![\"(L-R)](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/RSF-L-LETTERPARADE-0806.jpg\")
(L-R) Nick Dieterich with super veterans: Skip Atkins, Chris Blatt, Tom Lang and \u201cWilly\u201d Buhl.\n(Courtesy of Nick Dieterich)
\nWith gratitude: 2026 RSF Independence Day Parade and more<\/p>\n
(L-R) Nick Dieterich with super veterans: Skip Atkins, Chris Blatt, Tom Lang and \u201cWilly\u201d Buhl.
\n(Courtesy of Nick Dieterich)
\nWith gratitude: 2026 RSF Independence Day Parade and more<\/p>\n
For United States\u2019 250th Anniversary, the 2026 edition of Rancho Santa Fe\u2019s Independence Day Parade was spectacular! Photos don\u2019t do justice. The crowds of 100s and 3-4 deep were the perhaps largest in decades!<\/p>\n
Thank you for those that turned out to celebrate America, and our excellent military and first responders! As golf legend Gary Player says: \u201cThis is the greatest country in the world\u201d It is a gift. \u201cFreedom is so important!\u201d We must work hard to preserve it for our decedents.<\/p>\n
A special thank you several people who participated in our 4th of July Parade.<\/p>\n
We highly appreciate you!:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Cutter Clotfelter, RSF Parade organizer and emcee. A fantastic job every year!<\/p>\n
Rancho Santa Fe\u2019s Fire District crews:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 E261 \u2013 Curtis Benz, Chris Pane, and Tyler Ball<\/p>\n
\u00b7 E263 \u2013 Chase Cantrell, Sean Johnson, Mitch Grant<\/p>\n
\u00b7 M261 \u2013 John Brzostkiewicz, Omar Inostroza<\/p>\n
\u00b7 B264 \u2013 Trever Krueger<\/p>\n
Color Guard from IPAC Quality Control Branch, MCAS Miramar:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Sergeant Christian Limon<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Corporal M. Medina<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Lance Corporal Chelsie Uscanga Marquez<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Lance Corporal Amie N. Hernandez<\/p>\n
Thank you to Sandy and Peter Mossy, who provided the convertible driven by Nick Dieterich:<\/p>\n
\u00a0RSF and area veterans:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 COL. Willard \u2018Willy\u2019 Buhl<\/p>\n
34-Year Distinguished Marine Career (1982-2016)<\/p>\n
Participated in Op Iraqi Freedom included clearing Fallujah.<\/p>\n
EOTG: Instructor for the Distance Education Program at Expeditionary Warfare School on Camp Pendleton.<\/p>\n
Col. Buhl would go above and beyond to follow up on each Marine he helped out.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Tom Lang<\/p>\n
Veteran USMC Infantry Officer<\/p>\n
Platoon Leader and Company Commander in Vietnam in 1968.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Skip Atkins<\/p>\n
Army, Specialist 5, Medic, Vietnam: June 1964 thru June 1966.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Chris Blatt<\/p>\n
Highest Rank was Commander US Navy \u2013 last duty Station US Pacific Fleet.<\/p>\n
Chris helps house wounded or retired military veterans.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 SGT. Paul Seitz, USMC (ret.), 1996-2004<\/p>\n
RSF School Board member,<\/p>\n
San Diego Honor Flight Board and has chaperoned numerous veterans on DC trips!<\/p>\n
\u201cShelter To Soldier\u201d with their motto: \u201cSaving Lives Two at a Time.\u201d<\/p>\n
They pair and train shelter dogs with wounded veterans.<\/p>\n
Canine Ambassador Therapy Dog Teams:<\/p>\n
\u00b7 \u00a0Bill and Briana Duffield with Therapy Dog Nala,<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Veteran alumni, USN Veteran Rebecca with her Service Dog Gail.<\/p>\n
Also, wish to acknowledge the many living RSF-area veterans. This is a very partial list. If you are or know of a veteran or 1st responder that lives or works in our community, please let me know at soonest: PublicpolicyNick@aol.com.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 LT Thomas D. Rutledge, USNR JAGC (Ret.)<\/p>\n
7 Years Army National Guard, 13 Years in Navy<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Andrew Paul<\/p>\n
RSF resident and veteran. Still an active member of the reserves.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Bill Voge<\/p>\n
E-5. US Army Security Agency<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Bill Strong<\/p>\n
Commissioned Officer in US Navy Pilot Training in Pensacola Fla 1968-69;<\/p>\n
Ranked 1st of 128; Honorable Discharge<\/p>\n
\u00b7 LTJG Steve Dunn, USN vet. 1969-1973.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Chaco Clotfelter<\/p>\n
Captain, USMC, Special Forces, 1990s. One of only nine active-duty Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance Platoon Commanders. He has been recognized on Mt. Soledad with a plaque recognizing his service to our nation for many duties including complex intel. duties.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Dick Clotfelter<\/p>\n
Captain in the U S Marines and was on the planning staff for the invasion of Cuba just prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis in Oct 1962.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Heather Manion<\/p>\n
Captain, US Army Nurse, Ret.<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Kris Kilmartin Groves<\/p>\n
Navy Special Forces, Ret.<\/p>\n
An outstanding citizen. He sacrificed so much for our country and had several tours in the Middle East as well as provided security services for our President and VPs.<\/p>\n
Thank you, too, to the RSF Senior Center\u2019s Kris Slugg, and the RSF Historical Society, and the many others that do their part in making the event great!<\/p>\n
Thank you,<\/p>\n
Nick Dieterich,<\/p>\n
RSF Parade Military and First Responder Coordinator<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(L-R) Nick Dieterich with super veterans: Skip Atkins, Chris Blatt, Tom Lang and \u201cWilly\u201d Buhl. (Courtesy of Nick…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":424979,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[6837,140334,74,76,75],"class_list":["post-424978","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-rancho-santa-fe-review","tag-rancho-santa-fe-review-opinion","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424978","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424978"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424978\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/424979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}