Scottsdale Salutes – More than 40 local veterans are being honored in November

Mayor David Ortega | City of Scottsdale Official website

By East Arizona News Report

Nov 8, 2023

Travelers along Drinkwater Boulevard in Old Town Scottsdale will see tributes to the community's veterans and military service members in the form of large street light banners as the Scottsdale Salutes program continues for its second year.

The Scottsdale Salutes program was initiated by the Veterans Advisory Commission as part of their charge to elevate awareness and appreciation for veterans in the community.

Nominations from the community are taken throughout the year for this annual program. In this, the program’s second year, more than 40 local veterans and military service members are being honored.

City founder Winfield Scott - a Captain in the United States Army who was wounded five times in the Civil War - is featured each year on banner number one. Capt. Scott will be joined by other notable Scottsdale veterans throughout history, alongside members from every generation of military service. Other residents and former residents being honored represent the United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Space Force, with service ranging from World War II to the present day.

The banners will be installed along Drinkwater Boulevard from Osborn Road to Scottsdale Road from Nov. 3 through Nov. 17.

Scottsdale Salutes Honorees - 2023

Name	Service History
Winfield Scott United States Army 1862-1864	During the Civil War, city founder Winfield Scott volunteered and served as a captain in Company C of the 126th New York Volunteer Infantry. Wounded five times during the war, including during the 1863 battle at Gettysburg, Scott went on to become a missionary Baptist minister who founded several churches (the town of Winfield, Kan., is also named in his honor) before arriving in the Arizona territory and founding Scottsdale. He served as national chaplain of the Grand Army of the Republic Civil War veterans group and in the Arizona Territorial Legislature. www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V70N1/gazette4.html
Guy Stillman United States Navy 1941-1955	Commissioned in the Navy in 1941, was initially assigned as Executive & Engineering Officer for the Navy’s PT Boat squadron in Cairns, Australia. He served in PT Boats in the Southwest Pacific – Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines – until April 1945. After the war he continued service in the Naval reserves in the Phoenix area, served as an national officer of the Reserve Officers Association, and was a major benefactor and creator of McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.
Daniel Anderson United States Air Force 2008-Present	Daniel served six years on active duty in the Air Force and then joined the Arizona Air National Guard. He is currently serving a four-year deployment to the Middle East.
James Bultema United States Air Force 1966-1970	James volunteered for military service during the Vietnam War. Soon after boot camp, he volunteered to go to Vietnam, where he served for one year. He finished his four-year service as an Air Policeman and afterward joined the Los Angeles Police Department, where he spent 25 years.
Andrew Capriola United States Navy 1990-1994	Andrew served as a Disbursing Clerk on a Submarine Tender that was homeported in Holy Loch, Scotland and then in La Maddalena, Italy. Andrew has lived in Scottsdale for more than 25 years where he also owns & operates the Carlsbad Tavern.
George Green United States Air Force 1954-1962	George Green, a lifetime resident of Arizona, served as a clerk in the United States Air Force Reserve, whose duty stations included 5 years in Long Beach, California and two years at Luke Air Force Base as part of the Air Rescue Squadron.
James Griffin United States Marine Corps 1974- 1978	James’ Marine Corps service included being part of the Embassy Security force in both Nigeria and in Austria.
Robert Hardy United States Army 1958-1960	Robert volunteered for the Army. One of 16 kids, he had 6 older brothers who also served in the Marines, Air Force, Navy and Army. He served in the infantry based originally in Kansas and then was transferred to Manheim Germany.
Frank Hill United States Marine Corps 1953-1956	Frank’s Marine Corps service was as a maintenance management specialist.
Gregorio Montalvo United States Marine Corps 2020-Present	Gregorio was born in Scottsdale and currently serves as an aviation supply officer at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
Juan Montalvo IV United States Army 2018-2022	Juan was a finance officer stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and then at Wiesbaden, Germany.
Charles Wood United States Army 1968-1970	Charles' Army service included two tours in Vietnam.
Bill Arthur United States Air Force 1942-1954	Bill earned his civilian pilot’s license when he was 16, and he then entered the U.S. Army Air Corps aviation cadet training in 1942. He served as an Army Air Corps flight instructor during World War II at Moody Field, Georgia, and then served as a pilot in the Air National Guard after WWII. He left military service in 1954 after contracting polio, but he continued to fly as a private pilot for many years. Bill moved to Scottsdale with his family in the late 1950s, where he owned his own construction company. He served as the first chair of Scottsdale’s Airport Commission (1977) and served many years on the city’s Planning Commission. He owned first hotel at Scottsdale Airport, the Thunderbird Inn, where he hosted reunions of World War II pilots who trained at Thunderbird II Field – now known as Scottsdale Airport.
Chet Andrews United States Navy 1951-1972	Chet served as a naval officer during the Korean and Vietnam War eras, and then admirably served the Scottsdale Community – he was a key player in the creation of the Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and was a charter member of the city’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission when it was created in 1994.
