Randolph Guzman

BORN: May 5, 1966

BRANCH: USMC

KILLED: April 19, 1995

April 19, 1995, was a horrific day in U.S. history. Homegrown terrorists bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Those who watched the news that day were shocked by the devastation. 

One of the bodies pulled from the rubble five days after the blast was Captain Randolph Guzman.  Randy worked in the Marine Corps recruiting station on the 6th floor of the federal building. That Wednesday morning, he had worn his dress blues to work. 

Veterans throughout the United States watched firefighters and police march in military fashion as they carried Randy’s body out of the building.  One of those veterans who watched the solemn march felt the need to take an extra step. 

Hoover Gin, a former Marine and active Camp Hamilton member who lived in the Bay Area, learned that Randy’s family also lived in the Bay Area. Hoover reached out to the family and asked permission to plant a tree in their son’s memory. His mother agreed and selected a Redwood tree. Hoover drove the family down to Camp Hamilton Veterans Memorial Park to plant Randy’s tree on Memorial Day.  

At the time, many Kern County residents planted Redwoods in the valley. Those were the days before the drought and the days when we had more foggy mornings. Sadly, the redwood tree did not last, but we never removed its stump. One day we will build a bench from that redwood. In the meantime, we recently planted a new tree for Captain Guzman.