From shy kid to Princeton leader: Hector Gomez used military past to shape future

When Hector Gomez was in high school in 1983, he, like many across America, saw and heard about the bombing at the Beirut Marine Corps Barracks that killed 241 U.S. military personnel.

For Gomez, the attack hit home. He had come to know some of his sister’s friends who had joined the Marine Corps.

Now, 40 years later, Gomez still remembers the bombing as his initial call to service.

“When that happened, it kind of made me realize that was what I wanted to do,” Gomez said. “I enlisted into the delayed-entry program when I was still 17 years old.”

Gomez entered the Marine Corps and was sent to boot camp in fall 1985 before he eventually was stationed in Iceland for a year.

After leaving Iceland, Gomez served in what is known as the Fleet Marine Force until he ended his Marine Corps career in 1989 with four years of service in inactive ready Reserve.

Just over a year after Gomez left the Marines as a corporal, the Gulf War was beginning. For Gomez, that prompted him to once again answer the call for service.

“Being that I still had a knack and I was still kind of young, I wanted to go back in,” Gomez said. “At the time, I couldn’t go back into the Marine Corps. I had been out for 14 months, so I decided to go into the Army.”

Gomez entered the Army and was stationed at Fort Ord in California. He eventually was sent to the Middle East. He was sent to Egypt for six months as part of the Multinational Force and Observers.

MFO helped keep the peace between Egypt and Israel during that time.

“I ended up there for for six months, and when I went back to California is when the base closures started happening in 1993,” Gomez said. “I had to choose where to go, and I ended up going to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and finished off the rest of my career there on active duty.”

While at Fort Campbell, Gomez joined the Army National Guard before returning home to Berwyn. He stayed in the Army National Guard until he retired in 2013.

“I wanted to do 30 years, but there were too many things that were changing,” Gomez said. “I felt it was time for me to go. My kids were getting older and in high school, so I got out.”

Gomez and his family sold their home in Berwyn and decided to take a chance on the Princeton community.

“We bought a house here that needed a lot of work, but at least we had a place to go,” Gomez said. “I didn’t have a job. We didn’t know anyone – no friends or anything. We kind of tossed the dice and moved here.”

After leaving his military service behind and eventually getting settled into his new hometown, Gomez turned his attention toward another type of service: local politics and veterans community service organizations.

He ran for Princeton City Council in 2017 and was defeated by only a few votes. Gomez decided to work harder and tried again the next chance that he got.

He won a spot on the City Council by a wide margin the second time around.

“Sometimes people would tell me that I’m not from here or I’m a stranger and people are not going to vote for me,” Gomez said. “I’d say, ‘Well, I can only try,’ and I ended up winning.”

In his political career, Gomez said that he has continued to use many of the lessons that he learned in his military career. He has learned to look at the bigger picture on issues and to lead by example.

“I tell people that your voice does make a difference, but you have to be involved,” Gomez said. “If you don’t get involved, then nothing will change.”

The relationship between military service and political service was a natural one for Gomez; he believes many veterans continue to answer a call to serve after they leave the military.

“I gave my life to the service for people’s rights to be able to voice their opinions,” Gomez said. “What better way to actually voice your opinion than by pointing and making the right choices for the people?”

Aside from politics, Gomez has made his voice known as an active member of the local Veterans of Foreign Was and American Legion. He previously served as commander of the American Legion and is the VFW’s local quartermaster.

Gomez said he first got involved in veterans organizations when his VFW dues were first paid for before he was sent overseas.

He kept up to date with his dues and eventually met local members of the VFW at a cookout in Princeton after his family moved to the community.

Being involved in the veterans organizations around Princeton has not only helped Gomez stay in touch with others in the community with military backgrounds, but it also helped him continue giving back to the community he calls home.

“We try to do as much as we can financially and physically, but a lot of my veterans are getting older,” Gomez said.

Although rivalries can exist between some veteran-run organizations in other communities, Gomez said he believes that it’s in the best interest for everyone in Princeton if they all work together.

Gomez said that while disputes may pop up, when there is something that is truly important or someone is in need, the groups work together to make sure things get done.

“We are losing veterans,” Gomez said. “If we want to continue, it’s better for all of us to work together to get everyone in the same place doing the same things and doing the missions that we need to do.”