Veterans Voices: Vietnam vet brings leadership skills from battlefield to football field

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — David J. Gomez graduated from Sioux City East in 1965 before he was drafted and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1966, Gomez served his first tour in Vietnam where he was on the front lines.

“I lost 54 guys, 54 brothers,” Gomez said. “And now when those anniversary dates come up, instead of going back in my bunker and isolating, now I think about them, how they laughed, the stories that they told, about their moms, how well they cook, and their dad there working on their car. Things like that. All the good times. The way they laughed. It takes away the pain, takes away the sorrow.”

During his following two tours, Gomez was promoted to lance corporal and was appointed to team leader for recon and SOG. During his time in Vietnam, Gomez found his band of brothers.

“Some of the good times I can’t talk about,” Gomez said. “But I made really good friends. I mean that was the only time in my life, since I was 19, that I could truly trust somebody.”

After being discharged in 1970, Gomez used his leadership skills to serve in a different way.

“I did two very enjoyable things in life and coaching was one of them,” Gomez said. “It just changed everything for me.”

Gomez coached youth football for 30 years, passing on lessons to the 7th and 8th grade student athletes at Sioux City East middle school.

“My therapist said, well, you’re giving back because you took a life,” Gomez said. “Then I had another therapist that said you’re training guys to go to the Marine Corps because a lot of kids after they graduated high school that I coached joined the Marine Corps. My theory was ‘I just love coaching football.’”

Before retiring, Gomez also coached youth baseball for 22 years and youth girls’ basketball, men’s baseball, and women’s volleyball and softball.

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