As powerlifters took to the platform one by one, grunting and straining in squat, bench press, and deadlift competitions, Arthur Hicks sat in the front row alongside Edith, his wife of 65 years, watching intently.
One of the few Tuskegee Airmen still alive, the 88-year-old was a flight instructor and mechanic in the legendary squadron when President Harry S. Truman finally integrated the armed forces in 1948. Hicks retired from the Air Force in 1971 to become a teacher at Cabrillo High School and Allan Hancock College. In 2007, he received the Congressional Gold Medal with about 300 other Tuskegee Airmen—and on May 21 at the Santa Maria Athletic Club, he and other veterans from recent major U.S. conflicts were the guests of honor.
“It’s certainly invigorating, and it’s a pleasure to know that people still recognize the accomplishments that have been made by us veterans,” Hicks said. “What we have done, I think, had bearing on the racial progress, the integration of our population over the years. It affected the changes in the laws that were structured to keep African Americans separate and discriminated against in all segments of our lives.”
Hicks was among about 100 attendees who packed the gym’s basketball court on Armed Forces Day for the annual powerlifting meet directed by Ken and Mary Tawzer. The Tawzers, from Los Alamos, are world record holders in the bench press, training out of the California Organization for Public Safety (C.O.P.S.) gym in Solvang.
“I was just amazed at the turnout this year,” Ken said. “People said they’d heard how good it was last year, and they didn’t want to miss it this year. They’re going to spread the word, and next year it will be even bigger.”
Some 33 powerlifters, hailing from as far away as the Bay Area, Sacramento, and San Diego, took part in the meet, which was sanctioned by the United States Powerlifting Association. Though the all-day competition was fierce, the event itself took a back seat to those it memorialized.
The Tawzers had dedicated the event to SrA. Daniel Johnson, a Vandenberg Air Force airman killed in Afghanistan on Oct. 5, 2010, by an improvised explosive device. During a special ceremony, Vandenberg’s Honor Guard presented the colors, and a member of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s bagpipe team played for fallen Santa Maria police officer Robert Ramos and Scott Williams, a federal corrections officer at Lompoc Penitentiary who was killed by an inmate in 1997.
Thanking them for their sacrifices, Tawzer handed out medals to veterans from World War II, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, including Air Force Technical Sergeant Bob Butler, who was with SrA. Johnson when he was killed. Johnson’s widow, Kristen, was also presented with a medal.
“He was the best guy I knew,” she said of her late husband. “Funny, caring, but he loved his job, and he died doing something he was so passionate about. He was so honorable and a great guy.”
Moved to tears during the presentation, Johnson said it was comforting to witness the community coming together to recognize her husband’s deeds, as well as those of all the Air Force and military personnel serving overseas.
“It’s nice to know that he’ll never be forgotten, and all these events remind me of that. Doing things in his honor and seeing everyone rallying around the cause makes everything a little bit easier,” she said. “If people weren’t doing stuff and honoring his memory, I would be struggling a lot more, but because the community comes together and does these things, it puts me more at peace each time, which is a blessing.”
Another honoree was Vietnam veteran Leon Weston, who spent 22 years in the Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. Weston came from Sacramento via train to be honored and to watch his daughter, Lynne Castellanos, compete in the event.
“I remember back when I came from Vietnam in 1970, the reception we got was really poor,” Weston said. “They called us ‘baby killers’ and ‘woman killers,’ but today is so different, and I’m very happy to see that. I’m very, very proud.”
Castellanos, a Solvang charter school teacher who also teaches boxing to children at the C.O.P.S. gym, participated in the squat, bench, and deadlift, where she set a personal best.
“Since I ask the kids to do things out of their comfort zone, I have to set a good example,” she said. “I’m proud for my dad and proud for all the veterans. It was important for him, and it was important for us to have him here.”
A powerlifting team comprised of four active U.S. Marines made the trip from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California. Marine Sgt. David Douglas wowed the crowd by benching 683 pounds on his second attempt, his personal best in competition.
“It’s a feeling like you wouldn’t imagine,” Douglas said. “I don’t think anything compares to that. All eyes are on you. The excitement and the adrenaline rush that you get up there is unmatched in any other sport.”
With sweat dripping from his forehead, Douglas explained why his team felt compelled to come to Santa Maria for the event.
“We really wanted to support the USPA. It’s a really good federation; they really support the military,” he said. “I heard it was going to be a really patriotic event on Armed Forces Day, so why not do a competition?”
Fellow powerlifter Rich Lopez, the 2010 U.S.P.A. Lifter of the Year in the open division, drove from Stockton for the meet. He said he was disappointed with his own performance, but inspired by the veterans in attendance. He said he would return home with his head held high.
“I look at them all, and I give them all the respect,” he said. “The Tuskegee Airmen, they were segregated. They were the only black airmen, and here I get to meet one of them. I didn’t do well, but it was just an honor to hold that kind of weight in front of them.”
Pleased with the showing by all the lifters and attendees, Tawzer said he would continue the tradition—next year recognizing the U.S. Navy Seals.
“I hope a lot of people come out to this event next year to back up the veterans,” he said. “It’s not about the powerlifting, it’s about the veterans and honoring them.”
Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas can lift 1,000 words. Contact him at jthomas@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 26 – Jun 2, 2011.
