Legion of Valor
Museum Volunteer Staff
Open from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Active Staff Members
Weldon Griffith
Volunteer StaffWeldon GriffithActive MemberWeldon Griffith was born March 25, 1938 in Jerome, Idaho to Franklin and Rachel Griffith. They then lived in Twin Falls, Idaho until Weldon finished the 7th grade. In 1952, they moved to Fresno, California where Weldon...
Tom Schindler
Volunteer StaffTom SchindlerActive MemberTom Schindler was born on July 14, 1945 to Robert Schindler and Frances Schindler in Reno, Nevada where his father was a Master Sergeant in the Army Air Corps. Within a year, the family moved to March AFB in Riverside, CA where...
Ruben Alvarez
Volunteer StaffRuben AlvarezActive MemberRuben Alvarez was born June 22, 1934, in Fresno, California to Froylan and Josephine Alvarez. He had five siblings; Froy Jr., Mary, Edward, Alice and Mario. Ruben attended Ben Franklin Elementary, St. Alphonso Elementary, San...
Mike Harris
Volunteer StaffMike HarrisDeputy Director Active MemberMike Harris was born June 23, 1952 in McKinney, Texas the first son of Don and Rebecca Harris, a destitute family with roots scattered throughout the south. Mike’s sister Carol was born two years later. His father...
Michael Gavrilis
Volunteer StaffMichael GavrilisActive MemberMichael Gavrilis was born in Fresno, California on October 5, 1949, the second of four sons born to George and Tula Gavrilis of Greek heritage. George was a General Maintenance man for 35 years at Roma Winery, later bought...
Ken Luft
Volunteer StaffKen LuftActive MemberKen Luft's story began on April 17,1939 in an area of Fresno, California called German Town. He was the second son born to Bert and Katherine Luft, who were first generation Americans of Russian-German decent. Ken and his brother...
John Dunn
Volunteer StaffJohn DunnActive MemberJohn was born Aril 1 1951 and raised in Azusa Ca. When he was 14 his father died so he quit school and worked full time to help his Mom. On the day he turned 18 , 1969 he signed up for the Navy and 3 weeks later was in boot camp....
Jim Jones
Volunteer StaffJim JonesActive MemberJames M. (Jim) Jones was born October 14, 1943 in Yuba City, CA to Monroe and Ione Jones. Jim’s father returned from WWII in 1944 to Yuba City, shortly thereafter they moved to Dallas, Texas. In 1945 the family returned to Yuba...
Jesse Fabela
Volunteer StaffJesse FabelaActive MemberJesse Fabela was born to Jose Florencio and Josefa Fabela October 14, 1948 in Fresno, California. His parents emigrated from Durango, Mexico to find a better life for themselves and their children. Jesse’s ten siblings John,...
Glenn Boothe
Volunteer StaffGlenn BootheActive MemberGlenn was born on February 20, 1938 in Hanford, California to Charley and Blanche Boothe. He attended Willow Grove Elementary, a one room school, until the fourth grade. The family then moved to the Fresno area where he attended...
Don Luft
Volunteer StaffDon LuftActive MemberDon Luft was born in the German town area of Fresno, California 8/24/1936. His parents Bert and Katherine Luft were first generation Americans of Russian-German decent. A younger brother, Ken was born three years later; making the...
Denny Hirakawa
Volunteer StaffDenny HirakawaActive MemberDenny Hirakawa was born November 17, 1944 at the Gila River Relocation Camp where his parents Tom and Kikuye had met and married. The Center was built on the Gila River Indian Reservation southeast of Phoenix, Arizona. After...
David Ledford
Volunteer StaffDavid LedfordActive MemberDavid was born September 27, 1940, the fifth child of Hazel and John Ledford of Dos Palos, California. His siblings were twins, Maurice and Margaret, a sister Bara and an older brother Marvin, who drowned in a canal at the age...
David Fusinato
Volunteer StaffDavid FusinatoActive MemberDavid Fusinato was born December 27, 1925 to Clemente and Katie Fusinato in San Francisco, California. He has one sister, Wilma O. Flaherty. The family moved to Morgan Hill, California in 1929 to live on his grandfather’s...
