Fountain Valley's Honored Heroes: Doug Waters

Doug Waters is a lifelong resident of Fountain Valley, but since 2010, he's been a member of another group where membership is for life: the United States Marine Corps.

"We are very proud of Doug and the path he has chosen and every time we meet one of his Marine buddies, it makes us realize that the country is safe in the hands of these fine young people who have chosen service over self," said Waters' father, Troy.

Waters is a lance corporal assigned to the 3rd Combat Engineers Battalion in Twentynine Palms, and he returned last month from a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan. He enlisted in the Marines in 2010 and attended boot camp at MCRD San Diego and then Marine Combat Training in Camp Pendleton before heading to his permanent duty station at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms.

Waters truly is a lifelong member of the Fountain Valley community, having attended Cox Elementary School and Masuda Middle School before graduating in 2008 from Fountain Valley High. He's engaged to Kelsey Randall, a 2011 FVHS grad, and the couple will be married in August.