Larry Manross United States Air Force 1966-1970	Larry’s Air Force service was as Combat Control Officer in charge of 10 Minuteman Nuclear Missiles during the height of the Cold War.
Gerald Becker United States Army 1952-1955	Dr. Gerald H. Becker served in the US Army Medical Corps, where his service included time as Chief Medical Officer of the Army Medical Nutrition Laboratory at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, Colorado. After moving to Scottsdale, Dr. Becker practiced medicine at Scottsdale Memorial Hospital Osborn (now HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center) and was Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Scottsdale Memorial Hospital North, now known as HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center.
Mario Bertuccelli United States Marine Corps 1993-2006	Mario Bertuccelli’s Marine Corps service included stints as the Commanding General’s Aide at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, and also as part of the diplomat security force at American Embassies in Madrid, Spain, Algiers, Algeria, and Amman, Jordan. His final billet included a combat deployment as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Fallujah, Iraq.
George Cortez United States Army 1970-1971	George proudly served in the Army, where he was trained as an infantryman at Fort Lewis, Washington, and then Airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia, followed by service in Vietnam in 1971.
Alva Shaw, Jr. United States Army 1951-1955	Al enlisted in the Army in 1951, and earned his Combat Infantry Badge in Korea, where he took part in the battle of Kumsong and Kumhwa. Al moved to Scottsdale in 1960 where he owned and operated the Chevron service station at Thomas & Hayden Rd until 1973. He returned to school at Scottsdale Community College with his GI Bill benefits and then worked as a city building inspector from 1986 until his death in 1996.
Bill Mauro United States Marine Corps 2006-2013 AZ Army National Guard 2022-Present	Bill is a United States Marine Corps veteran who completed two deployments to Iraq during his time in the Marines. He rejoined the military last year and is currently in Officer Candidate School as part of the AZ Army National Guard.
Denise Pulk United States Navy 1992-1996	Denise served as a Disbursing Clerk aboard submarine tenders homeported in La Maddalena, Italy and Norfolk, Virginia. She is a longtime Scottsdale resident who is also a past Chair of the Scottsdale Veterans Advisory Commission.
Jeff Weiss United States Army 1973-1975	During 2 years of military service, Dr. Weiss provided outpatient care for children of military families living at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York. He retired Jun 2021 in Scottsdale after serving 50 years in pediatric medicine.
John King United States Army 1994-2021	Major John King served in the United States Army National Guard from 1994 - 2016, then transferred to the United States Army Reserve in Arizona, where he proudly served until his passing on April 1st, 2021. His service included deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Veteran in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maj. King passed away in 2021 from cancer, believed to be caused by exposure to burn pits in the Middle East.
Anthony Wehry United States Navy 1997-2022	Chief Petty Officer Wehry served his fellow sailors and Marines as a hospital corpsman and respiratory therapist during his 25 year career.
Anthony Garas United States Army 1964-1967	Anthony served during the Vietnam War era in the Army Signal Corps.
Daniel Pristo United States Navy 2016-Present	Petty Officer Pristo is a Master At Arms and has deployed to Guam and Gaeta, Italy. After serving in the reserves, he was called back to active-duty last year. He currently runs the weapons range at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes Illinois.
William Florence United States Space Force 2019-Present	Will graduated from the US Air Force Academy and commissioned into the US Space Force in June 2023. He is currently stationed at Vandenberg SFB, CA for space operator training. Will is a 2018 graduate of Desert Mountain High School.
Steven Florence United States Navy 2019-Present	Steven graduated from the US Naval Academy and was commissioned into the US Navy in May, 2023. He is currently stationed at NAS Pensacola, FL for pilot training. Steven is a 2019 graduate of Desert Mountain High School.
Jacob Johnson United States Army 2000-2020	Jacob served 20 years in the U.S. Army in Special Forces with combat deployments in support of the war on terror.
Adam Pollak United States Marine Corps 1990-1994	Adam’s service in the marine Corps included time with the 1st Marine Division amphibious assault unit during Operation Desert Storm.
Stanley Desjardins United States Army 1950-1952	Stanley served as a squad leader, section sergeant and acting platoon leader in a machine gun platoon during the Korean War.
