Mora selected as top Devil Pup

Daniel Mora's father is on a United States Marine Corps deployment assignment and isn't scheduled to return until Sept. 29, but Daniel spent part of the summer experiencing some of his father's activities through Camp Pendleton's Devil Pups program. His 10-day regiment led him to be selected as the Company Honor Pup and the recipient of the Holland M. Smith Award as the top Devil Pup from among the session's 333 participants.

œThat surprised me, Daniel said. œI was pretty excited when I got the award.

Daniel, who began middle school in Virginia and moved to Fallbrook while in seventh grade, has been in Fallbrook for two and a half years. He was a Fallbrook High School freshman in 2010-11 and participated on the freshman football team and the freshman wrestling team. He showed signs of winning awards early in his Fallbrook life, receiving a Most Outstanding Student award in eighth grade at Potter Junior High School and earning the Best Player award for the Warriors' freshman football team.

œHe's got a big heart, said Fallbrook head wrestling coach Greg Wagaman.

Wagaman said it took Daniel œmost of the season to get up to 93 pounds and he wrestled in the 98-pound class for lack of a lighter weight division. œHe was a very light 98, Wagaman said.

Wagaman spent 25 years in the Marine Corps; he was an enlisted Marine for nine years and an officer for 16 years before retiring as a Major. Devil Pups, Inc., utilizes active-duty company instructors while relying on retired Marines for the higher-level positions. Wagaman is the Executive Officer of the Devil Pups and Fallbrook assistant football coach Trace Deneke was the encampment commanding officer.Wagaman recommended Daniel, incoming freshman wrestler Nick Perrillo, and incoming junior Dylan Hatch for the Devil Pups. œThey all did very well, Wagaman said.

The Devil Pups program includes role model speakers. œWe just challenge them all the time, take away their personal bubble, Wagaman said.

Wagaman also felt that the Devil Pups program would give Daniel an idea of what his father experiences. œHe said that it would be good to figure that out, Daniel said.

The Marine Corps atmosphere provided that. œEverything he sees reminds him of his dad, Wagaman said.

The aspect of drill instructors yelling at recruits wasn't something Daniel normally experiences. œHe is a nice kid and doesn't get yelled at, Wagaman said.

The session took place July 7 to 16. œWhen I got there it was not what I expected. I didn't think it was going to be that difficult, Daniel said.

The third training day involved leadership challenge courses. œIt takes a lot of teamwork and dedication, Daniel said.

That gave him an opportunity to display some of his talents. œKind of took a leadership role there, Wagaman said.

Daniel was selected as a squad leader. œThat gave me another heads-up to be better and be a role model,' he said.

œThat was a turning point for him, Wagaman said. œI actually saw him smile.

Helping others is a goal for Daniel, who is not currently in a Boy Scout troop but would like to join one and attain Eagle Scout status. œThat's just naturally how I am, he said.

œWhen he had his turning point, he just tore it up, Wagaman said.

œI never slowed down. I always helped everybody out, Daniel said.

œHe went on obviously to really excel, Wagaman said. œFor me, having him excel among all those Devil Pups was very impressive.

The Holland M. Smith award was named after the late Marine Corps general who was known as œHowling Mad Smith but who is also regarded as the father of modern amphibious warfare and who commanded the amphibious task force during the capture of Iwo Jima. The Holland M. Smith Award includes a $500 check provided by an anonymous donor.

œDaniel's most deserving of [this] recognition. He's a really, really good boy, Wagaman said.

Daniel enjoyed his time with the Devil Pups. œI can't really find one thing that was wrong, he said. œI loved it.

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