Serviceman Honored At Annual Benefit Event

By AILEEN QUINONES

Moapa Valley Progress

Mesquite Gaming and The Virgin River Resort hosted the “One Hero at a Time” benefit on Saturday, June 30 in Mesquite. The event was held at the Virgin River Hotel and Casino and was Mesquite’s 6th Annual Benefit. This year’s honoree was Ruben Cervantez.

Cervantes (known as ‘Doc” to those with whom he served) joined the Navy in August of 2003. He attended the Naval Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois and became a Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class.

Cervantez was then deployed to Iraq in 2005 with the 3rd Battalion 25th Marines, Lima Company out of Columbus, Ohio. This unit was sent to the Syrian border to help shut down the main route of access for foreign fighters and suicide bombers entering Iraq.

From May through August 2005 Cervantez came under frequent attacks by multiple Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The injuries he sustained from repeated blasts throughout his service led to his medical retirement from the Navy in 2012.

Saturday’s “One Hero at a Time” benefit kicked off at 8:00 am with an “Out and Back Ride” to Gunlock Reservoir from the parking lot of the Virgin River. From noon to 7:00 p.m. raffle prizes provided by locals and businesses such as AutoZone, Home Depot, and Danielle’s Chocolate kept the event going.
Live music was provided during the first half of the event by the Randy Anderson Band featuring Kendra Daniels. Daniels, once an America’s Got Talent contestant performed songs such as God Bless Texas and God Bless The USA. Other bands that performed at the benefit included Most Wanted, Closure, and Identity.

Several special video presentations were shown during the event. One such presentation was about angel flights. Although not an official term used by the military, angel flights refers to an aircraft that is transporting fallen soldiers to their final resting place. In the presentation, it showed how the song Angel

Flight by Randy Foster came to be through interviews with veterans. The benefit also featured information tables for attendees to have the opportunity to meet and shake hands with veterans.
The event was open to all Mesquite locals and organizations. All the proceeds from the raffle and the $20 donations at the door went to Cervantez and his family.

In 2006, Ruben met Becky Zamora in Riverside, California and the two were married in 2009. The couple has four children: Amanda, Amber, Jacob, and Zoey.

Cervantez suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and a spinal cord injury. Among his military awards and decorations is the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat “V” Distinguishing Device for Valor.