Los Banos resident and U.S. Army veteran Baldo Salcido has been named a 2025 Veteran Honoree by the Latino Coalition of San Benito County for his service to his country and community.
While Salcido has been a resident of Los Banos for the past 25 years, he was born in Canutillo, Texas, in 1943. He later moved to Hollister, California, in 1952, and has lived in San Benito County for most of his life.
In 1965, Salcido was drafted into the Army for service during the Vietnam War at the age of 22 and was sent to Fort Ord, California, for basic training. Before his draft, he worked at a grocery store in Hollister and was a recent graduate of San Jose State University.
After his basic training, he was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he received administrative training and worked as a Quartermaster Company clerk responsible for logistical support.
“Because of my college education and GT (General Technica) score, they put me in roles where they could utilize me in administration.
“They sent me to AIT (Advanced Individual Training) at Fort Lewis, where they put me into an administration school, which paved the way for the rest of my career,” Salicido said.
In 1966, he was deployed to Vietnam, where he continued to serve in an administrative role, supporting soldiers in combat, and eventually became a non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) until his service completion in 1967.
Salcido acknowledged the privilege of not having to fight on the front lines, yet he recalled the tragic realities of war he witnessed.
“All 58,000 soldiers who were killed in Vietnam had to go through the process of graves and registration. To have been a witness to that is something you just never forget,” he said.
Due to the privilege of his position and the security it gave him, Salcido reflected heavily on the emotional weight of having survivor’s guilt.
“Sometimes soldiers wanted to be on the front lines, and I did everything possible to keep them from doing that,” he said.
“One soldier had three months left, and my commander ordered me to send him after I refused, so I had no choice but to let him, and he was killed before he even got there. He had a family.”
Although those experiences were difficult, they shaped his perspective on leadership and community, inspiring him to create a more positive influence.
Salcido continued his military career in 1988 by joining the National Guard, where he served primarily in administrative and operational roles within several Military Police units.
He was involved in major events, including the 1989 Oakland Cypress Earthquake response and the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, in which he served under the 49th Military Police Brigade, supporting law enforcement and disaster relief operations.
Salcido recalled his experience in Oakland with particular importance because of how he served the community.
He said, “I participated in setting up kitchen facilities to feed the people, and that’s the reason I was awarded the Humanitarian Award.”
Salcido has been awarded several medals for his service, such as the National Defense Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Marksmanship Medal. He considers the Vietnam Army Commendation Medal the most special of all his awards.
Salcido said, “Even though I was only a Sergeant E-5, I was in charge of the headquarters, and that’s why I had the title of NCOIC, a position that was normally held by an E-8. That’s why they decided to give me the commendation medal.”
During his later years in the National Guard, he worked as an Electronic Presentation Specialist, where he was recognized for creating a presentation on the National Guard’s operations during the Iraq War for the Pentagon.
Salcido said, “I received the California National Guard Commendation Medal because of the tasks they presented to me at the Convention Center for the presentation I composed for the Pentagon. It was the toughest challenge of my career because of the pressure.”
In 2007, Salcido retired at the age of 64 after a combined career in the Active U.S. Army and the California Army National Guard. From then on, he has been committed to his community service efforts and civic involvement in Los Banos.
“With the organization I’ve been involved with in Los Banos, we were involved in making changes at the school district, city politics and state elections,” Salcido said. “I’ve used the skills I learned in the military, and I’m still doing that in my civilian life.”
Salcido reflected on being recognized as a 2025 Veteran honoree by the Latino Coalition of San Benito County.
“I’m totally surprised, but I’m glad that I had an impact in Hollister because I was involved in politics, and I was very involved in different community things during my time living there,” he said.
“It’s quite an honor to be remembered, having been gone from that community for the past 25 years.”
