Joe entered the United States Marine Corps in 1990, trained as an Infantry Rifleman, and was re-assigned to the Marine Corps Security Forces Regiment, a dedicated Marine security, anti-terrorism, and close-quarters battle unit. Joe was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and deployed twice to the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm. He also deployed to the Philippines to provide rescue and humanitarian aid after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. During Joe’s last deployment, his unit was diverted to Somalia to assist with Operation Restore Hope. Joe was meritoriously promoted to Corporal and maintained that rank until being honorably discharged in 1994. Joe’s military honors include the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Navy Battle “E” Ribbon, and he was a 4-time Rifle Expert and 2-time Pistol Expert. Joe is currently the Acting Chief of Police for the City of Newport Beach, having previously served since 2002 as a patrol officer, accident investigator, fraud detective, robbery-homicide detective, patrol sergeant, internal affairs officer, area commander, traffic commander, jail manager, executive officer to the chief of police, and Deputy Chief of Police, Detective Division Commander. Joe is Chairman of the Board of the Newport Beach 1st Battalion, 1st Marines Foundation, which provides support and relief for U.S. Marines and their family members who are injured, ill, distressed, or otherwise in need of financial or other assistance, does barracks renovation and painting, provides super meals at Thanksgiving, supports the USMC scholarship event, and provides the Field of Honor project in Newport Beach with labor to install the flags and to provide distinguished personnel for the Memorial Day ceremonies. He is also a board member of Leadership Tomorrow, a non-profit organization of citizens and leaders who work together to make a positive impact in their communities. Joe has a B.S. in Criminal Justice from CSU, Long Beach, a Masters in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix and is a graduate of several advanced law enforcement training courses, including the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, the Force Science Institute Certification Course, the Executive Development Courses for both California POST and the California Police Chiefs Association, and the California Police Chiefs Executive Leadership Institute at Claremont Graduate University’s Drucker School of Management.

June wanted to enlist in the Army immediately after the United States entered World War II, but women were required to be 21 to enlist. As the eldest of seven children, she had plenty of leadership experience directing her six siblings on the chores on her parents’ small two-acre farm in rural, coal country, Norvelt, Pennsylvania. In 1940, June left home to find a job in Detroit. She rented a room from a local family and was hired as a milling machine operator at a manufacturing company making drill bits In December 1943, she returned to Norvelt to celebrate Christmas with her family and tell them she was going to enlist in the Army. Her mother accompanied June to her enlistment ceremony in Detroit on December 31, 1943. Why did June want to serve her country? June was and is a patriot. June reported to Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia for basic training and then to Army Air base Ellington Field, Houston, Texas where she was assigned to the base motor pool. Upon arrival, a sergeant pointed to a three-quarter ton truck on the tarmac and asked June if she could drive. June responded “Yes” while crossing her fingers behind her back. The sergeant instructed her to teach another WAC to drive the truck, telling them to drive around the 23,000-acre base and return when they both could drive. June completed the mission successfully, but when it was the other WAC’s turn behind the wheel of the stick shift truck, she drove into a ditch a mile from the motor pool, and had to walk back to the motor pool for assistance. But, by the end of the day, both WACs were competent drivers, and were assigned to deliver vehicles where needed. June was a “go-getter” and did not want to just sit around the motor pool waiting for a call to deliver a vehicle. Since all vehicles require service, mileage, and maintenance reports and more, June decided to learn all she could about those reporting and management responsibilities. When the sergeant in charge was assigned to foreign service, June stepped into his job. After a review, she was promoted to sergeant. June was the only female in the base motor pool to be promoted to sergeant during her tour of duty from May 1944 to December 1945. For her service to our country during, June was awarded the WWII Victory Medal, the American Theater Medal, and a Good Conduct Medal. June is 100 years young and resides in Santa Ana.

