• Lourdes Vazquez •
• Originally published March 8, 2010 at 9:33 p.m., updated March 8, 2010 at 9:35 p.m.

• Brothers' Timeline: Allen: 2007 : Graduates from high school short time later: Joins the Marines, goes to San Diego, Calif. for basic training Been stationed in North Carolina, Afghanistan and Iraq Now at Miramar, Calif. Tony June 2009 - Graduated from Memorial High School September 2009 - graduated from basic training Now: Stationed in North Carolina
  Brothers' Timeline: -2010-03-08 21:33:00

Brothers and fellow Marines Tony and Allen Nguyen traveled from opposite sides of the country to reunite with family and friends in Victoria.

After a year apart Allen, 20, sees his brother now also a Marine.

The brother are home on leave for a short time before returning to their respective bases in California and North Carolina. Allen, who was deployed to Afghanistan for four months and Iraq for three months, missed Tony's graduation from boot camp.

"He's still my little brother, but as Marines we carry ourselves differently," said the 20 year-old who enlisted following high school.

"I wanted to experience things that other 20-year-olds can't," Allen said.

"Or 18 year-olds aren't able to," Tony, 18, added. He followed in his brother's footsteps leaving for training 10 days after his graduation from Memorial high School.

"I'm very proud of them," said their father, Thanh Nguyen, who goes by Tommy.

Their father also served his country. As a young man he joined the Air Force of South Vietnam.

Tony and Allen said their father's military background and their upbringing is what motivated them to enlist.

"It gives us drive to succeed in everything," said Allen, of their parents coming to this country.

His father recalls the exact date he left Vietnam - April 30, 1975.

"It'll be my 35th anniversary," said Tommy, who visited the USS Midway Museum during his 18 year-old's graduation from booth camp in September.

Tommy is a pressman in the Advocate's pressroom.

Allen and Tony express gratitude toward their parents.

It's how far they've come, said Tony, adding that his parents did not know how to speak English when they first arrived in the United States.

Their father praised them.

"They're good kids," said Tommy, although he admits the two sons are quite competitive, but have their strong points.

"Tony is a go-getter, Allen is more hands on," their father said.

The brothers acknowledge their competitiveness.

"Hopefully, I'll pass him up soon," said Tony, who works as an intelligence official.

Ironically, he draws up plans for the helicopters his older brother works on.

Although in different squadrons, the brothers remain in contact.

"Since we're both Marines when we have problems, we understand," said Allen, who is Stationed in MCAS Mirmar, Calif.

His brother is at MCAS New River, N.C.

The brothers hope to make a career in the military.

"I want to get into aviation," Tony said.

Allen, who has been working alongside his father fixing cars since the age of 4, looks into a more hands-on career.

"I'm a gear head," said Allen, who is a airframe mechanic.

although they want to do different things in the military, they hold their responsibility of Marines with high regards.

"We have earned something that not everybody has," Allen said.

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