Schools

On home turf with Mr. V.

An elementary teacher has been splitting his life between the classroom and the battlefield.

By ROBBYN MITCHELL, Times Staff Writer
Published January 5, 2008

Diego Velasquez, a Tampa Palms Elementary School P.E. teacher, sets up soccer teams Dec. 12. Fifth graders Logan Seymour, left Sade Serrano, top right, Armando Duclos, right of Velasquez, and Ashley Zalewski, far right, listen up.
	[Carrie Pratt | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Carrie Pratt | Times] Velasquez talks with Ga'Derrius Kelly, 10, a fifth-grader, after Ga'Derrius got angry on the soccer field.

TAMPA PALMS - A loose collection of second-graders followed Diego Velasquez onto the soccer field in no real formation - just sort of trailing in his wake.

His own gait was brisk and forceful as he surged toward his intended target. Then he turned and smiled at his physical education class at Tampa Palms Elementary - instantly putting them at ease.

It's hard to believe this gentle-natured teacher is a career Air Force reservist who recently returned from his second tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

While stationed in Baghdad, he worked in mortuary affairs, which made him responsible for "making sure fallen soldiers were reunited with their families." It was a huge change from passing drills.

"It's a switch you just have to learn to turn on and off," he said. "I love my jobs because I can make a difference in people's lives."

And he assures his friends and family none of his negative experiences with war have changed his ideas on life.

When he shares his philosophies on children, it's not hard to see that Mr. V. and Master Sgt. Velasquez are two different people.

"Children are what God wanted people to be," he said between classes. "They are angels and represent so much good."

Before his first deployment, Velasquez was teaching at Seminole Elementary, where he said he enjoyed being a positive role model for inner city children.

"When he got back from Iraq (the first time), he had been transferred to our school," said Brent Paschal, a P.E. teacher at Tampa Palms. "At first he was in an awkward situation, but we clicked right away and it's been great ever since."

Paschal said his co-worker and friend is modest about his talents.

When the fourth- and fifth-grade classes came to P.E. while preparing for their annual musical, Paschal and Velasquez incorporated skits into their hockey lesson to help prepare them for their roles.

Yes, he's humble too. That's one of the qualities Marlana, his wife of four years, admires about him.

That, and the fact that this Plant City father of five "works really hard to make sure I can stay home with our 1-year-old,"

Born in Colombia, Velasquez came to Florida in 1984 for his senior year at Miami Beach High School. He planned to attend college, but was devastated when a girlfriend dumped him.

"Man, she broke my heart," he remembered. "And I always liked the Air Force, so I just decided to join."

During Operation Desert Storm, Velasquez was stationed in South Carolina. He came to Tampa in 1996 to attend the University of South Florida and find a career.

Though his unit is expected to redeploy sometime in 2009, Velasquez said he will continue to teach until he retires.

"I wouldn't do anything else," he said. "I want to be able to make a difference in at least one person's life."

Fast facts

Diego Velasquez

Age: 41

Branch: Air Force Reserve

Rank: Mastersergeant

Year enlisted: 1986

Current jobs: P.E. teacher at Tampa Palms Elementary, ESOL teacher at Plant City High and divorce liaison for non-English speakers

Philosophy for life: "There's nothing more rewarding than helping others."

[Last modified January 4, 2008, 21:42:35]