Sonny Robles served all over the world as a Marine
Published in the March 30 – April 12, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Robert Airoldi
Sonny Robles, maintenance manager at the post office in front of the American flag.
Four of the key chains Robles creates using armed services emblems. He gives away some to veterans and sells others, then donates part of the proceeds to local veterans organizations.
Photos by Robert Airoldi
For more than 30 years, Sonny Robles has helped maintain the Morgan Hill Post Office facility, starting at the old Main Street building in 1985, later moving to the new office on Monterey Road.
He’s a master gardener, was a licensed meat inspector up until this year when he let his license lapse and he’s a certified archery instructor.
But his greatest passion is creating bracelets and key chains made from paracord — or parachute cord — a lightweight nylon rope originally used in the suspension lines of parachutes. To those he adds armed service emblems, flags, tags, logos and other military memorabilia.
Robles, who has a tattoo of the Fallen Soldier Cross on the inside of his right arm and wears a Marines baseball cap, sells them to veterans for a little more than it cost him to make them. He gives a portion back to local veterans organizations.
“I do it as a sign of respect for the young veterans coming home now,” the humble, soft-spoken 57-year-old said. Once he made about 30 key chains and gave them away to veterans at a ceremony in Seaside.
As a member of the VFW in San Juan Bautista and the American Legion in Marina, he also helps many who come home navigate the bureaucracy.
“A lot of veterans come home and don’t know how to get help,” he said. “I just try to help them.”
Born in Tulare County, he grew up in San Jose and attended James Lick High School. He joined the Marines during his senior year in 1977. He spent four years in Hawaii, completing four amphibious landings in Korea, Australia and Vietnam where they rescued refugees fleeing their war-torn country in boats.
He was also was on patrol off the coast of Iran during the 445-day Iran hostage crisis, that started Nov. 4, 1979, as part of the Fleet Marine Force.
For his second duty he was sent to Camp Legume in North Carolina. In 1983 the Marines ordered him to go to Beirut but those orders were canceled. Shortly after, two truck bombs exploded at two separate buildings housing United States and French military forces — members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon — killing 241 American servicemen and 58 French servicemen.
He is proud to be a member of the world’s largest brotherhood. Semper Fi, he says, means “Always faithful to each other,” something he practices daily.
“When you join (the VFW and American Legion) you swear an oath to protect each other, just as you do when joining the Marines.”
After his discharge in 1985, he was working in a machine shop when a cousin suggested he apply for a position with the postal service. That year he began working in maintenance at the old Morgan Hill Post Office on Main Avenue. He will celebrate 31 years on the job this year, maintaining the operations of the Morgan Hill facility.
“If it’s broke, I take care of it,” he said.
And he continues to try to help his fellow veterans any way he can, including making the bracelets and key chains. It all began when he found a Marine Corps emblem “and I wanted to find a way to wear it proudly,” he said.
His favorite key chain is one that includes an American flag with the words “Land of the free because of the brave.”
The son of a Korean War veteran, Robles shakes his head at the way some of the veterans returning home are treated.
“We were willing to sacrifice for our country, but no one is taking care of us,” he said.
