A Good Year for Coltonite Robert Rosales

Robert Rosales, a true Coltonite and WWII veteran, was honored with a military banner installation ceremony on March 27 last year and only a few months later received his high school diploma on May 1. “2014 was a good year for him,” Rosales’s daughter, Olivia Rosales Tierney, said. The story of how and why Rosales joined the Army is a captivating one. During the 1940s, Rosales was not drafted to serve when WWII broke - but his brother, however, who had a job and a family at the time, was drafted. Rosales volunteered to enter the military to take his brother's place. Rosales was 21 when he entered the Army and served for four years, from 1942 to 1946. He served in the Middle East where he worked as a staff sergeant in the military police. “He learned and experienced a lot. He got to ride a camel, swim in the Suez Canal… He loved it,” his daughter Tierney said. Rosales grew up in Colton, where he enjoyed reading and drawing. “South Colton kids loved to draw,” Tierney said. She referred to her dad as a “big-time reader," explaining that he especially loves to read anything about history. According to Tierney, that’s why the family chose to install his banner right in front of the Colton library. “He loves his books,” she said. Throughout his years, Rosales has learned to speak five different languages, including English, Spanish, Japanese, French and Arabic. “He taught himself all the languages, plus his friends who speak some of these languages would also help,” Tierney said. Rosales worked at Colton Junior High School for 33 years where he worked as head custodian. “Some of the kids came out to support him at his banner installation ceremony,” Tierney added. Over 100 of his friends, family and loved ones gathered in front of the library for the Ceremony. Some family members living in Tennessee traveled to Colton to watch his banner get installed. Rosales's grandson, Joe Blanton, who played in Major League baseball on various teams like the Oakland A’s, the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels, also came out to Colton to support Rosales. “We made a whole day of it. It was a very happy but emotional day,” Tierney explained. After the ceremony, they all headed over to Fleming Park to celebrate together.