Mike Pulido, a veteran from the U.S. Air Force will be honored
at the Veterans Day Breakfast, Nov. 11, from 7 a.m. to noon, at the
San Benito High School Cafeteria, 1220 Monterey St., in
Hollister.
Mike Pulido, a veteran from the U.S. Air Force will be honored at the Veterans Day Breakfast, Nov. 11, from 7 a.m. to noon, at the San Benito High School Cafeteria, 1220 Monterey St., in Hollister.
The event is sponsored by the San Benito County League of United Latin American Citizens and Allstate Insurance, with proceeds benefiting the LULAC 2011 scholarship fund.
Pulido joined the Air Force in 1961, after dropping out of college, according to a press release.
“Little did I know what an adventure I was embarking on, one that would span 20 years of my life,” he wrote, in the release.
The day he signed up for the military, he went through his physical and received his first orientation, before he was flown to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
Pulido recalled how he kicked a rock out of his way on a night run and his drill instructor made him carry it the rest of the run. After basic training, he was sent to fighter aircraft school in Amarillo, Texas.
He was then sent to McClellan Air Force Base, in Sacramento. He worked on small propeller-driven planes at first, but then began working on B-47, C-47, C-54s and other planes. When someone discovered he could type, he was transferred to Aircraft Records and Administration. He earned a second stripe.
In 1963, he was sent to Japan and was assigned to a B-57 twin-engine bomber. He didn’t stay long as he was reassigned to Aircraft Records and Administrations in the United States. He spent time in the Philippines and then Vietnam. He was later assigned to Clark Field, where he met his wife of 45 years.
He was stationed to Virginia, where he repaired and replaced engines on T-33 Aircrafts. In 1966, he was stationed again to Amarillo to be an aircraft instructor. He reached the rank of E-6 sergeant before he decided to retire. But before long, he signed on for the Air Force Reserves. He retired from the Reserves in 1988.
He worked for Caltrans for 29 years. He has four children and three grandchildren of whom he is proud, according to the press release. He is a member of the Lions Club for 16 years, a member of the International Order of Odd Fellows and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He and his wife Tessie volunteer cooking for the homeless and helping at their church.
Tickets for the breakfast are $8 and there will be a veteran recognition program from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 673-1977 or visit www.sbclulac.org.