Jim Schamadan United States Navy United States Air Force United States Army 1940s 1950s 1960s	Doctor Schamadan enlisted in the US Navy in 1945, during the last year of WWII and the war ended while he was still in training. He left the Navy, finished his college degree and joined the US Air Force, attending pilot training here at Williams AFB. After completing medical school at The Ohio State University, he became a physician in the U.S. Army, with postings in Hawaii, Republic of South Korea, Pensacola NAS, Fort Rucker and Fort Benning. In the early 1960s he was the military medical officer assigned to a crash research program in the Phoenix area. In 1982, Doctor Schamadan became the Administrator of Scottsdale Memorial Hospital (Osborn) and led efforts to open Scottsdale Memorial Hospital North (Shea). He became President/CEO of Scottsdale Memorial Health Systems Inc in the late 1980s, serving until 1992. Now in his 90s, he continues as a consultant to the Phoenix VA hospital. Dr. Schamadan was named to the Scottsdale History Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Charles Keating IV United States Navy 2006-2016	Charles Keating attended Arcadia High School in the Scottsdale Unified School District before enlisting in the Navy. After completing Basic Underwater Demolition School, he was assigned to Seal Team 3 and Seal Team 1. He was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. In May 2016 while serving in Iraq as an advisor to Kurdish forces, a separate team of U.S. military advisors stationed north of Mosul, Iraq came under attack by a force of over 100 Islamic State insurgents. In response, Charles and other allied troops formed a rescue team and led an assault to rescue the men. Throughout the battle, Charles repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire in order to direct troops and engage the enemy. During the course of the operation, Charles was mortally wounded. For his bravery and sacrifice during the rescue operation, Charles was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. In addition, Charles was promoted to the rank of chief petty officer. In 2017, his Silver Star was upgraded to the Navy Cross.
James Register United States Marine Corps 1966-1969	James moved to Scottsdale when he was in 8th grade and attended Pima School. After graduating Scottsdale High School in 1964, he went down to the Army recruiter's office and told them he wanted to go to Vietnam – he was told that they couldn't guarantee he would be sent to Vietnam, so he went next door to the Marine Recruitment Office, and the Marines told him going to Vietnam would not be a problem. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1966 where he served as a radioman for convoys along the DMZ, he was also in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive of 1968. James’ civilian career was in construction, including leading construction projects at Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant. He finally retired this past June.
Bennie Gonzales United States Coast Guard 1942-1945	Immediately after Pearl Harbor, Bennie, a Phoenix Union High student, went to local recruiting offices, where he enlisted in the Coast Guard. He was stationed out of Oakland, CA as a quarter master signalman. He was eventually transferred to a US Navy troop carrier where he served until the war ended in 1945. After the war, he attended ASU and became one of Arizona’s most renowned architects. He said that some of his design ideas were based on port cities he visited during his time in the USCG. Some of his award-winning designs include Scottsdale City Hall, Civic Center Library and the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.
James Smothermon United States Air Force 1956-1988	James served 32 years in the USAF as a pilot with many significant command assignments including Commander, U.S. Air Forces Korea, United Nations Command Air Component. He flew over 100 missions as a RF-4 pilot in Vietnam and retired with nearly 5,300 flying hours in numerous combat aircraft.
Joel Stempil United States Army 1964-1968	Joel was commissioned into the Army's Quartermaster Branch. As a Cold War veteran, his first assignment was to US Army General Depot Nahbollenbach Germany where he served at the XO 85th Quartermaster Company and later at Idar Oberstein Germany. During this tour he also served as liaison officer for the depot in Berlin West Germany and would travel to East Germany through Checkpoint Charlie. After leaving Germany, Joel served our nation in the reserves in the Bronx NY from 1967-1968. Joel is currently in his second term as a member of the Scottsdale Veterans Advisory Commission.
Nicholas Iacavo United States Navy 2020-Present	Nicholas attended Anasazi Elementary, Mountainside Jr. High, and Desert Mountain High School. He earned his Navy commission through the NROTC program at the University of Wisconsin with a B.S. in Statistics where he also served in the Navy ROTC. Nicholas is a pilot currently training to fly the F-18 hornet, fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a carrier pilot.
Joan Fudala United States Air Force 1973-1994	Joan Fudala was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at The Ohio State University in 1973 where she was among the first women to be commissioned through AFROTC and on an AFROTC scholarship. She served nine years on active duty as an Air Force public affairs officer where her duty stations included Kelly AFB, TX, Langley, AFB, VA, Luke AFB, AZ, and Kunsan AFB, Republic of Korea. She spent 12 years as an active reservist (mobilization augmentee) at The Pentagon in Air Force HQ Community Relations and on the USAF Press Desk (1982-1994). She was selected for Lt. Col, but opted to retire as a major in 1994 after 21 years of service). Joan is a longtime Scottsdale resident and community historian who spends a lot of her time making sure that Veterans in our community are not forgotten.
Bill Jenkins United States Navy 1947-1975	After 28 years in the Navy and Navy reserves, Bill Jenkins made his mark in Scottsdale, as a government and civics teacher at Scottsdale High School, service on the Scottsdale City Council and as Mayor of Scottsdale from 1974-1980. But he wasn’t done there – after retirement from the Navy, he continued to serve as a weekly volunteer counselor at the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center regarding veterans’ benefits. He also served his community as President of Scottsdale Historical Society and President of Scottsdale Leadership.
Jacob Byers United States Marine Corps 2007-Present Original source can be found here.	Gunnery Sergeant Byers is an intelligence analyst currently serving as a Marine Security Guard Detachment Commander.