Walter was a U.S. Army Air Corp pilot with the 434th Fighter Squadron and flew cover for Allied troops in the P-51 Mustang fighter during the June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion of Normandy along the English Channel coast of Northern France. For his first 34 World War II combat missions, Walter flew Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft named the “fork-tailed devil” by the Luftwaffe. In aerial combat in his P-38, he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109 German fighter aircraft, the backbone of the Luftwaffe’s fighter force. He also destroyed 3 of the Bf 109 aircraft on the ground. By midsummer 1944 Walter’s squadron had switched to the P-51, an American-made long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that was able to reach Berlin from the French coast. In their P-51s, the 434th pilots did high altitude work escorting Allied bombers, and also engaged in dive bombing and strafing activity on the Rhine River in Germany. The pilots liked the P-51s, as “They were more maneuverable than the P-38s and had a longer range — eight hours,” Walter recalls. “Everything was smaller, closer at hand. When you got in one you felt like you were part of it.” Danger was always lurking. During a mission on October 30, 1944, three of the four planes in Walter’s flight group went down in a storm. Walter was the only one who got back. One of the downed pilots survived and was taken prisoner of war by the Germans. Walter returned home in December 1944 and left active duty with the rank of First Lieutenant but remained in the Air Force reserves for 25 years before retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. For his combat flight service Walter earned 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 6 Air Medals. Walter had a 30-year career at Republic Federal Savings in Southern California and served as President for 10 years and on the Board of Directors. Walter is 99 and resides in Newport Beach.

Brian was born and raised in the Inland Empire. Upon graduating high school in June of 1998, Brian joined the Marine Corps at 17 years old. After basic training, he reported to the School of Infantry to train as an Infantry Assault-man and was assigned as a Gunner with the “Dragon Section” of Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. During his first tour of duty, he served twice with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit as the forward deployed military force in the Western Pacific. During his second deployment aboard the U.S.S. Essex, he re-enlisted for another four years of service to our country and was assigned to the Weapons and Field Training Battalion at Camp Pendleton. He served two tours from January 2002 through April 2004 as a Marksmanship Instructor, Range Coach, Primary Marksmanship Instructor, and Designated Marksman Instructor. He trained entry level recruits through experienced sustainment level shooters in rifle and pistol marksmanship. Brian returned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines including one combat tour from Aug ’04 – Mar ’05, fighting in the streets of Ar Ramadi, Iraq under intense enemy contact as the Platoon Sergeant of a Mobile Assault Platoon and was awarded a Navy Commendation Medal with Combat Valor and a Purple Heart for being wounded when a roadside bomb detonated near his position. His final deployment was to the Western Pacific with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit before his final discharge in August ‘06. Oher awards were the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Iraq Campaign, Good Conduct (2), and Humanitarian Service Medals (2). After eight years of service and four deployments in 12 foreign countries, Brian found his civilian calling through Veteran’s organizations, including 13 years of active involvement with the American Legion, including as Commander of the Honor Guard (for funeral details) at Newport Beach, Post 291 and on its Executive Board as 1st Vice Commander, and on the District (Orange County) Board as Sergeant-at-Arms. He also led Peer Support groups for 3 years. Brian was recognized in 2022 as Veteran of the Year for Newport Beach, as the City’s representative for the California Legislative 74th Assembly District, and also as the City of Westminster Veteran of Distinction representative for the 48th Congressional District of California. Brian resides in Westminster.

Charlie grew up in a Marine family and enlisted as a private in the Marine Corps Reserve at the age of 17. He valiantly served in the U.S. Marine Corps for a combined 43 years in active and reserve service. After studying in Japan, he graduated in East Asian History from UC Berkeley. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and in 1965, received aviator wings and was deployed as an F-4B Phantom pilot with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 531 to Puerto Rico near the end of the Dominican Civil War. During his subsequent deployment to Vietnam, Charlie flew 252 combat missions with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 and rose to flight commander. After returning to the Reserve, Charlie served for six years as Colonel, commanded all the Corps’ field historians, and led detachments during the Bosnian War and operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He was recalled from retirement for Operation Iraqi Freedom at the age of 61. Charlie is the recipient of several military awards, including the Legion of Merit, 17 Air Medals, and two each of the Presidential Unit Citation and the Navy Presidential Unit Citation. He is a Life Member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars and served many years as the president of the annual Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade. In the 1980s, he was a founding board member of what became the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation. He is working to return the Flying Leatherneck Museum to a large, historic hangar at the site of former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. He received his Doctor of History from UC Irvine. As a historian, Charlie has written a number of books on Marine Corps history. Charlie resides in Laguna Beach with his wife Ann.