Banners for 30 veterans installed in Old Town Scottsdale

This November, Scottsdale is celebrating the community’s veterans and military service members in a new way: with large street light banners.

Travelers along Drinkwater Boulevard in Old Town Scottsdale will see tributes to numerous people from Nov. 3-21.

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, according to a press release.

Nominations from the community were taken in September and the response from the community was excellent, city officials say. More than 50 local veterans and service members — people from Scottsdale along with current and former residents, were considered. The inaugural group of honorees was selected to represent each service branch and each service era to the extent possible.

City founder Winfield Scott, a captain in the United States Army who was wounded five times in the Civil War, is featured on banner number one. Capt. Scott will be joined by other notable Scottsdale veterans throughout history, alongside members of the current generation of service members.

The banners are installed along Drinkwater Boulevard from Osborn Road to Scottsdale Road.

(Photo courtesy city of Scottsdale)

Scottsdale Salutes honorees 2022

Winfield Scott: United States Army, 1862-64

• 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.

Penn Black: United States Air Force, 1969-75

• Served as a loadmaster flying in C-130’s to bases all over the world.

Scott Cadieux: Unites States Army, United States Navy, 1989-2011

• Cadieux enlisted in the Navy and served as flight crew on P-3 patrol/anti-submarine aircraft. Subsequently commissioned as an infantry officer in the Army and served multiple combat deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Riccardo Richard Campana: United States Army, 1963-69

• Utilizing his law degree, Campana served as staff judge advocate supporting fellow soldiers in generating their wills and estate documents prior to being sent overseas to Vietnam.

Michael Capriola: United States Navy, 1963-68

• Capriola graduated the University of Arizona and was commissioned in the Navy, he served in the Supply Corps at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. He was a longtime resident of Scottsdale who owned and operated several restaurants including The Salt Cellar, Bombay Bicycle Club and Carlsbad Tavern.

Rudy Castro: United States Air Force, 1986-2017

• Castro spent 21 years in the Air Force, including time as a combat videographer deployed to Afghanistan.

Andrew DiLello: United States Army, 2010-present

• DiLello served in Afghanistan for two years and is now serving in Kosovo as a Blackhawk Medevac pilot.

Jim Geiser: United States Marine Corps, 1968-97

• Geiser graduated Scottsdale High School in 1965, enlisted in the Marines at age 21 and served a year in Vietnam before achieving the rank of Gunnery Sergeant; subsequently commissioned as an officer and served in the USMC Reserve for 23 years, retiring with the rank of Major. Geiser initiated the Arizona State University Veterans Memorial to honor ASU alumni killed during military service, and organized/created the Scottsdale Memorial For the Fallen to honor Scottsdale-area residents killed in military service (which will open in January 2023).

Gil Gifford: United States Army, 1957-63

• Gifford served in the 12th Infantry Band stationed in Germany. He settled in Scottsdale and went on to serve as executive director of the Scottsdale Boys and Girls Club in 1973. Gifford plays taps at funerals of veterans and at Scottsdale’s Memorial Day and Veterans Day commemorations. He has been an announcer for the Scottsdale Parada del Sol since 1973.

(Photo courtesy city of Scottsdale)

Doreen Hollowell: United States Navy, 2002-present

• Senior Chief Petty Officer Doreen Hollowell has served in the Navy for more than 20 years. A Master-at-Arms, she is an Acting Officer-in-Charge for one unit and a Senior Enlisted Leader for a second unit. She has deployed twice to the Middle East and Africa and has secured environments for presidents, dignitaries, ambassadors, soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and the Coast Guard as well as detainee operations.

Rodger Howard: United States Air Force, 1965-88

• Howard completed fighter pilot training in 1965 and two subsequent combat tours in Vietnam. He completed active duty service in 1974, and then served as a reserve officer for another 14 years, retiring with the rank of Colonel in 1988.

Stephen Iacavo: United States Army, 2009-13

• Iacavo served as an artillery officer in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as well as an assignment with Joint Task Force-Bravo in Honduras.