Name

Service History

Winfield Scott United States Army 1862-1864

During the Civil War, city founder Winfield Scott volunteered and served as a captain in Company C of the 126th New York Volunteer Infantry. Wounded five times during the war, including during the 1863 battle at Gettysburg, Scott went on to become a missionary Baptist minister who founded several churches (the town of Winfield, Kan., is also named in his honor) before arriving in the Arizona territory and founding Scottsdale. He served as national chaplain of the Grand Army of the Republic Civil War veterans group and in the Arizona Territorial Legislature.

www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V70N1/gazette4.html

Guy Stillman

United States Navy 1941-1955

Commissioned in the Navy in 1941, was initially assigned as Executive & Engineering Officer for the Navy’s PT Boat squadron in Cairns, Australia. He served in PT Boats in the Southwest Pacific – Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines – until April 1945. After the war he continued service in the Naval reserves in the Phoenix area, served as an national officer of the Reserve Officers Association, and was a major benefactor and creator of McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park.

Daniel Anderson

United States Air Force 2008-Present

Daniel served six years on active duty in the Air Force and then joined the Arizona Air National Guard. He is currently serving a four-year deployment to the Middle East.

James Bultema

United States Air Force 1966-1970

James volunteered for military service during the Vietnam War. Soon after boot camp, he volunteered to go to Vietnam, where he served for one year. He finished his four-year service as an Air Policeman and afterward joined the Los Angeles Police Department, where he spent 25 years.

