year-old Victor Talavera has spent the past two weeks with his friends and family, who couldn't be prouder.

“My little brother is a prime example of how your environment doesn't have to control your dreams,” Merelda Talavera, now of DeKalb, said. “So many people from (the apartments) are in jail or had something horrible happen, but not Victor.”

To avoid falling prey to gang life or other trouble that always seemed to be at his doorstep, the U.S. Army infantry soldier spent his formative years staying as busy as possible.

That meant taking school seriously and dedicating himself to soccer, sometimes playing games for three different teams in a single day. He graduated from Palatine High School in 2006 and three years later earned his associate degree from Harper College, where he also played his favorite sport.

But Talavera's academic achievements never deterred him from entering the Army recruitment office around the corner on Rand Road. It had been his plan ever since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks during his eighth-grade year at Sundling Junior High.

He and classmate C.J. Boyd would talk about their desire to serve — conversations Talavera values more than ever after Boyd, a star athlete and U.S. Marine corporal, was killed Aug. 19, 2010, by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

“I didn't really know anything about the world or terrorists until 9/11,” Talavera said. “I knew then that I wanted to join.”

After basic training at Ft. Benning in Georgia and a year stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, Talavera got 10 days to come home to Palatine before his yearlong deployment.

“I knew about the dangers, but I wasn't scared about going over because it's an opportunity to make a difference,” he said. “But I got nervous thinking about being away from my friends, family and basically everything I knew.”

Since the overwhelming smell of air pollution hit him stepping off the plane that scorching day in May, Talavera has helped train the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, patrolled villages, handed out candy to local children and generally tried to show a presence.

He's seen improvement over the past several months, but said he's always aware that a stable situation can fall into chaos in an instant.

He'll make the journey back to the Middle East beginning Dec. 28, but he's treasuring the comforts of home — be it fast-food, time with his girlfriend, playing with his nieces and nephews or simply wearing an old Palatine Celtic soccer shirt — for 15 days of rest and relaxation.

Last week, Palatine Police Cmdr. Craig Lesselyoung arranged for officers Keith Kirkpatrick and Mark Dockendorff, both veterans, to welcome Talavera home. Officer Jaime Escobar, who speaks Spanish, also went to visit with Talavera's mother, Rosario.

The encounter gave Talavera a brief glimpse into what he hopes will be a future in law enforcement.

“The war's been dragging on for 10 years now and a lot of these guys can fall through the cracks,” said retired Marine Dockendorff, who served in Desert Storm and then Iraq between 2004 and 2005. “It's important that these young men know they're cared about.”

As for Talavera's family, they pray for his safe return and hope others living in their pocket of the village will take something away from his experiences.

“People need to see the positive from this place,” Merelda Talavera said. “Maybe this can encourage other troubled youth to believe and follow their own dreams.”