In 2022, Martin Cerezo received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy. It was the one year anniversary of his death and more than three decades after his service.
Cerezo’s mother, Cheryle Cerezo-Gardner, had fought for the decision—carrying on a long protracted petition process with the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, which Cerezo himself started in 2020. The process took so long that Cerezo may not have known about the outcome. His mother delivered the decision while he lay on his deathbed.
