“I’m proud to call Tracy home,” said the retired Army major. “Our town and community are blessed with solid, patriotic and outstanding leadership at both the city and county level.”
Gowan earned the Distinguished Flying Cross while serving two tours of duty in Vietnam as a U.S. Army helicopter gunship pilot. He said Tracy still exudes “those qualities that provide communities with cohesiveness and a strong foundation for growth.”
A Tracy resident since 1988, Gowan also pointed to what he considers Tracy’s “community acceptance and welcoming” of a growing multi-ethnic community.
“Many of these new citizens are veterans or have family members who currently serve in the armed forces,” he said. “Their contributions to the quality of life in Tracy add to the overall level of friendliness.”
During the program, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Maciel presented a proclamation from the City Council recognizing “the contributions made by veterans in the service of their country and their community.”
Maciel also mentioned that he attended the breakfast served Saturday, Nov. 10, morning to veterans by students at Kimball High School. He said it was heartwarming to see that young people of Tracy “are recognizing the contributions veterans have made to our country.”
Mike Maloney, a Vietnam War veteran wearing his Air Force special operations camouflage uniform at the Veterans Day program, also was at the breakfast at Kimball High and echoed Maciel’s appreciation.
At the conclusion of Monday’s Veterans Day program, veterans of four wars — Don Ridolfi, World War II; Walt Rueda, Korea; Von Gates, Desert Storm; and Kevin Tyner, Iraq — placed a wreath in front of the War Memorial in honor of the nation’s military veterans.
• Contact Sam Matthews at 830-4234 or shm@tracypress.com.
• Editor's note: This story was corrected from an earlier version that gave an incorrect date for the Kimball High breakfast.
Post a Comment
