Veterans Honored At Black Oak Casino Ceremony

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Tuolumne, CA — A ceremony took place on Monday morning in Tuolumne at the Black Oak Casino Resort in recognition of Veterans Day.

Initially, it was going to be held outdoors at Heritage Park, but it was moved inside to the Willow Creek Lodge due to the wet weather.

It was hosted by George Hunter, the Guard Captain, of Chapter 391 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, and Luis Torres of Black Oak Casino Resort.

Also of note, Ted Mantzouranis Jr from the Me-Wuk tribe received special recognition, and a flag, during the event.

Torres stated at the ceremony, “Ted joined the United States Navy in 1963. He attended boot camp and completed his basic training in the Great Lakes due to a spinal meningitis outbreak that was going on in San Diego onboard the USS Suffolk County LST 1173, a De Soto County-class tank landing ship constructed in the late 1950s.”

He continued, “Ted transported many US Marines to Cuba to station at Guantanamo Bay during his service. Not long after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Ted and his crew were followed by Russian submarines during one of their runs.”

Monday’s ceremony was one of several events put on to recognize local Veterans for their service to the country.