Thank You for Your Service Local Residents win Military Photo Contest

A good leader is someone who can assemble a team to bring a certain concept to life. The ability to lead, and be lead at times, and to successfully execute any idea is an important characteristic; this ability separates dreamers and leaders, followers from doers. Veterans Day is November 11, and the Santa Clarita Magazine would like to honor a few of our local leaders and heroes with the Military Photo Contest. As we shuffled through photos, we saw how each active or non-active member of the military has impacted the lives of all those who surround them. Please join us in thanking these community members for their service.

Navy ETN with his family

Photo submitted by Andrea Zito of her son
who she misses.

Taken in 2012
Captain Robert T.
Hammond, intelligence officer on IED bomb sweep in Kakrez, Afghanistan where he was part of SFAT and attached to a forward operating base (FOB).

Eli J. Turner SFC US Army

Brendan Matthew Friedrich –
Navy E3

In September, my father, a Vietnam Veteran, had the opportunity to participate in an Honor Flight. The trip involved taking 90 veterans to visit the war memorials in Washington DC, commemorating the conflicts they had fought in. Initially, my father was on standby, indicating that he would only join if another veteran couldn’t. His planned trip was scheduled for May 2024. Unfortunately, he got the chance to go because two veterans passed away before they could embark on their journey. When the plane landed back, the first thing to exit were flags, paying tribute to these veterans who had passed away before their Honor Flight. The subsequent scenes captured the heartwarming reunions between the veterans and their families upon their return.

Robert Hazard , VA-145 , USS Ranger 1971

Charles “Chad” Spellman. He was promoted in rank to Technical Sergeant at Edwards Air Force Base. We thanked LtCol Gordon and SMSgt Haines (pictured) and all of the fine Airmen we met that day.

Paul Gonzales E6 – Information system technician Submarines First Class. Graduate of Canyon High School. Born and raised in the Santa Clarita Valley and is now stationed in Guam. He and his family are there.