Retired Staff Members
Willie Allen
Volunteer StaffWillie AllenRetired MemberWillie Allen Crenshaw, an identical twin, was born in Lindsay, Oklahoma October 7, 1929 to Ann Morgan and William Olen Crenshaw. He was one of eight siblings that included two sets of twins. The Crenshaw family moved from...
Ronald Chavez
Volunteer StaffRonald ChavezRetired MemberRonald Chavez was born in Monterey Park, California September 24, 1947 to Apolonia and Blas Chavez. His father was a WWII Army veteran who served with the 25th Infantry Division in Guadalcanal. Ronald and his two brothers,...
Richard Poulter
Volunteer StaffRichard PoulterRetired MemberRichard Poulter, Jr. was born March 18, 1958 in Fresno, California to Fresno natives Richard and Lucille Poulter. Rick and his three siblings Donald, Gary, and Brian all remain Fresno residents. Rick attended Webster,...
Ray Lee
Volunteer StaffRay LeeRetired MemberRay was born March 6, 1924 in San Francisco to Alvin and Mary Wong Lee. He had a brother Warren, and two sisters; Betty and Roberta. The family moved to Coalinga, California where Ray’s father opened a Chinese Restaurant in 1930....
Nick Bruno
Volunteer StaffNick BrunoRetired MemberLouis Azevedo Sr. was born on a warm spring evening April 26, 1934 in the South San Joaquin Valley city of Bakersfield, California. His mother, Esther Delgado Azevedo gave birth to him in a one room house with a midwife present....
Louis Azevedo
Volunteer StaffLouis AzevedoRetired MemberLouis Azevedo Sr. was born on a warm spring evening April 26, 1934 in the South San Joaquin Valley city of Bakersfield, California. His mother, Esther Delgado Azevedo gave birth to him in a one room house with a midwife...
Linda Boudreau
Volunteer StaffLinda BoudreauRetired MemberLinda Faye Boudreau was born on October 28th 1946 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, second of three children, to Lela Faye and Clebert Thomas Wood. The family moved to California when she was two years old and relocated to Kerman,...
Leslie Casillas
Volunteer StaffLeslie CasillasRetired MemberIn the summer of 1955 Leslie Lynn Wathen, the 3rd daughter of five siblings was born to Spalding and Della. Wathen. She grew up in Fresno, California, attending Our Lady of Victory and St. Anthony's schools. Leslie graduated...
Leonard Casillas
Volunteer StaffLeonard CasillasRetired MemberLeonard Casillas was born in Fresno, California February 21, 1947 to a Hispanic father and mother whose ancestors were of German decent. Len attended elementary schools in the area and graduated from San Joaquin Memorial...
Judy Jones
Volunteer StaffJudy JonesRetired MemberJudy Elkins was born April 26, 1941 in Pryor, Oklahoma to Maxine and Eugene Elkins. Judy was the family’s third sibling, along with two sisters, Jeanetta and Patricia, as well as an older brother Raymond. She grew up in the small...
Frank Gless
Volunteer StaffFrank GlessRetired MemberIn April of 1966 the doctors with whom Carolyn was working at Fresno General Hospital began receiving their orders for duty in Vietnam. Her two younger brothers were facing the draft, so they volunteered for the Army. Her older...
Carolyn Tanaka
Volunteer StaffCarolyn TanakaRetired MemberIn April of 1966 the doctors with whom Carolyn was working at Fresno General Hospital began receiving their orders for duty in Vietnam. Her two younger brothers were facing the draft, so they volunteered for the Army. Her...
Bob Hill
Volunteer StaffBob HillRetired MemberRobert L. Hill was born February 24, 1942 in Visalia, CA to Floyd L. and Louise Hill. After WWII, his father returned from serving in the Pacific Theater and the family moved to Fresno. Robert (Bob) attended John Muir Elementary,...
Alan Doctor
Volunteer StaffAlan DoctorRetired Member
Deceased Staff Members
Warren Maguire
Volunteer StaffWarren MaguireDeceased MemberWarren W. Hills was born on January 14, 1923 in Fresno, California. He graduated from Fresno High January 30, 1942 and immediately enlisted in the USMC, reporting for boot camp in San Diego on February 16, 1942. Upon...
