Despite being young on entry, Frances Goli's Navy experience allowed her to see the world
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Frances Sanchez Goli
By BREE BAKER
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — Frances (Sanchez) Goli, enrolled Shoshone-Bannock Tribal member, was selected as one of three veterans to be recognized and honored by the Osborne family during the Veterans Day Breakfast.
Goli served in the U.S. Navy for 8 years and 5 months in different locations all around the world. When talking about her experience in the military, she mentions being thankful more than anything else. She shared she’s thankful for all the experiences and opportunities serving in the military gave her, she’s thankful she got to travel and see the world at a young age, but most of all she’s thankful for the strong support system she had, from her family and community.
Coming from a family with a long history of military service, it wasn’t a hard decision for her to decide to serve her country, Goli says “I think as Indian people, when called upon, you serve.” While sharing some of her family history she said her father Richard Sanchez, served in the Air Force during the Vietnam Era and her grandfather Vern Ponzo, served in the Marines during World War II and was at Iwo Jima.
Frances receives her letter of congratulations from Commander Livingood.
Goli grew up in Fort Hall as a Buffalo Lodge district resident. She joined the military right after graduating from Sho-Ban High School, “I wasn’t prepared, I didn’t properly plan to go to college right after high school, I didn’t take the SAT,” so she saw the military as the best opportunity for her as a young adult. She then attended bootcamp in Illinois with one of her fellow classmates Marci Dawes-Flores.
During her time in the Navy, Goli was stationed and served in multiple places, such as Korea and Iraq. Her first duty station was in Whidbey Island and since then she held different positions all around the world. While in Iraq, she worked closely with the state department and with Iraqi officials, which was very enlightening. While in Korea she worked with Korean Nationals, which she said was incredible. “In the squadron you are working in an international environment, working with people of all different backgrounds, cultures, and nationalities. I am very, very thankful for that, to have those experiences.” It’s experiences she would not have had, if she didn’t serve. Being a young adult growing up quickly, having so much responsibility and maturing at a young age is her biggest take away from the military. Noting she learned about the knowledge and history, talking about the rules, and the codes of ethics about the military. She explained how being in the military, you are dealing with millions of dollars of equipment, and you need to make quick decisions, and it’s a great responsibility for a young adult to have.
Goli upon her return from deployment on the USS Enterprise.
Having the support of her loved ones is what she is most thankful for during her time in the military, she says it really allowed her to thrive. Goli says she’s very thankful and fortunate to have the support system she had, sharing how her mother Denise, her grandmother, her immediate and extended family, along with the community were extremely supportive of her decision to join and stay in the military for over 8 years.
She notes, “They really are the ones who allowed me to have the accomplishments I had, they were the ones who allowed me to travel and go out and see the world.” Goli said she always wanted to travel, while being young and not financially stable, the military provided her the opportunity to go out and see the world. She was very fortunate to travel and see the world so young, she thanks the miliary for opening that door for her. But seeing the world also came with being away from home. The hardest thing for her was being away from her family and her community, sharing how “we are communal people, as an Indian person you always have your family involved and are surrounded by your community.” However, growing up as an Indigenous person, the way of life and teachings help in dealing with conflict. “With our culture, our prayers, and our ceremonies, it really helps you get through those tough times. I think as an Indian person being in the military, it prepares you to have a strong mind and a strong belief system.”
On the morning of November 11, the annual Veterans Day Breakfast was held at Shoshone-Bannock Jr./Sr. High School. At the event Goli was recognized and honored, she received a red, white, and blue shawl with the U.S. Navy emblem on it, she was also gifted a beaded coin purse.
