Captain Dye served in Vietnam during his career in the Marine Corps. After retiring, Capt. Dye served as a technical consultant and/or actor in several action movies. Capt. Dye has authored a novel of intrigue and combat in Laos.
Captain Dale Dye USMC (ret.) Read More »
Mr. Gilliland is a 1949 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, but transferred to the Air Force where he flew the F-84 in a 1952 combat tour in Korea. Transitioning to the Reserves in 1960, Mr. Gilliland joined Lockheed as a test pilot and rapidly advanced to the “Skunkworks” where “Kelly” Johnson made him the Chief Test Pilot of the SR-71. First to fly it on December 22,1964, he eventually achieved it’s full envelope expansion of speed and altitude. A Fellow in the S.E.T.P., Mr. Gilliland received the prestigious Kincheloe Award, which was followed by many other aerospace awards and …
Robert J. “Bob” Gilliland Read More »
Captain Gordon was an astronaut on Gemini 11 and was the Command Module Pilot on Apollo 12, the second moon landing mission. He retired from NASA and the United States Navy and lives with his wife in Prescott, Arizona.
Captain Richard F. Gordon USN (ret.) Read More »
Cmdr. Hardy is an Ace from World War II, and while flying the F6F-5 Hellcat was credited with shooting down 6.5 Japanese aircraft. He actually became an “Ace-in-a-Day” by shooting down five enemy aircraft on April 6, 1945. He is the recipient of the Navy Cross, a Distinguished Flying Cross, and five Air Medals.
Commander Willis E. (Bill) Hardy USN (ret.) Read More »
Mr. Parker was a first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1965 – 1975. He played in three World Series games and was voted to be the Spalding-sponsored Best First Baseman in the Past 50 Years contest. He currently works for the Dodgers in various public affair and charity projects.
General Ritchie is an Ace from the Vietnam War. While flying the F-4 Phantom, he was credited with five aerial victories over the MiG-21. BGen Ritchie is the recipient of the Air Force Cross, four Silver Stars, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 25 Air Medals.
Brigadier General Richard S. (Steve) Ritchie USAF (ret.) Read More »
Bill Heard, CAPT, USNR (Ret.) served as the Foundation’s Public Information Officer for 13 years. He is a retired Navy Reserve captain with almost 30 years’ experience in Navy public affairs. Earlier, he served eight deployments in Vietnam from October 1966 to May 1968, while his ship was operating along the coast of Vietnam. Heard’s decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Naval Reserve Medal.
Heard’s professional background includes 40 years’ experience in public relations counseling in government, corporations, and advertising and public relations agencies. Early in his career, he was …
Richard Sells graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., in 1961. He served in the U.S. Army, Armor Corps from 1962 until 1969, attaining the rank of Captain, USAR.
Sells qualified as a Certified Public Accountant in California, and worked for Arthur Anderson & Co. He also worked for thirty-three years as an executive in the Cemetery Industry. He retired from Service Corporation International (SCI), the world’s largest owner of funeral homes and cemeteries, having served as a Senior Vice President for Domestic and International sales, and President of SCI’s Western States operations.
Sells devised and constructed the traveling …
A native of Richland Center, Wis., Dennis (Denny) Schoville joined the U.S. Army after graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and trained as a helicopter pilot. While serving in Vietnam, he was awarded two Silver Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), the Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts, along with several other Air Medals and service awards.
Following his medical retirement from active duty at the rank of Captain, Schoville earned a law degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1973, and a master’s degree in law at Northwestern University in 1974. For the …
Dennis A. Schoville Read More »
Rear Adm. Patrick McGrath, USN (Ret.) completed thirty-three years of service in 2012. His last assignment was as the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Third Fleet. He is a 1979 graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy and a native of New York City.
RADM McGrath was designated as a naval aviator in 1981, reporting to the Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (Light) 35. While at HSL-35, he completed multiple deployments to the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific. He completed a tour as a flight instructor in HSL-41, and then as officer-in-charge in HSL-45, completing a deployment to the …
Patrick E. McGrath Read More »
CAPT Tamara Graham, U.S. Navy (Ret.) was born in Rome, New York to a military family. She grew up in various places, eventually graduating high school in Huntsville, AL and attending the University of Virginia on a Navy ROTC scholarship.
In 1993 she received her degree in Biology, commissioned and was selected to Navy flight training, just one month after the combat exclusion law was lifted. This change in policy opened all Navy aircraft and combat ships to women for the first time and allowed Graham to pursue her dream of flying H-60 helicopters off of aircraft carriers.
She …
Colonel Michael Cardenas, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in a large military family. They were stationed all over the U.S. and eventually settled in San Diego in 1973. He left San Diego to pursue an aviation career and received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1980, and earned his wings a year later.
Cardenas became an aircraft commander and instructor in C-141 Starlifter. During his three flying assignments in California and Washington he flew airlift missions around the world including in Southwest Asia, conducted Special …
Amy L. Magnusson, M.D., is a staff physician in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Sharp Memorial Rehabilitation Hospital in San Diego. She also is a staff physician in spinal cord injury services at VA San Diego Healthcare System in La Jolla; Medical Director for Learning Services, Southern California; and Medical Director of physical medicine and rehabilitation at CareMeridian in La Mesa and Escondido.
A native of Phoenix, Dr. Magnusson graduated from San Diego State University in 1988 with a degree in nursing sciences. She earned an M.D. degree at Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine in 1997.
Dr. …
Amy L. Magnusson, M.D. Read More »
Born Aug 26, 1971, in Monticello, Il., Charles R. Bailey graduated from Unity High School in 1989. He served in the United States Navy from 1990-1994, as a Torpedoman’s Mate, Third Class Petty Officer
Charles attended Miramar College to become an Emergency Medical Technician and studied Liberal Arts at Mesa College. He is a Licensed Funeral Director and mortuary manager at Glen Abbey Memorial Park and Mortuary in San Diego.
Bailey recently was elected President of the San Diego County Funeral Directors Association. He also is the Dignity Memorial Homeless Burial Coordinator for San Diego County, and President of …
Charlie Inot was raised in a U.S. Navy family. In 1964, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in the 82nd Airborne Division and with the 6th, 5th, and 10th Special Forces Groups. During the Vietnam War, he saw combat with the 5th Special Forces Group, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor, and the Purple Heart Medal. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1970.
Inot joined the San Diego Police Department in 1971 and, over the years, served in various assignments, including the Metro Arson Strike Team. He retired as a detective in 1993.…
Carlos (Charlie) Inot Read More »