Andrew Capriola

United States Navy 1990-1994

Andrew served as a Disbursing Clerk on a Submarine Tender that was homeported in Holy Loch, Scotland and then in La Maddalena, Italy.

Andrew has lived in Scottsdale for more than 25 years where he also owns & operates the Carlsbad Tavern.

George Green

United States Air Force 1954-1962

George Green, a lifetime resident of Arizona, served as a clerk in the United States Air Force Reserve, whose duty stations included 5 years in Long Beach, California and two years at Luke Air Force Base as part of the Air Rescue Squadron.

James Griffin

United States Marine Corps 1974- 1978

James’ Marine Corps service included being part of the Embassy Security force in both Nigeria and in Austria.

Robert Hardy

United States Army 1958-1960

Robert volunteered for the Army. One of 16 kids, he had 6 older brothers who also served in the Marines, Air Force, Navy and Army. He served in the infantry based originally in Kansas and then was transferred to Manheim Germany.

Frank Hill

United States Marine Corps 1953-1956

Frank’s Marine Corps service was as a maintenance management specialist.

Gregorio Montalvo

United States Marine Corps 2020-Present

Gregorio was born in Scottsdale and currently serves as an aviation supply officer at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

Juan Montalvo IV

United States Army 2018-2022

Juan was a finance officer stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and then at Wiesbaden, Germany.

Charles Wood United States Army 1968-1970

Charles' Army service included two tours in Vietnam.

Bill Arthur

United States Air Force 1942-1954

Bill earned his civilian pilot’s license when he was 16, and he then entered the U.S. Army Air Corps aviation cadet training in 1942. He served as an Army Air Corps flight instructor during World War II at Moody Field, Georgia, and then served as a pilot in the Air National Guard after WWII. He left military service in 1954 after contracting polio, but he continued to fly as a private pilot for many years.

Bill moved to Scottsdale with his family in the late 1950s, where he owned his own construction company. He served as the first chair of Scottsdale’s Airport Commission (1977) and served many years on the city’s Planning Commission. He owned first hotel at Scottsdale Airport, the Thunderbird Inn, where he hosted reunions of World War II pilots who trained at Thunderbird II Field – now known as Scottsdale Airport.

Chet Andrews

United States Navy 1951-1972

Chet served as a naval officer during the Korean and Vietnam War eras, and then admirably served the Scottsdale Community – he was a key player in the creation of the Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and was a charter member of the city’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission when it was created in 1994.

Larry Manross

United States Air Force 1966-1970

Larry’s Air Force service was as Combat Control Officer in charge of 10 Minuteman Nuclear Missiles during the height of the Cold War.

Gerald Becker

United States Army 1952-1955

Dr. Gerald H. Becker served in the US Army Medical Corps, where his service included time as Chief Medical Officer of the Army Medical Nutrition Laboratory at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, Colorado. After moving to Scottsdale, Dr. Becker practiced medicine at Scottsdale Memorial Hospital Osborn (now HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center) and was Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Scottsdale Memorial Hospital North, now known as HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center.

Mario Bertuccelli

United States Marine Corps 1993-2006

Mario Bertuccelli’s Marine Corps service included stints as the Commanding General’s Aide at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, and also as part of the diplomat security force at American Embassies in Madrid, Spain, Algiers, Algeria, and Amman, Jordan. His final billet included a combat deployment as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Fallujah, Iraq.

George Cortez

United States Army 1970-1971

George proudly served in the Army, where he was trained as an infantryman at Fort Lewis, Washington, and then Airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia, followed by service in Vietnam in 1971.

Alva Shaw, Jr.

United States Army 1951-1955

Al enlisted in the Army in 1951, and earned his Combat Infantry Badge in Korea, where he took part in the battle of Kumsong and Kumhwa. Al moved to Scottsdale in 1960 where he owned and operated the Chevron service station at Thomas & Hayden Rd until 1973. He returned to school at Scottsdale Community College with his GI Bill benefits and then worked as a city building inspector from 1986 until his death in 1996.

Bill Mauro

United States Marine Corps 2006-2013 AZ Army National Guard 2022-Present

Bill is a United States Marine Corps veteran who completed two deployments to Iraq during his time in the Marines.