Warren Hills
Volunteer StaffWarren HillsDeceased MemberWarren W. Hills was born on January 14, 1923 in Fresno, California. He graduated from Fresno High January 30, 1942 and immediately enlisted in the USMC, reporting for boot camp in San Diego on February 16, 1942. Upon...
Tom Laub
Volunteer StaffTom LaubDeceased MemberTom Laub was born June 22, 1928 in the German-Russian section of Fresno, California to George and Catherine Laub. Tom’s German grandparents on his father’s side, had settled in Fresno in 1903, after immigrating from Laub, Russia...
Tom Gentile
Volunteer StaffTom GentileDeceased MemberTommy Gentile was born August 7, 1937 in San Francisco, CA. His parents, Lawrence E. and Mildred were a navy family who soon found that their son got seasick just watching a bar of Ivory soap in his bath water. After bouncing...
Stan Wells
Volunteer StaffStan WellsDeceased MemberWorld War II in Europe was less than three months old when on November 21, 1939, Stan Wells was born in Fresno, California. Stan’s father Oren, was a registered pharmacist, struggling to succeed in a new business. His mother,...
Stan Coito
Volunteer StaffStan CoitoDeceased MemberStan Coito was born November 29, 1931 at St. Agnes hospital in Fresno, California to Josephine and Joe Coito, Portuguese Immigrants from the Azores Islands. His parents owned a dairy farm near Easton where Stan worked milking...
Sam Regier
Volunteer StaffSam RegierDeceased MemberIn Hampton, Nebraska on January 9, 1930 Sam Regier was born to Abraham and Anna Regier; the youngest of 7 sisters and 8 brothers. Times were hard as the great depression was just ending and when Sam was 5, another devastating...
Sam Kalfayan
Volunteer StaffSam KalfayanDeceased MemberSam Kalfayan was born in 1911 in Samson, Turkey, of Armenian parentage. Because of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish Government (1914-1920), Sam’s family fled to Cairo, Egypt. From 1914 to 1921 Sam and his Mother (Sam’s...
Sam Barkman
Volunteer StaffSam BarkmanDeceased MemberSam Barkman was born in a mud hut in Tshikapa, Belgian Congo to missionary parents who served there for over 30 years. His mother, a trained nurse, was the only medical help for over 240,000 natives. His father was a principal...
Rolf Scovell
Volunteer StaffRolf ScovellDeceased MemberRolf “Sandy” Scovell was born October 25, 1928, in Brussels, Belgium to an American father and an English mother. He came to the United States as a child when Hitler began his bombing raids on the United Kingdom. While...
Ramon Colmenero
Volunteer StaffRamon ColmeneroDeceased MemberRamon Colmenero was born in Fresno, California March 7, 1932 to Salvador and Kate Colmenero. He and his five siblings, Lucy Rodriguez, Rudy, Salvador Jr., Victor, and Annie Sandoval were all raised in Fresno. Ramon...
Richard Fergusons
Volunteer StaffRichard FergusonsDeceased MemberFergie was born in Bend, OR on May 7, 1928. The family lived on a small ranch just North of Bend. There he resided until joining the Navy in 1946. After boot camp in San Diego, CA he went to Jacksonville, FL for aviation...
Q.T Raymer
Volunteer StaffQ.T RaymerDeceased MemberBorn April 8, 1923, in Canton, Ohio, Paul was inducted into the Army Air Corp on February 2, 1943 at Fort Hayes in Columbus, Ohio. Paul was sent to St. Petersburg, Florida for basic training, and then to Gulfport, Mississippi...
Paul Cramer
Volunteer StaffPaul CramerDeceased MemberBorn April 8, 1923, in Canton, Ohio, Paul was inducted into the Army Air Corp on February 2, 1943 at Fort Hayes in Columbus, Ohio. Paul was sent to St. Petersburg, Florida for basic training, and then to Gulfport, Mississippi...
