Tandem Team Meets Medal of Honor Recipients

1SG Bryan Schnell (left) and LTC Joe Martin (far right) stand with the Medal of Honor recipients (from left to right) Sal Guinta, Bob Modrzejewwski, Jay Vargas, James Taylor, Barney Barnum, and Ron Ray at the Hero's Challenge golf tournament.

The Golden Knights Tandem Team traveled to Southern California earlier this month to perform a demonstration to honor several Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, who gathered for a special golf tournament in Riverside.

Although low clouds prevented the jump, members of the team on the ground crew presented the honorees with batons and attended a ceremony to honor John F. Baker, originally from Columbia, SC. Mr. Baker was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam war, and passed away in January of this year. Many of the MoO recipients who played in the tournament were close personal friends of Mr. Baker, and many memories were shared as they honored their friend.

After the demonstration, the Tandem Team headed to Perris Valley Skydiving Center in Perris, CA and did three days of tandem parachute jumps. The passengers included local teachers and administrators, as well as some of the players from the Hero’s Challenge golf tournament.

: Medal of Honor recipients and professional golfers before the tournament begins.

: Medal of Honor recipient Jay Vargas (left) and CEO of Stater Bros. Markets chat with 1SG Bryan Schnell and LTC Joe Martin before the tournament.

: Professional golfer Elena Robles just before her tandem jump at Perris Valley Skydiving center. SSG Noah Watts pins on her dad’s parachute badge he earned as a paratrooper.