He rejoined the military last year and is currently in Officer Candidate School as part of the AZ Army National Guard.

Denise Pulk

United States Navy 1992-1996

Denise served as a Disbursing Clerk aboard submarine tenders homeported in La Maddalena, Italy and Norfolk, Virginia. She is a longtime Scottsdale resident who is also a past Chair of the Scottsdale Veterans Advisory Commission.

Jeff Weiss

United States Army 1973-1975

During 2 years of military service, Dr. Weiss provided outpatient care for children of military families living at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York. He retired Jun 2021 in Scottsdale after serving 50 years in pediatric medicine.

John King

United States Army 1994-2021

Major John King served in the United States Army National Guard from 1994 - 2016, then transferred to the United States Army Reserve in Arizona, where he proudly served until his passing on April 1st, 2021. His service included deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Veteran in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maj. King passed away in 2021 from cancer, believed to be caused by exposure to burn pits in the Middle East.

Anthony Wehry

United States Navy 1997-2022

Chief Petty Officer Wehry served his fellow sailors and Marines as a hospital corpsman and respiratory therapist during his 25 year career.

Anthony Garas

United States Army 1964-1967

Anthony served during the Vietnam War era in the Army Signal Corps.

Daniel Pristo

United States Navy 2016-Present

Petty Officer Pristo is a Master At Arms and has deployed to Guam and Gaeta, Italy. After serving in the reserves, he was called back to active-duty last year. He currently runs the weapons range at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes Illinois.

William Florence

United States Space Force 2019-Present

Will graduated from the US Air Force Academy and commissioned into the US Space Force in June 2023.

He is currently stationed at Vandenberg SFB, CA for space operator training. Will is a 2018 graduate of Desert Mountain High School.

Steven Florence

United States Navy 2019-Present

Steven graduated from the US Naval Academy and was commissioned into the US Navy in May, 2023.

He is currently stationed at NAS Pensacola, FL for pilot training. Steven is a 2019 graduate of Desert Mountain High School.

Jacob Johnson

United States Army 2000-2020

Jacob served 20 years in the U.S. Army in Special Forces with combat deployments in support of the war on terror.

Adam Pollak

United States Marine Corps 1990-1994

Adam’s service in the marine Corps included time with the 1st Marine Division amphibious assault unit during Operation Desert Storm.

Stanley Desjardins

United States Army 1950-1952

Stanley served as a squad leader, section sergeant and acting platoon leader in a machine gun platoon during the Korean War.

Jim Schamadan

United States Navy United States Air Force United States Army 1940s 1950s 1960s

Doctor Schamadan enlisted in the US Navy in 1945, during the last year of WWII and the war ended while he was still in training. He left the Navy, finished his college degree and joined the US Air Force, attending pilot training here at Williams AFB.

After completing medical school at The Ohio State University, he became a physician in the U.S. Army, with postings in Hawaii, Republic of South Korea, Pensacola NAS, Fort Rucker and Fort Benning. In the early 1960s he was the military medical officer assigned to a crash research program in the Phoenix area. In 1982, Doctor Schamadan became the Administrator of Scottsdale Memorial Hospital (Osborn) and led efforts to open Scottsdale Memorial Hospital North (Shea). He became President/CEO of Scottsdale Memorial Health Systems Inc in the late 1980s, serving until 1992. Now in his 90s, he continues as a consultant to the Phoenix VA hospital.

Dr. Schamadan was named to the Scottsdale History Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Charles Keating IV

United States Navy 2006-2016

Charles Keating attended Arcadia High School in the Scottsdale Unified School District before enlisting in the Navy. After completing Basic Underwater Demolition School, he was assigned to Seal Team 3 and Seal Team 1. He was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

In May 2016 while serving in Iraq as an advisor to Kurdish forces, a separate team of U.S. military advisors stationed north of Mosul, Iraq came under attack by a force of over 100 Islamic State insurgents. In response, Charles and other allied troops formed a rescue team and led an assault to rescue the men. Throughout the battle, Charles repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire in order to direct troops and engage the enemy. During the course of the operation, Charles was mortally wounded.

