Oceanside CA— The annual Law and Order Awards Dinner was held last week at the Oceanside Elks Club. Master of Ceremonies, Kevin Johnstone presided over an evening where eighteen local heroes were recognized by the American Legion, Post 146, and the Oceanside Elks Club for their service to the people of north San Diego county coastal communities.
Sergeant Daniel Casara, U.S. Army-Retired, sporting a shirt that read; “I’m no hero but I had the honor of knowing a few” was the guest of honor for the evening.
Daniel, a Chicago native, served his country proudly for nearly 15 years. He deployed in 2005, and on September 23, 2005, his M113 rolled over an anti-tank mine. The explosion flipped his tank, killing 2 and injuring 4 of his comrades. He suffered bilateral fractures to his right tibia and fibula, a shattered left tibia, shattered heel and ankle bones to both feet, plus a dislocated right hip. To date, he has undergone 24 surgeries and countless hours of physical therapy. When the doctor asked him what he wanted to do about his severely injured legs he told them, “I came in here with two legs. I would like to leave here with two.” Sgt. Casara is one of the people featured in the book titled ‘Portraits of Courage’ by former President G.W. Bush.
Daniel is very involved with the community and had a chance to be a Fire and Police Commissioner. ” I didn’t get the full magnitude of what you guys do until I sat in that chair. Then, I had a chance to understand where your passion lies. I am grateful for each you of that puts on a uniform. Also, I am grateful to each and every one of you who stands by and beside these great heroes. You all keep things right at home. I thank you because you are even more heroic than those who put on the uniform.”
Sgt. Casara is currently continuing his rehabilitation at Naval Medical Center San Diego (Balboa Hospital). Using sports and recreational activities to support his rehabilitation, he has continued to strengthen his legs.
Below are photos of those honored and a very brief description of why they were chosen. In addition to the people below, Jake Billings, a California State Lifeguard received a Medal of Valor for his work rescuing a man caught in a rip current in Carlsbad. Jake was unable to attend the event.
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MGySgt Frank Zugaj, (USMC-Ret.) received the first annual Carl Asher Award for his “tireless efforts on behalf of Veterans.”
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Merit Award-Patricia Travers the OPD Senior Volunteer of the Year-2016, has been with the SVP since 2013. In 2016, she volunteered 652 hours of her time. See more about Pat here- https://osidenews.com/2017/01/29/13th-annual-oceanside-police-department-member-recognition-luncheon/4/
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Merit Award-OPD Senior Volunteer of the Year-2016, Tom Heritage logged more than 900 hours of his time, in 2016, working cold case files for the department. Working closely with detectives and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, his hard work has led to an arrest being warrant issued and a suspect actively being sought in Mexico for a 1994 case. In addition, there are three more cases on the brink of being solved.
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Linda McLaughlin received the ‘Merit’ award for her exceptional performance in her duties as Public Education Coordinator with the Oceanside Fire Department. Linda is a CERT volunteer and board member as well.
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Lelicia Swank was awarded a Meritorious Service Medallion. Lelicia (aka Lola) has been a Junior Lifeguard instructor for 12 years. “There is nothing common about her passion and dedication to the Oceanside Junior Lifeguard program.”
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Michael Wagner was awarded a Meritorious Service Medallion. Mike is a “cornerstone of the Oceanside Junior Lifeguard program.” He has been a lifeguard for 35 years and has brought his knowledge and skills of ocean safety to an estimated 10,000 children in the in the Junior Lifeguard program
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Christy Kinsley, who received the loudest ovation of the night, was awarded the ‘Citizens Award for Heroism’ for her actions in helping save the life of an accident victim. In May of 2016, a man was injured when his pickup truck went off I-5 and landed upside down in the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, in Carlsbad. Christy witnessed the crash, pulled off the freeway and dove into the lagoon. She and two other men rolled the car upright and rescued the injured man, giving him CPR while he was trapped in the vehicle.
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Oceanside Police Officer of the Year-2016, Jeanette McDuffee. Read more about her here; https://osidenews.com/2017/01/29/13th-annual-oceanside-police-department-member-recognition-luncheon/5/
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Jeff Knapp and Cole Magro, California State Lifeguards in Carlsbad, were recognized for their work rescuing multiple victims from a rip current. The two rescued 19 people, in 10 minutes, who had been caught in the rip. For the day, Cole assisted in 60 more rescues. Jeff rescued an additional 20 people during their 8 hour shift.
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CHP Officers Kerry Comphel and Jason Hughes received Medals of Valor for their work in preventing a despondent woman from jumping off an I-5 bridge over Carlsbad Village Drive. While the officers were talking with the woman, she began to back away from them and dove head first over the 3′ foot railing. Officers Hughes and Comphel managed to grab her just as she cleared the bridge railing. The woman actively fought the two officer asking them to let her go and hooked her feet around a sign preventing the officers from pulling her to safety. The officers were in danger of getting pulled over the railing but refused to let go eventually pulling her to safety.
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Carlsbad Firefighter, Justin Graham received a Medal of Valor. Justin grabbed a man as he was jumping from a third floor balcony, at a Carlsbad resort hotel, preventing him from falling to the ground.
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Carlsbad Police Officer Stephen Brown and Corporal Reid Shipley were each presented with a Medal of Valor for saving the life of a 19 year-old female who had lost control of her scooter and collided with a traffic control sign. The impact severed the teens arm. The two officers provided medical aid to the injured female, ultimately placing a tourniquet on her to control her bleeding.
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Carlsbad Police Corporal Richard Galanos received a Medal of Valor for his actions saving the life of woman who was pinned by a car at a Carlsbad 7-11. The victims right leg was severed above her knee and her left leg was partially severed below the knee. The Corporal applied a combat tourniquet and stopped the bleeding.
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Oceanside Fire Department Lifeguard David Wilson received a Medal of Valor for a rescue of a personal watercraft rider who was pinned against the rocks of the jetty near the entrance of Oceanside Harbor. The semi conscious rider was pinned between two boulders and was submerged with each passing wave. David crawled down the rocks, got in front of the victim in an effort to lessen the blows from the waves. The relentless waves only presented a 15-20 second window of opportunity to affect a rescue. David was thrown down multiple times suffering cuts and bruises from the rocks. He dove underwater several times to free the victims legs. More help arrived and the victim was transported to a waiting helicopter ambulance. David refused medical attention, rinsing the blood from his injuries at the nearby public shower and returning work assisting in 20 more rescues in the following 30 minutes.
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