A talent for languages took Benjamín de la Selva places, including to the DLI in various capacities.

Benjamín de la Selva has traveled and studied widely. He is a military veteran, a student and teacher of languages, a school dean and a writer. Some of that past was spent at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, first as a student then as an instructor and dean. He even wrote the history of the DLI – as well as several nonfiction books and short fictional stories.

Born in Nicaragua, de la Selva spoke Spanish at home. He moved to New York, where he continued his education. He joined the U.S. Army in the 1960s and soon he learned about DLI, where he had an opportunity to study Polish and French.

This last language took him to Vietnam. In 1966 and ’67 he served as a U.S. Army French language interrogator with the 173rd Airborne Brigade near Bien Hoa. After being discharged, de la Selva used the G.I. bill to study Spanish literature, linguistics and computer science at San Jose State University.

By 1972, he obtained a master’s degree in education and was hired by DLI, where he spent 12 years as instructor and administrator. He founded the DLI Alumni Association, serving as its president until 2014.

Even after retiring, de la Selva was not done with the institute. One of his books is The Defense Language Institute: Its Faculty, Students, and Languages. He followed up with Babel by the Monterey Bay.

Weekly: Tell us about Nicaragua.

De la Selva: I didn’t like it there. I studied there through high school and started to study engineering. I really wanted to go to the U.S. It took me a while to accommodate and learn how to handle Americans, little by little. At first I was thinking about the Marine Corps. Then I joined the Army. It was a great decision because of the G.I. bill.

No important memories from Nicaragua?

My uncle, who was a famous poet – Salomon de la Selva – was bilingual. He supported local syndicalist activism. I remember that one time when a president came on a tour to our area and my uncle started to yell at him: “You put my father in jail [laughs].”

How did your adventure with the DLI start?

When I learned about the place, I immediately applied. I remember packing my Volkswagen and riding all the way here from Washington.

I quickly became a really good student. I loved DLI. We were a group of five students and we studied six hours a day. I had the best time – all the bars and restaurants.

Then you returned to DLI. And not only as a teacher.

It was my second home. So many friends. Yes, I returned as a language instructor. Then I was promoted to become a dean.

And how did you end up in Vietnam?

I volunteered. They sent me to an airborne unit where I served as prisoners of war interrogator. But that’s not the only exciting assignment in my life. For example, I was in jump school in Okinawa, Japan. Some of my experiences are described in my book from 2022, Linguists and Paratroopers: It Takes Brains And Guts.

That was not your first book.

My first was The Man with a Thousand Faces, a book of Spanish-English short stories.

But I don’t write fiction anymore. It’s easier to write nonfiction. A novel requires two years of commitment. Maybe I’ll get back to it someday.

Why did you want to write a book in the first place?

I always thought about writing because of my uncle [who ended up in the U.S. where he published seven books of poetry and two novels]. And I wanted to preserve all those good memories from the DLI.

The Defense Language Institute book couldn’t dwell on military secrets and missions, but presents an extensive view of the largest and best foreign language institution in the world. I included 100 articles written by faculty, staff, students and graduates, originally published in quarterly DLI Alumni Association newsletters between 2005 and 2015. I organized and prepared them all. I was always good with computers.

Where can people find you and your books?

I self-publish. Check Amazon and Facebook [facebook.com/bdelaselva].

The article was modified on Sept. 9, 2024.