Resident credits family for success in U.S. Navy

After a 30-year journey in the U.S. Navy, Lorain native Edgar Santiago recently retired as master chief hospital corpsman.

Santiago, 48, resides in San Diego, where he celebrated his retirement with a ceremony Oct. 12, attended by family, friends and crew members.

Santiago received a military service award, which is attained by performing services above and beyond when it’s expected to by a leader.

He joined the Navy in 1988 with his first tour in Panama in 1989.

Santiago has since traveled the world during 12 deployments, earned at least 20 or more different awards and vaulted to the top of the ladder through ranks.

He said he is humbled to have attained master chief from his journey as junior sailor, because only one percent of the Navy can earn the position.

“What’s important for me is that, not necessarily my bio is printed and I did 30 years of service in the military, but I never forgot where I came from and who helped through my journey,” Santiago said.

He accredited his success to his grandparents, Hipolito and Genera Santiago of Lorain, whom he calls “Mami and Papi.”

Hipolito Santiago, 96, resides in Lorain, but Genera Santiago passed away in July 2010.

Santiago said his grandparents raised himself and his sister Jennifer Battistelli, of Avon, on Lorain’s south side.

He recalled the two, especially Genera Santiago, instilling many core values into his life as a Puerto Rican family in Lorain, which supported him and career .

Santiago said growing up in Lorain was challenging at times, but unique because the city was a melting pot of cultures in an industrial city that was once thriving.

He said he looked up to his grandparents and many powerful women who lived in his neighborhood and worked to instill hardworking values into their children’s lives.

“Our grandparents took on the challenge of raising Jennifer and I when they already raised their kids,” Santiago said. “But they worked hard to give us a better life and gave us our core values.

“They taught us about our culture, us not forgetting that we’re Puerto Rican and to grasp and understand where we came from so that we know where we’re going. I owe that to them and thank them every day and thank God for them for instilling those things in me and helping me become the man I am today.

“I was successful in my first two years of the Navy because of Mami (and others),” he said. “Mami told me, ‘In life, you will have challenges early and there’s nothing you can’t do when you put your heart and soul into everything.’”

“Mami was a unique lady, all 4-foot-8 of her or 4-foot-6,” Santiago said. “She was a very unique Puerto Rican woman who had so much pride in who she was and what she did. She instilled that same pride of culture and work ethic in us.”

He added being a minority in the military was not easy back then, but he had to work hard.

Santiago said his grandmother always told him to use two hands, meaning if you’re going to do something, do it right and to completion.

While he was deployed, Santiago recalled she would tell him to take care of his soldiers, and her soldiers will take care of him.

He said her soldiers were a prayer group she had while Santiago was deployed until she passed away.

Santiago said he believed the power of prayer helped him get through his journey because there were many instances where he wondered how he was still alive.

He added his wife, Jemma Santiago, Battistelli, and his father, Ed Lozano, of Lorain, have supported and pushed him through his military career.

Santiago referred to Battistelli and Jemma Santiago, whom he met while in the military, as his own “Doug Stamper,” which is a loyal character in the TV show House of Cards.

He said his sister helped him get through some of life’s issues while he was away from home and their bond has continued.

“I think it’s a unique bond because Edgar has been my closest friend who played many roles in my life,” Battistelli said. “I’ve seen him become different roles in his journey and he reached his goal at the end of the rainbow.

“I’m happy to see where he is after 30 years of challenges and seeing what he created.”

Battistelli also received recognition at the ceremony for being his support person through his journey.

“It’s hard to explain my accomplishments,” Santiago said. “I was able to impact many kids lives. And seeing all those kids who attended from all over the world to my ceremony, to look at them and see them progress and rank, and see them as leader when I seen them as kids, it was very humbling.”

Santiago said he hopes to inspire other Lorain young men and women to seek a successful journey, but to do it better.

He said he thought about returning home with his wife and children Mira, 14, Arjun, 12, and Rianajun, 10, who enjoy the four seasons.

But, no plans have been made, he said.

Santiago