The San Benito County League of United Latin American Citizens
Council No. 2890 will be hosting its 15th annual Veterans Breakfast
Nov. 11 from 7 a.m. to noon at the San Benito High School
Cafeteria.
Tickets for the breakfast at $8 each and proceeds will benefit
the 2009 LULAC scholarship fund. It will be followed by a short
presentation honoring the veterans present and recognizing the
Veteran of the Year Award. Those attending are also invited to
bring photos of loved one who have fought and have died for a
memorial display. Assemblywoman Anna Caballero will be the guest
speaker.
The San Benito County League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 2890 will be hosting its 15th annual Veterans Breakfast Nov. 11 from 7 a.m. to noon at the San Benito High School Cafeteria.
Tickets for the breakfast at $8 each and proceeds will benefit the 2009 LULAC scholarship fund. It will be followed by a short presentation honoring the veterans present and recognizing the Veteran of the Year Award. Those attending are also invited to bring photos of loved one who have fought and have died for a memorial display. Assemblywoman Anna Caballero will be the guest speaker.
This year LULAC will honor James David Perales, MSGT, retired United States Air Force, who served in Vietnam and Japan. He is the current Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9242 in Hollister.
Perales was born in Denver in 1935, and moved to Hollister in 1947, where he met his high school sweetheart Barbara, to whom he has been married for 53 years.
He began his military career when he was 17 by joining the National Guard. In 1955, he joined the United States Air Force, and went through basic training at Parks Air Force Base in California. From there he went to Wichita Falls, Texas for technical training as an aircraft mechanic. His first assignment was an 18-month-tour in Tokyo.
“It took 17 and a half days to arrive in Japan as we were transported by ship,” Perales said, in a press release. “This was a pleasant tour for me. No fighting, no gunshots or bombing. Here I worked on C-124 Globe Masters and C-97 Aircraft.”
From there, Perales received assignments in Georgia and Sacrament, before being sent to Vietnam.
“We supplied ground troops on makeshift short landing fields,” he said. “The special force troops were always happy to see us as we provided their mail, fresh food, ammunition, clothing and medical supplies.”
He spent two tours in Vietnam. After the war, he was stationed to Air Force bases in the United States, including Kessler Air Force Base in Mississippi. As part of the 53rd Weather Squadron, it was his job to fly into the eye of a hurricane and “drop sophisticated equipment into the eye in an effort to gather pertinent data pertaining to the storm’s direction and intensity.”
He retired after 24 years with the Air Force. During his time of service, he received a Chief non-rated Officer Aircrew Member badge, two Distinguished Flying Cross, one with a bronze oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with five bronze oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Presidents Unit Citation, Combat Readiness Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Armed Forces Exp. Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Longevity Service Award and a Vietnam Campaign Medal.
For more information on the breakfast, call Vince Luna at 637-1342 or 673-2009, or Ray Rodriguez at 801-6295.
