My wife reminds me of Mexican Revolution women who wore 'bandoliers across their chests'

My wife, Sonia Ruiz, reminds me of the women in the Mexican Revolutionary song “Adelita” who wore “bandoliers across their chests.”

Mexico’s women fought alongside their men in all the wars Mexico had experienced at the end of a 30-year dictatorship that included the Mexican Revolution of 1810-1820, the invasion by the U.S. of 1846-1848, and the Reform War and French Intervention of 1857-1867. During this time in history, Mexican women not only fought on the front lines of battle but played multiple roles as soldiers, cooks, spies, companions, mothers, professionals who actively joined the political movement.

These Mexican women gave us today’s song of “Adelita”—a female Mexican Revolutionary icon wearing bandoliers across her chest and a gun attached to her back—these women were relentless.

I met my wife, Sonia, in Oceanside, California where she was staying with her older brother, U.S. Marine Captain David Albizo, after I served in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton. Sonia’s two other brothers, Albert and Hector, were also Marines. Sonia, being the youngest and the only female of the four siblings explains how Sonia learned early on how to stand strong and be relentless in a world dominated by males in a military family.

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As Creative Director at Adhawks, a family business, I have to acknowledge that the success of Adhawks from a zero start in 1984 to annual billings reaching $1.5 million after 20 years in business was due to the unrelentless leadership of my wife, Sonia Albizo Ruiz. While I was responsible for the creative work along with Marcella, Monica and Benjamin managed the accounts. Our strong family team along with Sonia’s acumen for business management and sales promotion gave Adhawks the success it has achieved in our community. And, this resulted in acquiring major regional/national advertising accounts such as the Army Air Force Exchange Service, Vogt Ice, Toyota, Humana, KFC Co-Op Dealers and Fifth Third Bank.

Sonia is the Co-Founder and CFO of Adhawks. Her endless contributions and expertise has made Adhawks not only a success but has set a fine example in the community of being a female and minority business owner who gives back to our community. Sonia’s community affiliations include: Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky, Community Foundation of Louisville (100 Dreamers Latino Scholarships), Friends Of Fourth Street Live, Girl Scouts Of Kentuckiana, JCTC Community Committee-ESL Studies, The Mayor’s Louisville Latino Council, GLI’s Hispanic Latino Business Council, Adelante Hispanic Achievers, LCCC’s Cultural Arts Commercial District Committee. Co-Founder/Director of the Mayor’s Cinco de Mayo at 4th St Live and Day Of The Dead, Board Member of Adelante Hispanic Achievers, Board Member of Project Warm, Board Member of The Corn Island Storytelling Festival, The Women In Communication “Best Buddy” award winner and a Kentucky Colonel.

Adolfo (Ben) Ruiz, is CEO of Adhawks, founder of the Louisville Latino Council (Mayor’s Office for Globalization), a board member on the Louisville Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and co-founder of the Hispanic Latino Business Council and co-founder of “Behold 1500 Latinos” (100 Dreamers) Kentucky Latino Scholarship Fund.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: My wife reminds me of Mexican Revolution women who wore bandoliers