Phil Waterford opens heart to Vietnam vet

Waterford opens heart to Vietnam vet
Dealer presents 2010 Ford Fusion to wounded warrior, gives others 2 checks

By Jason Campbell
Reporter
jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com
209-249-3544

POSTED May 28, 2009 2:19 a.m.


When Phil Waterford got home from the Memorial Day drama events that he emceed on Saturday, he couldn’t sleep.

After spending Friday night learning about the stories of the men who have overcome great adversity, and listening to those same stories again on Saturday, Waterford – who owns and operates Manteca Ford Mercury – could only think about what he could do to help those who gave so much to their country.

And he came up with the perfect plan.

With no sleep to his credit, Waterford called his financial advisors on Sunday morning and told them that he was going to give away two checks and a new vehicle to “wounded warriors” that afternoon – something that they discouraged him from doing at the time.

While those in charge of his finances claimed he couldn’t afford to do it, Waterford said that he turned over the keys of the 2010 Ford Fusion that arrived on the lot Sunday morning to wounded Vietnam veteran Bob Gutierrez – who was afraid that the car he drove to Manteca for the Memorial Day celebration wouldn’t get him back to Texas – in an emotional moment at Sunday’s community gathering at Woodward Park.

“When I called up my financial advisor, he told me that I couldn’t afford to do it, and I had to tell him ‘I can’t afford not to,’” Waterford said before giving Gutierrez the keys on Wednesday.

“Those stories on Saturday weighed so heavily on my heart, and I just felt that it was something that I had to do.”
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