Paul Barcus
Volunteer StaffPaul BarcusDeceased MemberLeslie W. was born May 30, 1926 in Oakland, California to William H. and Frances Trager. He attended Fresno schools and graduated from Hamilton High School January 28, 1944. Les and his class were to go through the actual...
Les Traeger
Volunteer StaffLes TraegerDeceased MemberLeslie W. was born May 30, 1926 in Oakland, California to William H. and Frances Trager. He attended Fresno schools and graduated from Hamilton High School January 28, 1944. Les and his class were to go through the actual...
Kenneth Hayes
Volunteer StaffKenneth HayesDeceased MemberKenneth Hayes was born October 20, 1930 in Hazard, Kentucky, the only child of Edward and Lassie Hayes. Ken graduated from Honey Creek High School in Terre Haute, Indiana, then continued his education at Hamilton Business...
Juan Trevino
Volunteer StaffJuan TrevinoDeceased MemberJuan was born to Julian and Martina Trevino in Wesloco, Texas September 25, 1948. The family moved to Fresno in 1950 where Juan attended local schools. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1968. Twelve days after...
John Shamshoian
Volunteer StaffJess NicholsDeceased MemberJohn was born February 26, 1921 in Fresno, California to Nishon and Mariam Shamshoian. John was the youngest of six siblings, having three brothers, Ralph, Mike, and Barkey and two sisters, Ruth and Zary. John attended Emerson...
Jess Nichols
Volunteer StaffJess NicholsDeceased MemberJess Nichols was born in Armona, California, a small farming community in the central San Joaquin Valley. He graduated from Hanford High School June 8, 1950; however, seventeen days later, the Korean War erupted, changing...
Jack Anderson
Volunteer StaffJack AndersonDeceased MemberJack Anderson was born on June 30, 1923 in Fresno, California and was educated in local schools. He entered the U. S. army on December 31, 1942 and took 13 weeks of infantry basic training at Fort McCellan. Jack was held over...
Hiro Isogawa
Volunteer StaffHiro IsogawaDeceased MemberHiro was born November 23, 1925 to Joichi and Kiyoko Isogawa in Fresno, California. He had eight siblings; Frank, Chrissie, Anne, Ben, Mickey, Sanumi, George and Tom. His parents purchased a farm in the Fig Garden area, and...
Harry Dunlavy
Volunteer StaffHarry DunlavyDeceased MemberHarry Dunlavy was born in Fresno, California and attended School there. On his eighteenth birthday he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He received basic training in San Diego, and since he played the trumpet, he was assigned to...
Harold Hudson
Volunteer StaffHarold HudsonDeceased MemberHarold Hudson was born on March 29, 1926 in Depew, Oklahoma to Mable Gould and Marvin Hudson. His father worked in the oilfields in charge of a tank building crew and his mother worked for a physician who also was the...
Harold Horg
Volunteer StaffHarold HorgDeceased MemberHarold Horg was born January 11, 1923 in Fresno, California to an immigrant family of Russian-German decent. The area where he lived as a young man was affectionately called "Roosian Town" by its residents. After graduation...
Gil Martinusen
Volunteer StaffGil MartinusenDeceased MemberGeorge Winslow joined the Navy in Fresno, California in January 1940 and was in the 7th Boot Camp Company of that year. After completing Boot Camp he was stationed at the Destroyer Base in San Diego where World War 1...
George Winslow
Volunteer StaffGeorge WinslowDeceased MemberGeorge Winslow joined the Navy in Fresno, California in January 1940 and was in the 7th Boot Camp Company of that year. After completing Boot Camp he was stationed at the Destroyer Base in San Diego where World War 1...
George McMahan
Volunteer StaffGeorge McMahanDeceased MemberGeorge was born June 18, 1921, in Oakdale, Tennessee. He went to school in Oakdale and Cincinnati, Ohio, where he enlisted in the Navy September 21, 1938. He was sent to Norfolk Naval Training Station for training. Upon...
