Mercedes

From OSWIKI

Height:	5'10"
Weight:	140
Birthday:	December 01, 1985
Position:	Marine Recruiter

Son: Jacob David Mendoza (4)

Description

Mercedes is 5'7 135 pounds. She seldom wears any make up and doesn't smile very often. She wears very casual street clothes and often has her dark brown hair pulled back from her face. She has brown eyes and a Hispanic look to her. She always carries a backpack. (Presence 2 http://s965.photobucket.com/albums/ae138/Akkadia_/Mercedes/ )

Background

Mercedes Mendoza grew up in the Bronx. Her family was poor. In the winter they wore very warm clothes, in the summer her family stayed out of doors a lot. She wore hand –me down clothes and was bought gifts at thrift stores. But she grew up pragmatic and with a firm handle on reality.

As a child her house was often chaotic. Her 3 brothers were drifters, moving from one area of the country to another. They came back on and off mainly for money. For the first part of her life her grandmother and grandfather lived with them. Her grandmother doted on Mercedes but she died when Mercedes was 6. Her grandfather was a grouchy man who pessimistically forecasted the end of the world nightly at dinner.

Food was often scarce. Beans and heavy long lasting stews were a staple of her diet. When she was 8, Mercedes went to a party in Manhattan. She saw the food all laid out on the table and asked a passing server if this was what it was like in heaven. Treats were a special rarity that she cherished so much that at lunch during school she would trade her whole lunch for a lollipop.

By age 12 things had not improved but Mercedes was learning to fend for herself. She slept at friend’s house as often as she could, she made sure that she never turned down even a small job and spent a lot of time at school with athletics. She was a member of the middle school track team and swimming team. The conditions of being in sports also lead to her academic performance being a little higher than it would be if she hadn’t been made to keep her grades up. She rarely smiles but she was always dedicated and willing to do whatever it took to get things done.

When she was 16, Mercedes took her first ASVAB test and scored very high. She had never thought about entering the military but after a recruiter talked to her at school promising travel and appealing to her honor for her country and a salary that seemed like more than she could ever earn in the city, Mercedes took the papers home and told her parents that she wanted to join the Marines.

Both of her parents were against it initially. Neither of them knew what to make of it, but then 9/11 happened. After months of debate they relented and agreed to sign the papers.

Shortly thereafter a strange thing happened. Her brother Juan came back for a visit and even by his standards was acting strange. He was paranoid and behaving crazy, calling out for protection, hiding under tables and covering his head with helmets lined in foil. He said that he had been cursed, he cried nightly to the saints for protection and begged his parents to ask a priest for holy water. Two weeks after his strange arrival, Juan was found on the ground outside of their apartment. The police said it was a suicide and that he had jumped 8 stories to his death. But it never sat well with Mercedes. She just couldn’t believe he would kill himself.

In the midst of the grieving and sadness, Mercedes began a year long self motivated program to get in shape before joining the Marines. Every day after school she ran 2 miles. She swam at the indoor pool in the winter and even swam in the river. She built her strength up and mentally blocked out everything else.

At 17 she graduated from High School and joined the Marines. She was sent to Parris Island in South Carolina and began basic training. Basic training changed Mercedes. She picked up the nickname MnM and excelled in weapons training and reconnaissance. She got stronger still but more than that, she developed a focus that mentally sharpened her whole existence.

After training, Mercedes was sent to San Diego. From there, a year later she was deployed to Afghanistan. But to her dismay, just four months into her service, she found out she was pregnant. It was a single night spent with an officer. She was devastated and let down by her perceived failure. She kept it hidden until her fourth month and then told her commander. She was given the choice of staying or leaving She stayed and was reassigned aboard a carrier. Two months before her baby was born she flew to New York. And there delivered her son, Jacob David.

Although she had a year to be redeployed, just 8 months after her son was born, Mercedes requested to be sent back. She was more determined than ever to finish her tour and make a better life than the one she grew up with. Her son stayed with her parents, and she sent home the majority of her pay to support him.

This time she was deployed to Iraq and the experience was far different. For 18 months she was in the thick of combat and watched several of her own team die. She stayed in touch with her son and family on the Intenet, but it was taking it’s toll on her. She was counting the days until she could return home.

4 month before she was due to be sent home, a group of militants were reported to be shooting at supply chains. Her company was sent out to remove them from the hills. The mission started well, and they were able to subdue the 6 men with guns quickly. Unfortunately, on their way back, they were shelled from yet another location. One of the prisoners started laughing hysterically and claiming that they were all dead, that they were all cursed, and that the witches were coming. Mercedes was taken aback. It sounded so much like what her brother had said all those years ago.

The attack was devastating; her company had called in for support but they were cut off by another operation and by the time help got to them, there were only 3 of them left. Everyone was hurt and she was in shock. The events of the attack were cloudy in her mind after the initial shells exploded. She remembered throwing her own body over the body of her own badly injured sergeant to shield him from further damage. (and as a result suffered second and third degree burns on her back and chunk of flesh removed from her thigh) She also remembered hearing a voice say “Leave her, she is dead,” in a thick English accent. The bodies of the prisoners were taken but the bodies of the Marines were left. She related the entire story to her superiors who took it all down but made her feel like a fool for suspecting something more than just random sniper/shell fire.

She spent three weeks in a military hospital recovering and then asked about discharge but was denied. She opted to take a desk job and served out the rest of tour. (Information removed)

She spent the last year of her enlistment back in San Diego, with her son. She then volunteered to work as a recruiter and went through the seven week program there. By the time she was assigned a station in Manhattan she was ready for a new phase in her life and her son’s. (Information removed)

(Information removed)

She lives not too far from where she grew up. (City Island) Her son lives with her and she works as a recruiter for the Marines in Manhattan.