The Family has invited the PGR to accompany their Hero to his final resting place, and it is our honor to do so.
Ralph Chavez Rodriguez, a long-time Lompoc resident, and a veteran of the Korean War, passed away at the age of 104 on Tuesday, February 12, 2019. Ralph was born on October 24, 1914, in Chihuahua, Mexico, immigrating to the United States with his father as a young child.
Ralph was drafted into the U. S. Army at the age of 32 in 1946 and was assigned to the 96th Infantry, Division 382 Regiment, in Okinawa, Japan, after WWII. Later, while serving in the Korean War he volunteered to be a combat medic and was ultimately awarded a Bronze Star for valor in combat. He received an honorable discharge as well as U. S. citizenship.
He went on to work as a brick inspector and forklift operator for Johns Manville Corporation in Lompoc and then worked for 27 years as an electrician on missile silos at Camp Cooke, now Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Ralph and his bride Petra bought a house in Lompoc in 1952, raised their four children there, and remained in that house until their deaths. They loved Lompoc and never wanted to live anywhere else. Ralph was very patriotic. He was proud to be a citizen of the United States and raised our flag in front of his house when appropriate. Ralph was known as a “fix-it” man.
Ralph was preceded in death by his parents Miguel and Soledad Rodriguez, his brother Philip Baca, and his wife of 64 years, Petra Ida (Villalobos) Rodriguez. He is survived by his four children, Teresa (Philip Gallanders), Ralph Jr. (Donna), Ronald (Maria), and Susan (David Hudspeth), 15 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild.
The interment will take place on Monday, March 4, 2019, at 10 am, at the Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery.
NOTE: This mission posting is to facilitate your voluntary participation in honoring this Military Veteran. For those interested, and all are welcome, we will be accompanying the hero and his family from the mortuary to his final resting place. Please see the time table if you would like to participate. For those who would rather go directly to the cemetery, we will meet you there.
Time table for Monday, March 4, 2019:0900 Stage at Starbuck-Lind Mortuary, 123 N "A" St. Lompoc, CA. 93436
https://goo.gl/maps/iNRBQ33CbZM20915 Briefing
0930 Flag Line from Mortuary to oach for dignified transfer of Hero
0940 Accompany this Hero to the Evergreen Cemetery, 600 S. "C" St., Lompoc, CA. 93436
https://goo.gl/maps/4e2kmsuKNFM21000 Arrive cemetery for Flag Line at graveside and Military Honors
Please bring your Flags.
R/C John Archuleta
PGR Ride Captain45jarchuleta@gmail.com
805 441 8506
For God and Country
You do not have to be a Veteran or a motorcycle rider to attend this mission. Everyone is welcome. We encourage those who do not ride to attend in your car. If this will be your first mission go to the initial staging area and you will be briefed there by the R/C (Ride Captain). Dress for motorcycle riding or dress casually if you are driving a cage (car). Please feel free to attend any portion of this mission you can. Please ride/drive safely.