Gerry Eckenrod
Volunteer StaffGerry EckenrodDeceased MemberGervase (Gerry) A. Eckenrod was born April 25, 1917 to Raymond and Marie in Loretto, Pennsylvania. Gerry and his six siblings Charles, Anna Mae, Harold, Verna, Paul and Bernard were brought up in Pennsylvania, where Gerry...
Gearhart Fries
Volunteer StaffGearhart FriesDeceased MemberGearhart Fries was born in Fresno, California on Dec. 8, 1926, and attended schools in the Central Valley. In December of 1944, while a senior at Sanger Union High School, Gearhart joined the United States Navy as a combat...
Gail Aivazian
Volunteer StaffGail AivazianDeceased MemberFernando C. ”Fred” Machado was born in the Azores Island of Flores on March 4, 1932, in the township of Fajazinha. He was the eldest of seven children; four boys and three girls. Fred and his siblings were all natural born...
Fred Stokem
Volunteer StaffFred StokemDeceased MemberFernando C. ”Fred” Machado was born in the Azores Island of Flores on March 4, 1932, in the township of Fajazinha. He was the eldest of seven children; four boys and three girls. Fred and his siblings were all natural born...
Fred Machado
Volunteer StaffFred MachadoDeceased MemberFernando C. ”Fred” Machado was born in the Azores Island of Flores on March 4, 1932, in the township of Fajazinha. He was the eldest of seven children; four boys and three girls. Fred and his siblings were all natural born...
Frank Hokr
Volunteer StaffFrank HokrDeceased MemberFrank V. Hokr was born August 1, 1924 in Cicero, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. His parents, Frank and Rose, were immigrants from Czechoslovakia, who had immigrated to the United States in 1918 just after the end of World War I....
Frank Cristando
Volunteer StaffFrank CristandoDeceased MemberFrank J. Cristando was born May 18, 1922 in New York City to Delfio and Lena Cristando. The family moved to Hollis, a smaller community in Queens, a part of New York City. Two siblings, a brother John and a sister Sophie...
Forrest Coleman
Volunteer StaffForrest ColemanDeceased MemberForrest Coleman was born on May 27th, 1924 in Selma, California. His family moved to Los Banos, California where he grew up and attended Los Banos High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on April 14, 1943, at Fresno,...
Floyd Sam Hill
Volunteer StaffFloyd Sam HillDeceased MemberFloyd Sherwood Hill, who likes to be known simply as “Sam”, was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma on May 3rd, 1930. When his family moved to California he attended Benjamin Harrison elementary School, and then graduated from Long...
Ed Svetlik
Volunteer StaffDon PowellDeceased MemberEd was born August 16, 1927 in Weimar, Texas to Steve and Agnes Svetlik. Ed’s unique last name came from his father’s Czechoslovakian ethnicity. Ed’s mother, Irene Woods, was an orphan at the Children’s Rescue Mission in New...
Don Powell
Volunteer StaffDon PowellDeceased MemberDonald R. Newland was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan January 17, 1944, to Donald Russell and Helen Elizabeth Newland. He has three siblings, Renaigh Rogers, David, an Air Force veteran and Scott, who served in the Army. The family...
Don Newland
Volunteer StaffDon NewlandDeceased MemberDonald R. Newland was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan January 17, 1944, to Donald Russell and Helen Elizabeth Newland. He has three siblings, Renaigh Rogers, David, an Air Force veteran and Scott, who served in the Army. The family...
Don Ginther
Volunteer Staff Don Ginther Deceased MemberDonald Ginther was born June 20, 1939 to Fred and Marie Ginther and raised in Fresno, California. He has two older brothers and one sister, Norman, Evelyn and Rodney. Don attended Kirk Elementary, Edison Jr/Sr High School,...
David Newton
Volunteer StaffDavid NewtonDeceased MemberCharles “Chuck” Terrazas was born December 5 1925, in a small California town called Pinedale to parents, Carlos and Julia, who were of Mexican decent. They came to the United States seeking a better life from their home state...
Clifford Frint
Volunteer StaffClifford FrintDeceased MemberCharles “Chuck” Terrazas was born December 5 1925, in a small California town called Pinedale to parents, Carlos and Julia, who were of Mexican decent. They came to the United States seeking a better life from their home...