David Johnson: United States Army, 1964-67

• Johnson served in Vietnam with the 1/23 Cavalry (Airmobile) where he earned the Combat Infantry Badge, Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

Tiffany Johnson: United States Marine Corps, 1998-2006

• As a Marine, Johnson became the first enlisted female martial arts instructor trainer to receive her black belt. She held the title of Female Marine of the Year in 2002. She was selected to for Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program and completed officer candidate school in Quantico, VA in 2003.

Robert Larson: United States Air Force, 1940-61

• Larson served for 21 years, seeing time at 27 different Air Force bases in the US and in Turkey. He flew more than 25 different airplanes and totaled just under 7,000 hours of flying time when he retired. Larson was also a member of the Air Force Order of Daedalians, the Arizona Aviation Historical Society and the Knights of the Round Engine Table.

Noah Carlton Lutes: United States Army, 1918-19

• Served in the United States Army as part of the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. Lutes settled in Scottsdale, became the town’s rural postman and was among the founders and early commanders of American Legion Post 44.

William Martin: United States Army, 1966-67

• Served with the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam from December 1966, until he was wounded in action in April 1967. He earned the Combat Infantry Badge and a Purple Heart.

Patrick McCabe: United States Army, 1969-71

• McCabe was drafted into the army and served with the 591st Military Police Company at Ft. Bliss, Texas. Today, McCabe proudly volunteers with both the USO hospitality team and the Families of the Fallen support team at Sky Harbor Airport.

Ryan Milanovits: United States Air Force, 2021-present

• Lt. Milanovits was commissioned into the Air Force in May, 2021, through the ROTC program at Arizona State University. He is currently at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma attending Undergraduate Pilot Training.

(Photo courtesy city of Scottsdale)

Joseph Moreno: United States Army, 2005-13

• Moreno was a combat medic who served two combat tours overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.

William Propheter: United States Army, 1978-82

• Propheter was a tank driver during the cold war, stationed in Germany.

Will Rapp: United States Army, 1960-63

• Rapp was born in Bisbee, Arizona and played football with his twin brother at University of Arizona, where he was part of the Army ROTC unit. He was commissioned into the Ordnance Corps and served in an Explosive Ordnance Division at the Presidio in California.

Scott Rinchack: United States Army, 1997-2019

• Rinchack was a military policeman who served during the Iraq war.

Michael Dean Simmons: United States Air Force, 1968-79

• Simmons was a pilot who served a combat tour in Vietnam 1968-69. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and six Air Medals. He then served as an instructor pilot at Aviano Air Force Base Italy, and then as Head Track Coach at the United States Air Force Academy.

Guy Stillman: United States Navy, 1941-55

• 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.

Bernard Tauber: United States Navy, 1945-47

• Tauber served on destroyer in the Pacific patrolling off of Korea and China in the early days of the Cold War.

Marshall Trimble: United States Marine Corps, 1957-64

• Trimble is a proud United States Marine, serving when “Korea was behind us, and Vietnam, nobody had even heard of yet.” After his military service he went on to teach history at Coronado High School, and then taught Arizona history for 40 years at Scottsdale Community College. He has written 20 books on Arizona history and has held the title as official historian for the state of Arizona since 1997. He also has been inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame, the Scottsdale Hall of Fame, and the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Douglas Van Essen: United States Air Force, 1974-96

• Douglas enlisted in the Air Force and served as both a weather observer and forecaster, primarily in Germany. After 10 years of service, he became a commissioned officer and continued work as a meteorologist. Working with the Army (2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment), he served as their Regimental Staff Weather Officers in Nuremberg and Fulda, Germany. Captain Van Essen finished his military service as a Professor of Aerospace Science, Air Force ROTC, at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Elliott White: United States Air Force, 2020-Present

• Currently on active duty with the United States Air Force serving in the security force at Warner Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia.

Stephen Ziomek: United States Coast Guard, 1972-82

• Ziomek is a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy and served as a rescue helicopter and fixed-wing pilot. He is a recipient of the Air Medal and is listed on the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Wall of Honor. He is a major and command pilot in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol, and former Scottsdale Airport Commissioner and former Scottsdale Veterans Advisory Commissioner. He is a founding member and chairman and president of the Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial at Scottsdale Airport.