Al Schmidt, U.S. Navy veteran and Morgan Hill resident, has been
selected as grand marshal for the 2011 Gilroy Memorial Day
Parade.
Al Schmidt, U.S. Navy veteran and Morgan Hill resident, has been selected as grand marshal for the 2011 Gilroy Memorial Day Parade.
Schmidt currently is the chaplain for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 6309, located in Gilroy. He also has served the American Legion Post No. 217 in Gilroy for 22 years, five as the commander.
Schmidt was born in Illinois and raised in North Dakota before joining the U.S. Navy in 1952.
In October 1955, he was assigned to the U.S.S. Toledo CA-133 heavy cruiser out of Long Beach.
As a 2nd class petty officer, he was in charge of a duty section, missile guidance and surface radar.
He was part of a six-week deployment to Japan joining Task Force 77 for patrols off Korea and the South China Sea. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in June 1956.
Schmidt graduated with a business degree from California State University, Chico, in 1959. While attending Chico he met and married his wife, Rosemary in 1958. They have three children, 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Schmidt is retired from a 30-year insurance career and resides in Morgan Hill.
