For 54 years, Joe Gonzales gave his time and energy to organize and attend funerals for veterans in Tooele County and beyond.
A Marine and veteran of the Korean War, Gonzales served on the military honor detail for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9413, attending more than 300 funerals by his own estimation.
After decades of service to the local and military communities, Gonzales died on Jan. 17 at the age of 87. Two of his honor detail members, Dennis Tracey and Fred Barker, discussed Gonzales’ impact on their lives and the community he served.
Gonzales was born in Las Tusas, New Mexico in 1928 and relocated to Tooele after his service during the Korean War. He worked as a bartender and heavy-duty mechanic at Tooele Army Depot.
Barker worked in the same building as Gonzales, where he helped assemble the engines that Gonzales tested. After meeting at the depot, Gonzales was instrumental in getting Barker to sign up for the VFW in the 70s and join the military honors detail.
“He was a good, good guy,” said Barker, 77. “He sort of took care of me.”
Gonzales served as the VFW post commander in Tooele for several years and the District 2 commander in 2004, which includes Tooele and a larger portion of the state. Tracey said Gonzales was the one who nominated him for the position of post commander, which he also held for several years.
Tracey said Gonzales was a friendly, outgoing individual but reverent when conducting funerals. The past five years, Tracey said he would visit with Gonzalez every month or two.
“We used to have very interesting conversations,” he said. “I always planned for two hours when I went down there because I knew it wasn’t going to be 15 minutes.”
A member of the Patriot Guard Riders, Tracey said Gonzales rode along as his copilot on a dozen missions. The Patriot Guard Riders is a nonprofit organization of motorcycle riders who attend veteran funerals to keep protestors like the Westboro Baptist Church from disturbing the ceremonies.
“Even though he was getting around with a cane and he wasn’t getting around far, the folks loved having him there,” Tracey said.
As Gonzales got older, he eventually wasn’t able to stand outside for the ceremonies but would still call the members of the military honors detail to organize the funerals. He was never removed from his position as commander of the military honors, Tracey said.
“To me it was a sign of stability, that here was a man that was quietly serving his community,” he said.
Barker said that while he was capable, Gonzales was a constant presence at the funerals of area veterans.
“We were always there at the funerals,” he said. “He didn’t miss any.”
Tracey said that Gonzales was completely committed to being there for the families of veterans during a stressful time in their lives.
“Military honors are not for the veteran,” he said. “They’re for the veteran’s family. It brings a measure of comfort to them to see that their country recognizes their service.”
At Gonzales’ funeral this Saturday, there will be a final roll call. Tracey said he will call the name of the present honors detail members. Gonzales’s name will be called three times and when there is no response, a member of the detail will finally respond, “He has gone to a better place.”
Tracey said one of the most painful things the military honors detail has to do is bury one of their own.
“You’ll notice that we wear sunglasses because sometimes you need them,” he said. “You don’t want them to see you cry. I imagine that at the honors detail we’ll have a few tears to shed.”
Barker and Tracey will both be there, as they have for years, and will continue to attend the funerals for the county’s veterans as Gonzales did for over a half century.
“We’ll continue his legacy,” Barker said.
See Gonzales’ obituary on page A8 for details of his viewing, funeral mass and interment.