Charles Lowder, right, a Silver Star recipient who served in
Vietnam as a major in the U.S. Marine Corps, shakes the hand of
Navy Corpsman Daniel Velez, 30, after Lowder presented Velez and
his family with a $500 check from the Hidden Valley Kiwanis Club.
The check was presented during a club meeting at Cocina del Charro
in Escondido on Tuesday. Velez, who completed more than 50 combat
missions in Afghanistan, was the club's Operation Hero and Wounded
Warrior honoree.