For Union's Cruz, pride in father's military service

For many, Veterans Day was merely a day off.

For others, it allowed for reflection upon the generations of Americans who have gone overseas to protect our nation's freedom.

But for Union midfielder Danny Cruz, military holidays are consumed by one unrelenting fact.

His father, Army Sgt. First Class Alejo Cruz Jr., who goes by Al, is in harm's way in Afghanistan.

"It's something you think about every single day," Danny Cruz said. "But as time goes on, I try to understand that this is what my father is passionate about. It's just what he lives for.

"If, God forbid, something [happens to him], I'll at least know that it happened with him doing something he loved."

In the Cruz family, joining the military is a tradition that spans generations. Danny's grandmother served in the Women's Army Corps, while his grandfather was an Army master sergeant. Al Cruz is currently serving his seventh tour overseas.

Despite the Cruz family history, Danny said his passion for sports never allowed him to consider following in his elders' footsteps. In fact, with his father overseas for almost the entirety of his high school career in Glendale, Ariz., Danny said he had trouble coping with his father's absence and turned to his soccer coaches to fill the void.

Janet Renicar, Danny's mother, said it was difficult for her to watch her son's relationship with his father deteriorate over time. Had it not been for the coaches in Danny's life, she said he may never have realized his dream of becoming a professional athlete.

"He was young. He was angry," Renicar said. "You try to explain it to the best of your ability. But all that he saw, all my kids saw, was that their dad wasn't there. They didn't care why he wasn't there."

In 2008, Janet Renicar and Al Cruz were divorced. Renicar has since remarried and is raising twin boys as a stay-at-home mom. She attributes the split directly to the strain caused by her ex-husband's absence and said her family never sought out the help it needed to cope with military life.

After the divorce, Danny attended the University of Nevada-Las Vegas on a full scholarship. After two years at UNLV, he was drafted by the Houston Dynamo, where he signed his first Major League Soccer contract. His father was home to see his son drafted, an event that brought Al to tears.

After a trade to D.C. United in January 2012, Danny Cruz was acquired by the Union for Lionard Pajoy in August of that year. He made 32 appearances and scored three goals for the Union this year.

On Dec. 9, Al Cruz is scheduled to return home from Afghanistan. Danny plans to be there to pick him up from the airport.