STOCKTON – At their meeting Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors held their Annual Veterans Recognition Ceremony. This year, Supervisor Rickman honored Tracy resident, Mr. Bruce Cleaver.
Bruce Cleaver graduated from Point Loma High School in 1967 and entered Air Force basic training on May 16, 1968. Bruce was trained as a Corrosion Control Specialist at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas and was assigned to Castle Air Force Base, Atwater, California. He was subsequently assigned to Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico, and later Kincheloe Air Force Base in Michigan, both known as vital Cold War Strategic Air Command bases for B-52 bombers and surveillance.
On May 15, 1972, at the rank of Sergeant, Bruce was Honorably Discharged from active duty and returned home to San Diego, California. Bruce would earn his truck driver’s license and drive commercial vehicles for 46 years, receiving recognitions and monetary awards for safe driving from several of the trucking companies that he worked for. In 2009, he and his wife moved to Tracy as he took a job with the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System until retirement in December 2018.
In retirement, Bruce serves as Post First Vice Commander with the American Legion in Tracy, Adjutant with the Legion District, and is a member of the American Legion/VFW Honor Guard/Color Guard team. Bruce also serves as President of the Tracy War Memorial Association and worked with the City of Tracy, Tracy City Council, and the Park and Recreation Department, to upgrade of the War Memorial site. Additionally, Bruce is a restoration volunteer at Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California, restoring military aircraft for display.
Afterward, Supervisor Rickman stated, “It is an honor to recognize Air Force Sergeant Bruce Cleaver, a true patriot who served our nation during the Cold War Era and has never stopped serving our community. From his work with the American Legion and Tracy War Memorial to restoring historic military aircraft, Bruce exemplifies the best of our veterans. We owe him and all veterans a debt we can never fully repay, but we can always remember, honor, and thank them. It is my privilege to recognize his extraordinary life of service.”
For more about Supervisor Rickman, visit https://www.sjgov.org/department/bos/districts/district-5.
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