I am proud to be a Valdez! The surname Valdez comes from my dad's side, which is the more dominant last name to go by. It is a very respectable name and its meaning is a high standard to live up to. Valdez means "Son of Baldo (prince or fame)". Baldo is a shortened name of Baltazar, one of the three great Aztec magi. It is a very respectable title, and in order to be respectable you have to earn it. My family's past has conquered and fought in wars and have proven themselves to be respectable. .
The most that my family on my dad's side has remembered falls all the way back to my Great Grandfather Diego Ornido Valdez and Grandmother and Rosario Castillo. I know that my Great Grandfather Diego was a Roman Catholic priest and was very respected in the Philippines regarding the Catholic Church. He served as a priest for many years and all of his family and children (which includes my grandfather) were Catholic. He lived in the Philippines and was never made a U.S. citizen because of nation laws. He married a woman by the name of Rosario Castillo and it is not remembered the number of children that he had but among them was my grandfather Manuel Valdez.
After my great-grandfather had passed away, My Grandfather (named Tatay which is tagalogue for Grandpa) took control and responsibility of the family. As he grew older, the United States started to get more involved with the country of the Philippines and he became used to speaking English and becoming a part of the U.S.A. When Tatay became an adult, the Second World War had just begun and becoming familiar with the U.S. and friendly with Americans, he did not hesitate to join the Navy and fight for the country. The United States saw that we was a good fighter and recruited him to the United States Navy where he fought during the world war as a headquarter guard and loyal soldier. He quickly earned the rank Captain Valdez and was granted United States of America Citizenship for fighting under the Allied Forces.