For his bravery and sacrifice during the rescue operation, Charles was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. In addition, Charles was promoted to the rank of chief petty officer. In 2017, his Silver Star was upgraded to the Navy Cross.

James Register

United States Marine Corps 1966-1969

James moved to Scottsdale when he was in 8th grade and attended Pima School. After graduating Scottsdale High School in 1964, he went down to the Army recruiter's office and told them he wanted to go to Vietnam – he was told that they couldn't guarantee he would be sent to Vietnam, so he went next door to the Marine Recruitment Office, and the Marines told him going to Vietnam would not be a problem. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1966 where he served as a radioman for convoys along the DMZ, he was also in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive of 1968. James’ civilian career was in construction, including leading construction projects at Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant. He finally retired this past June.

Bennie Gonzales

United States Coast Guard 1942-1945

Immediately after Pearl Harbor, Bennie, a Phoenix Union High student, went to local recruiting offices, where he enlisted in the Coast Guard. He was stationed out of Oakland, CA as a quarter master signalman. He was eventually transferred to a US Navy troop carrier where he served until the war ended in 1945.

After the war, he attended ASU and became one of Arizona’s most renowned architects. He said that some of his design ideas were based on port cities he visited during his time in the USCG. Some of his award-winning designs include Scottsdale City Hall, Civic Center Library and the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

James Smothermon

United States Air Force 1956-1988

James served 32 years in the USAF as a pilot with many significant command assignments including Commander, U.S. Air Forces Korea, United Nations Command Air Component. He flew over 100 missions as a RF-4 pilot in Vietnam and retired with nearly 5,300 flying hours in numerous combat aircraft.

Joel Stempil

United States Army 1964-1968

Joel was commissioned into the Army's Quartermaster Branch. As a Cold War veteran, his first assignment was to US Army General Depot Nahbollenbach Germany where he served at the XO 85th Quartermaster Company and later at Idar Oberstein Germany. During this tour he also served as liaison officer for the depot in Berlin West Germany and would travel to East Germany through Checkpoint Charlie. After leaving Germany, Joel served our nation in the reserves in the Bronx NY from 1967-1968.

Joel is currently in his second term as a member of the Scottsdale Veterans Advisory Commission.

Nicholas Iacavo

United States Navy 2020-Present

Nicholas attended Anasazi Elementary, Mountainside Jr. High, and Desert Mountain High School. He earned his Navy commission through the NROTC program at the University of Wisconsin with a B.S. in Statistics where he also served in the Navy ROTC. Nicholas is a pilot currently training to fly the F-18 hornet, fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a carrier pilot.

Joan Fudala

United States Air Force 1973-1994

Joan Fudala was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at The Ohio State University in 1973 where she was among the first women to be commissioned through AFROTC and on an AFROTC scholarship. She served nine years on active duty as an Air Force public affairs officer where her duty stations included Kelly AFB, TX, Langley, AFB, VA, Luke AFB, AZ, and Kunsan AFB, Republic of Korea. She spent 12 years as an active reservist (mobilization augmentee) at The Pentagon in Air Force HQ Community Relations and on the USAF Press Desk (1982-1994). She was selected for Lt. Col, but opted to retire as a major in 1994 after 21 years of service).

Joan is a longtime Scottsdale resident and community historian who spends a lot of her time making sure that Veterans in our community are not forgotten.

Bill Jenkins

United States Navy 1947-1975

After 28 years in the Navy and Navy reserves, Bill Jenkins made his mark in Scottsdale, as a government and civics teacher at Scottsdale High School, service on the Scottsdale City Council and as Mayor of Scottsdale from 1974-1980. But he wasn’t done there – after retirement from the Navy, he continued to serve as a weekly volunteer counselor at the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Training Center regarding veterans’ benefits. He also served his community as President of Scottsdale Historical Society and President of Scottsdale Leadership.

Jacob Byers

United States Marine Corps 2007-Present

Original source can be found here.

Gunnery Sergeant Byers is an intelligence analyst currently serving as a Marine Security Guard Detachment Commander.