#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran Luis Fonseca

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran Luis Fonseca, who earned a Navy Cross for his actions as a corpsman in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Prior to joining the Navy, Luis Fonseca “saw [his] life going nowhere.” After the death of his father, he dropped out of high school. Nonetheless, he did not give up on his goal “to do something with [his] life.” Interested in medicine, he decided to join the Navy in 1999. Over a period of two years, he completed basic training, Hospital Corpsman Basic training and Field Medical Service School.

Fonseca then joined the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, with which he served for three years. During that time, he deployed to Iraq. On March 23, 2003, just three days after the start of the U.S. invasion, Fonseca took part in the Battle of Nasiriyah. On a mission to capture an enemy bridge, he and his unit were attacked by enemy forces. When he discovered that a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) hit a friendly vehicle, he left his amphibious assault vehicle and rushed to save the Marines targeted by the RPG. Immediately after helping pull them out of the fire, Fonseca moved them to his vehicle, where he proceeded to treat them. Shortly after, he was told that another vehicle had been attacked. Unable to locate it, he again ran through fire to return to his own vehicle. When Fonseca realized it had also been targeted, he directed uninjured Marines to move four of the wounded servicemen to a safer location. He carried the fifth one himself but was unable to reach the vehicle to which the other Marines moved. Instead, he remained in a ditch, where he waited for a vehicle to transport him and the Marine to safety. Fonseca then returned to the fight with his platoon. In August 2004 he received the Navy Cross for his actions.

After his service with the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, Fonseca served with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines. He then moved to Camp Lejune Naval Hospital, where he served until 2007 before being stationed on the USS Bataan. In May 2021, he and his wife, Christina, retired from the Navy after serving for a combined 46 years. They plan to spend more time with their five children.

Reflecting on his service with the Navy, Fonseca stated that it has taught him to always follow his dreams. Recalling his leaders’ consistent support even during times of failure, he learned to always give others an opportunity.

We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

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It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Writer: Khaled Maalouf

Editor: Tayler Rairigh, Marisa Bunton

Researchers: Christopher Rosenquist, Gabriella Begley

Graphic Designer: Saul Leon