Joe G. Perez III is Honored with Military Banner Installation

COLTON>> Joe G. Perez III was honored on Wednesday, Feb. 1 with a military banner installation on the East Side of Pepper, the pole directly south of Violet St. Perez served in the navy for four years from Sept. 1971 through Spet. 1975 during the Vietnam War. Perez was born and raised in the city of Colton, and graduated from Colton High School in 1971; Perez was active in Band and played the drums alongside his friend, Colton City Mayor Richard DeLaRosa. Perez joined the navy shortly after graduating high school along with a group of boys from the Inland Empire. He was stationed at San Diego Coronado Island, then went on a West Pac Cruise that took him to Hawaii, Pearl harbor, Philippines Subic Bay, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and South Vietnam during the undeclared war time on the aircraft carrier USS Ranger. "We would send out planes from our ship to bomb North Vietnam at night," said Perez. "My job was to make sure that all the runway lighting work on the aircraft surface so they could land safely on their return." Perez retired four years ago from the City of San Bernardino Water Department, after working their for 35 years. He continues to stay active through volunteering and coaching sports. Perez has coached soccer, softball, and T-ball since 1979. He also managed the 2014 Colton Ken Hubbs’ 9-10 year old All-star Team that won the California Championship Banner. It was one of the highlights of his life, said Perez. Perez was also on the Colton Planning Commission, Utility Commission, Board members for Ken Hubbs Memorial Little League, and current Vice President for Colton Youth Soccer. Currently Perez is managing a T-ball team this coming season at Mckinley Elementary while also being the City of Colton's current Code Enforcement Commission for District 1. “I was so proud and happy that Colton was doing this for their veterans, I felt even more proud to be honored like this,” Perez said. Perez describes his life as full, active and absorbed with volunteer work. Rosemary Perez, Perez’s wife, said their nieces and son came together to give money for the military banner to be put up in Colton and that it was a collective effort in helping the military banner is raised in his honor. It was presented to Perez as a Christmas and birthday present from his family. “I wanted to have him out there so we would always know what he had done,” Rosemary said. “Now his children and his grandchildren will always see him and know the service he had done.”