Honor Guard, left to right: Dave Eckberg, Sam Goodrich, Steve Russell, Mike Sabo and Quinn Sowell
Flyover by James Gregg
Charles Runner
Despite an ominous weather forecast, the Robson Ranch Veterans Day Ceremony was sunny with shirt-sleeve weather. Over 150 residents and guests gathered at the Veterans Park. Bill and Carol Rauhauser serenaded them with patriotic songs before the ceremony.
SOT President Charles Runner welcomed the guests and provided a history of the Vietnam War. He then introduced the honor guard who served in the Vietnam War and are key members of SOT: Colonel David Eckberg, U.S. Army Medical Corps, Vietnam 1970 to 1971 and former SOT Board of Directors member; Lieutenant Sam Goodrich, U.S. Navy Aviator, 1970 to 1977, including service in the Vietnam Theater and a former president of SOT; Colonel Bill Patton, USAF fighter pilot who flew 133 combat sorties during Vietnam; Major Steve Russell, U.S. Army 1st CAV, served in Vietnam as a member of the 1ST CAV; 1st Lt Michael Sabo served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne and was wounded in action and is the current SOT 1st Vice President; Quinn Sowell, Jr. flew attack helicopters for D Troop, 3rd Squadron, 5th Cavalry from 1968 to 1969 in Vietnam. He is SOT Treasurer and Co-Chairman of the Veterans Park Committee.
LCDR James Galbraith, USN Retired, delivered the invocation. SSGT Watson Crumbie, USMC, Veteran of WWII and Korea, provided taps, which was followed by a canon salute from a Revolutionary War mortar replica by Rodney Hess, and Bill and Carol Rauhauser leading the audience in singing God Bless America.
Charles then acknowledged Veterans who had been honored on new bricks installed in the Park: CW2 Paul Althoff, US Army Aviation, deployed to Lai Khe, Vietnam 1968 to 1969 with Robinhood 13; 1LT M. E. Burkholder, USAAF, B-17 Navigator, 1943 to 1945; Richard E. Canale, USAAF, 1942 to 1945; SSGT Robert Wayne Coulter, US Army, 1967 to 1968 and was deployed to Vietnam; Larry Crabtree was deployed to Long Binh, Vietnam in 1970; Nicolas Elizondo, Jr., US Army, 1976 to 1980; John Ferguson, US Army, 1967 to 1970; Gene F. Fike, US Navy, WWII; George W. Fike Sr., US Army, WWI; Gerry R. Fike, US Army, Vietnam; SGT Roy Paul Glover, US Army, 1966 to 1969, Vietnam; G/SGT Matthew Parks Land, USMC, 1998 to 2012; LTC Eldon R. Landers, US Army, 1966 to 1989, Vietnam; Daniel W. Mahoney, US Army, 1943 to 1946, Europe; David Jon Nesset, US Army, 1965 to 1968, KIA Vietnam; EM-1 Daniel P. Sanchez, 1968 to 1975, US Navy Submarine Service, Vietnam; 1Lt Helen D. Spitler, US Army Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, WWII; COL Lee William Spitler, US Army Air Corps, WWII and USAF Korea; Gordon Price Thompson, US Navy, WWII; Orlando C. Vigil, US Navy, WWII; E-5 Beverly Wright, US Army, 1974 to 1979; and MSGT Kenneth Eugene Wright, USMC, 1948 to 1969. A brick was also donated by Harold Seidman in honor of all service members past and present and in memory of Robert Katz. The ceremony ended with a spectacular flyover by James Gregg and Larry Brown.