On this episode of Our American Stories, born in San Salvador, El Salvador, Carlos Aguilar arrived in Chicago, Illinois, as a refugee after his family fled the country's civil war. By his teenage years, he was caught in gang life and headed down a dangerous path.

Then a Marine recruiter unexpectedly pulled into his driveway. Carlos shares how that chance encounter, his grandmother's unwavering faith, and one heartbreaking promise led him to become a U.S. Marine and transformed his life.

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