As a USO Global Ambassador, Wilmer Valderrama has met hundreds of service members throughout his travels, but one encounter with a wounded soldier stayed with him over the years.
The actor, still recognized by many as Fez from “That ‘70s Show,” has written a new memoir, “An American Story: Everyone’s Invited.” It details his upbringing in Venezuela before moving to Los Angeles and catapulting to stardom in Hollywood.
In the book, the 44-year-old described how, in 2007, he headed to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany with Gen. James Cartwright to meet injured patients. There, he came face-to-face with a soldier recovering from his wounds. He woke up but hadn’t opened his eyes yet.
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“It was sobering,” Valderrama told Fox News Digital, noting that being in the room was “like standing on sacred ground.”
“This is a trauma hospital,” he explained. “Our service brothers and sisters have experienced combat. And here I was, walking through those rooms and just talking to them. … It made me realize how incredibly brave and unbelievable our men and women are. Even as they’re wounded, they’re so proud to have been serving.”
Once the soldier realized he was in the presence of a four-star general, he attempted to raise his hand in salute.
“At ease,” the general said quickly, as quoted in Valderrama’s book. “You’ve made our country very proud, son. Your new mission is to go home and get better.”
Then the soldier turned his head and saw Valderrama. He was stunned.
“Fez?” he croaked.
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The moment was humorous but also “humbling,” said Valderrama. Even as the soldier was in pain, he told the general, “I just want to get back to my guys.”
“It reminds you … that your purpose [as an entertainer] is to bring a level of serenity that allows for that healing to happen and to bring a piece of home to them,” said Valderrama. “That’s your purpose as an ambassador … reminding them that we think of them, that we miss them, that we are so proud, and we cannot wait for them to come home.”
According to the book, the soldier’s unit had been hit hard. He didn’t know he was likely the only survivor.
“These soldiers are so proud to put that uniform back on,” Valderrama reflected. “I was not taken aback by that, but my heart was taken by that. These individuals who wear the uniform take an oath, and it’s to this country. The idea is that they would pay the ultimate sacrifice because they’re proud to have our flag continue waving at the end of the day. I was so taken by that. I was so humbled by that.”
“It’s those moments that made me realize, ‘How can I serve my country?’ ‘How can I help those who reassure the freedom for us out here?’” he shared. “This is something I feel incredibly passionate about.”
The “NCIS” actor said he’s done almost 60 USO tours and engagements. His journey has taken him to countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Greenland and Bahrain, as well as a ship at sea. He’s also actively involved in events for service members while raising awareness of our military’s needs. His advocacy has also helped educate Americans on how they can give back to veterans in our communities.
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Valderrama said the calling came on 9/11 when he was in his early 20s. He thought about what he could do as an entertainer to give back. The answer later became clear to him.
“I was walking through an airport, and I saw these two young men in uniform,” Valderrama recalled. “One of them said, ‘Sir, permission to talk to you.’ I said, ‘Permission granted,’ being funny. But he said, ‘Man, after a long day doing what we’re doing, watching your show and movies, it helps us just have a moment of lightness.’ I was like, ‘Wait a minute, you guys watch my stuff?’ And he’s like, ‘Yes, there’s a network at all the bases where they show entertainment. That’s how we keep up.’”
Valderrama immediately called his agents.
“I said, ‘Hey, I heard that in the armed forces, they have different networks around the world where they can watch American movies and shows. Wouldn’t it be funny if I just went out there and was like, ‘Hey, what’s up? I’m in Iraq,'” said Valderrama. “My agents then told me, ‘There’s an organization called USO, and they do such a thing.’ They introduced me to the USO, and immediately, within a week and a half, I was booked to go to Germany.”
“During my USO tour, I thought, ‘I don’t want this to be just a handshake tour,’” he continued. “I wanted to bring comedy. I wanted to bring something to them that would make them laugh. I wanted to bring a lightness to them. So, I came in and brought a comedy show. We also did karaoke. And just seeing their faces, hearing their stories, seeing them laugh so hard or just hearing them sing – it was such a moment that it touched me. It just seems so simple to me.
“They were thanking me for coming. I was like, ‘No, no, no – I’m here to thank you.’ It was a funny exchange, but I was hooked. I said to myself, ‘I have to keep coming back.’ I never got the privilege of wearing the uniform. This is the closest to serving my country as I can do in this moment.”
There have been many other moments that have stayed with Valderrama. He described meeting an 11-year-old in Miami and how he encouraged the child to pursue his dreams as long as he worked hard. He would go on to be reunited with the fan, now a young man, serving in Bahrain.
“It’s moments like those that make you pause and think about what you’re leaving behind,” said Valderrama, the father of a 3-year-old girl. “People sometimes have two to three minutes of your time for the rest of their life. What two or three minutes do you want them to walk away with?”
To many, Valderrama is living “the American dream.” But that dream, to him, is “paying it forward.”
“To me, the American dream is to be able to give back after this country has given me so much in many different forms,” he said. “I think that the American dream is an idea, an opportunity. But really, the American dream is a path that only you can walk on. Only you can put in the hours to get you further along to the proximity of achieving, right? And I think what makes this country so beautiful is that it’ll dance with you if you want to dance.”
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“If you come out here, commit to giving back to your country and work hard, then anything is truly possible,” he said. “Those are the ingredients. … And the only way to move forward [in this country] is to understand what we’re all striving to achieve or fight for. That’s what brings us together.
“How can we continue to walk the same walk together? This is a moment where we should feel romanced by the idea that we can wave the same flag together.”
