It happens frequently when Samuel Tejeda strolls through the Veterans Home of California-Fresno.

“One resident … every time he sees me, he yells ‘Oorah!’” said Tejeda. “He’ll see me in the hallway and yell it, and I’ll yell it back.”

After all, that is the Marine battle cry or greeting, and once a Marine, always a Marine, right? Now, at the Fresno Home where Tejeda is the health and safety officer, each time they exchange “Oorahs,” it proclaims honor and kinship, and therefore a day maker among these fellow Marine veterans.

Tejeda spent four years as a Marine infantryman, including deployments in 2005 and 2007 to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In fact, he said being a veteran helps him puts the Home’s veteran residents at ease. He hears their stories. He can tell his own, like this one:

“During my first deployment,” Tejeda said, “it was nonstop. Just one (operation) after another. We were exhausted, dirty, and hungry. There was a point where we finally had the opportunity to tact down and rest.”

The area happened to have a small pond.

“A lot of my fellow Marines got excited and starting to make fishing rods with whatever they could find,” Tejeda said. “With the limited time we had to relax, all of us got together, cheering each other on to catch a fish not knowing if there were any fish in there. Luckily, after a few minutes, someone did catch a small fish. Everyone cheered. It was one of my fondest memories. The little act of fishing gave us a break from the disarray around us.”

For many veterans settling into the Fresno Home, change can be unnerving. In many cases they’ve moved out of their long-time homes. They’ve left behind everything that is familiar, and find themselves on new turf with new neighbors. Tejeda likes to help them ease into that transition.

He’ll ask their branch of service. He’ll share his own memories, including the fishing story in Iraq. He wants them to feel safe and secure in their new world.

“It’s an icebreaker,” Tejeda said. “We’ll talk about their experiences. It calms them when they can talk to someone ‘who gets me.’ There is a sense of camaraderie between servicemembers. This carries on after the military service. This trust—this bond—allows me to connect on a different level. It’s my honor to help. I want them to know my appreciation for everything they done.”

With a hearty “Oorah!” reserved for his Marine brethren.

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This is one of a series of CalVet Connect posts introducing you to CalVet employees who are veterans of the United States Armed Forces—thus, “Veterans Serving Veterans.”

The Veterans Homes of California system of care offers affordable long-term care to older and disabled veterans as well as their eligible spouses and domestic partners. With eight facilities across the state, the services offered range from assisted living programs with minimal support to 24-hour skilled nursing care for veterans with significant clinical needs including memory care.

CalVet staff are uniquely capable of serving the needs of our veterans and provide an environment that honors their service to the country. The Veterans Homes are nationally recognized for the premier care and services they provide to California’s veterans. ​For more information on the Homes visit www.calvet.ca.gov/calvet-programs/veteran-homes.

Would you like the opportunity to serve veterans in your work? Join the CalVet team! We are dedicated to ensuring that veterans from every era, along with their families, receive the state and federal benefits and services they have earned and deserve due to their selfless and honorable military service. At CalVet, we prioritize serving veterans and their families with dignity, compassion, and a commitment to helping them achieve the highest quality of life. See our current job openings at www.calvet.ca.gov/jobs.