Chuck Terrazas
Volunteer StaffChuck TerrazasDeceased MemberCharles “Chuck” Terrazas was born December 5 1925, in a small California town called Pinedale to parents, Carlos and Julia, who were of Mexican decent. They came to the United States seeking a better life from their home...
Charles Stephens
Volunteer StaffCharles StephensDeceased MemberCharles W. Stephens, AVCM, USN (Ret), was born May 21, 1932, in Mansfield, Missouri. His family moved to the Fresno area of California in 1937, where he continued to live until joining the U.S. Navy in October 1951. He...
Charles Monges
Volunteer Staff Charles MongesDeceased MemberCarlos Teniente II was born November 11, 1940 to farmers Basillio and Maria Teniente in San Antonio, Texas. Carlos was the youngest of 11 children and was named after his older brother who was killed in Europe during World...
Carlos Teniente II
Volunteer StaffCarlos Teniente IIDeceased MemberCarlos Teniente II was born November 11, 1940 to farmers Basillio and Maria Teniente in San Antonio, Texas. Carlos was the youngest of 11 children and was named after his older brother who was killed in Europe during...
Carlos Lopez
Volunteer StaffCarlos LopezDeceased MemberCarlos Lopez was born October 8th, 1928 in Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Fresno, California in 1936 where he attended Thomas A. Edison High School. When Carlos enlisted in the Marines, five of his friends were to join with...
Bob Odell
Volunteer StaffBob OdellDeceased MemberBob Odell was born in Dubuque, Iowa July 16th, 1918. He was the youngest of five daughters and two sons. His family moved to Pasadena, California in September of 1924 where he attended John Muir Technical High School. In 1935, he...
Bob Hayes
Volunteer StaffBob HayesDeceased MemberBob Hayes was born March 21, 1925 to Fred and Lillie Hayes in Urbana, IL. He has three siblings, Wilson, Ruth and Joanna. Bob attended elementary school in Rantoul, and graduated from Paxton High School where his father was...
Bill Biggers
Volunteer StaffBill Biggers Deceased MemberBill was born November 16, 1921 in Stuart, Oklahoma to Jessie and Donnie Biggers. The second of seven siblings, Bill was the only boy among six sisters; Leone, June, Elnora, Pauline, Rose Marie and Nancy. The family moved...
Bill Harrison
Volunteer StaffBill HarrisonDeceased MemberBill Crumpacker joined the Marine Corps in January, 1943. After completing Boot Camp and Infantry Training he joined the Second Marine Division in Wellington, New Zealand, where the division was located after participating in...
Bill Crumpacker
Volunteer StaffBill CrumpackerDeceased MemberBill Crumpacker joined the Marine Corps in January, 1943. After completing Boot Camp and Infantry Training he joined the Second Marine Division in Wellington, New Zealand, where the division was located after participating...
Ben Doi
Volunteer StaffBen DoiDeceased MemberBarkey Aivazian was born August 28, 1927 in Fowler California to John and Sosa Aivazian. At the young age of nine Barkey’s mother passed away. Four years later his father lost his sight, and the children were sent to live with his...
Barkey Aivazian
Volunteer StaffBarkey AivazianDeceased MemberBarkey Aivazian was born August 28, 1927 in Fowler California to John and Sosa Aivazian. At the young age of nine Barkey’s mother passed away. Four years later his father lost his sight, and the children were sent to live...
Ampless Moore
Volunteer StaffAmpless MooreDeceased MemberArthur Hill, at age 27, volunteered for the Army Engineers shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Due of Art’s construction background, he was sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana in early 1942, to a Special Service Engineer...
Art Hill
Volunteer StaffArt HillDeceased MemberArthur Hill, at age 27, volunteered for the Army Engineers shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Due of Art’s construction background, he was sent to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana in early 1942, to a Special Service Engineer...
Bob Specht
Volunteer StaffBob SpechtDeceased MemberBob Specht was born April 29, 1936 in the German town area of Fresno, California to parents who were first generation Americans of Russian-German decent. His father Kris, was a brandy maker for the Christian Brothers Wine...