Cal Guard marches in Silicon Valley Pride

by Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman
129th Rescue Wing Public Affairs

Aug. 30, 2022

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Vibrant colors and dance music were the orders of the day, Aug. 28, as California National Guard senior leaders joined Soldiers and Airmen to march in the Silicon Valley Pride parade along the streets of San Jose.

The Pride parade – Cal Guard's fourth of 2022 – offered the organization an opportunity to support LGBTQ and local communities while promoting military values of diversity and inclusion.

"A lot of our members that are here today are from this community," said California State Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Matthew Reece, who serves as the California Military Department’s Pride committee coordinator. "So it's just a way to show who our organization is how we support our members."

Earlier in the summer, Cal Guard service members marched in Pride parades in San Diego, Long Beach and Sacramento. Senior leaders, including Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, Cal Guard's acting adjutant general, participated in each event.

"It's been amazing to be a part of this and march alongside our leadership," Reece said. "We gave that opportunity to a number of service members that are local to this area, so some of the volunteers coming out marching are members of this community and they want to march in their own pride."

For Master Sgt. Donald Haretuku, a combat mission support superintendent with the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing in nearby Mountain View, volunteering to march in Silicon Valley Pride was a chance to experience something new and support the community.

"This is my first one, so I’m pretty excited," Haretuku said. "They sent out the emails and I jumped on it because I've never been to one."

"My biggest reason was, basically, while being in the military I want to support the Pride community and kind of see what they've got going on. It’s a big eye opener," Haretuku said.

Cal Guard's participation in the parade was an eye opener for Anthony Porcello, a dancer from Las Vegas, who also marched in the parade.

"It takes away some of the fear of the authority, and just shows more inclusion," Porcello said. "You guys do stand out in all this color. It's nice to see an everyday type of group to be in your own gear and actually remind us of normal life."

For Staff Sgt. Zachary Miller, a 129th Rescue Wing Airman who grew up in the midwest and now lives in Silicon Valley, participating in the parade was a chance to get out and be an LGBTQ+ ally in the community where he lives.

"It's a good opportunity to just join the community," Miller said before the event.

Miller rode atop one of the wing's search and rescue tactical vehicles during the half-mile parade route as Beevers and his wife rode in passenger seats below.

The vehicle was flanked by service members on foot, including Brig. Gen. Steven Butow, commander of the California Air National Guard, who was joined by his wife and waved and took photos with members of the crowd gathered along North Market Street.

"We're a community-based organization," said Butow. "The best part about the Guard is the Guard should reflect the communities that we represent."