As the media focuses on Gabby Petito, we would like to remember US Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, who went missing from Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas on April 22, 2020. Vanessa’s disappearance sparked national media coverage. Vanessa’s family made appearances on a number of media outlets in an attempt to find Vanessa. Gloria Guillen, who was Vanessa’s mother, would not let the case drop out of national attention. Lupe and Mayra Guillen, Vanessa’s sisters, brought attention to the fact that Vanessa was a victim of sexual harassment at her job at Fort Hood.

For two long months, Gloria and Mayra made appearances on television in an attempt to find Vanessa. Lupe became known for her emotional statements in front of Fort Hood. “[Vanessa] was supposed to be safe while working and protecting the country we live in,” Lupe said in front of Fort Hood on June 23, 2020. The reason that we now know what took place at Fort Hood and what happened to Vanessa is that her family never gave up. They would not let it go and they continued to make Vanessa’s disappearance a big deal.

The case became so big that investigations began looking into Fort Hood. Vanessa was not the only soldier that had gone missing from the military base. In fact, twenty-eight soldiers died at Fort Hood in 2020 alone.

Vanessa Guillen’s Murder Sparks Disciplinary Action

Specialist Vanessa Guillen’s body was not found until June 30th. Vanessa’s body was so badly beaten that she was unable to be identified by dental records. Vanessa was bludgeoned to death with a hammer, dismembered, and then buried in a shallow grave close to Leon River in Bell County, Texas. The suspect in Vanessa’s murder, Specialist Aaron Robinson, took his own life with a firearm when law enforcement attempted to make contact with him. Investigators say that Robinson did not sexually harass Vanessa but did sexually harass another soldier. The Guillen family disagrees with that finding.

The Guillen family lost one of its own and so did the United States. We all lost a soldier that only wanted to defend all of us. But as we remember Specialist Vanessa Guillen today, we can take note that some good has come from her death. Because of the Guillen family’s unwavering determination, the US Army has taken disciplinary action against twenty-one officers at Fort Hood. Eight senior officers were fired as a result of investigations stemming from Guillen’s murder.

This is what happens when a family will not let go of a loved one’s disappearance. This is what happens when a family does everything they can do to become the headline. When a family raises their voices, they can make action take place when one of their own disappears. Now the 20-year-old Specialist Vanessa Guillen will be remembered for more than a simple hashtag: #IAmVanessaGuillen.

Gabby and Vanessa Have More in Common Than Being Found Dead

As we remember US Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen, we also take a look at Gabby Petito. Both Vanessa and Gabby have something in common: their families would not give up. No matter what other news was taking place, Gabby’s family made a point to keep Gabby in it. Vanessa’s family did the same thing when she was missing. This is not to say that the country will go through a change from Gabby’s disappearance like they did with Vanessa. Vanessa made the choice to join the US Army and serve our country. This is a selfless choice and serves all of us. Gabby was a video blogger. There is a major difference between the two.

The point here is that the country came together to find both women. Unfortunately, both were found when it was too late. Both women were of different races but nobody cared about that. People simply wanted to find them. We all wanted them found alive. So when someone in the media, like Joy Reid, says that the coverage of Gabby Petito is “missing white woman syndrome,” it ought to disgust everyone. It takes a family with an unwavering determination to alert the media to a missing person. The family must keep the media’s focus on the missing person. This is how the country becomes involved in finding a missing person. The country needs continual reminders.

Everything is about race if you make everything about race. Think about it. Joy Reid makes everything about race and it is disgusting.

Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images

Sources:

Time, New York Post, Fort Hood Press Center