San Joaquin County veterans gathered at the Bob Hope Theatre for the annual Veterans Day Ceremony on a rainy Monday morning.
This year’s spotlight was on those who don’t get recognized as often, the women veterans. The celebration included a stage full of women veterans.
Stockton native Sarom Teiv was the first in her family to enlist in the military. She was just 17 years old when she enlisted in the U.S. Army. She turned 18 years old during basic training. She served for almost 21 years.
Teiv is a retired sergeant first class, paratrooper and Bronze Star recipient, according to Herlife Magazine.
Teiv didn’t know anyone that looked like her who was successful. She knew she wanted something different for herself.
“As a Cambodian woman, I didn’t see anybody successful. All I saw was mothers and addicts and people who weren’t in charge of their lives. I didn’t want that for me,” Teiv told The Record after Monday’s event. “The army was a way out, I had no idea what I was getting into. I just did it blindly, because no one else in my family was in the military before.”