Governor Rick Scott today awarded 101 Florida veterans with the Governor’s Veterans Service Medal for their service to the state and nation. Since 2013, Governor Scott has awarded more than 13,000 veterans with the Governor’s Veterans Service Medal.
The following Florida veterans were highlighted during today’s ceremony:
Senior Chief Edwin Soto
Senior Chief Edwin Soto enlisted in the United States Navy in 1981. He served in the United States Navy for nearly 28 years, achieving the rank of Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman. He deployed to Iraq in 2004 and again in 2005 with the Marine Corps in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and previously deployed to Desert Storm, providing medical support to Marines and Sailors. His awards are numerous and include: the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, four Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, and nine Sea Service Deployments.
Sergeant Major Pedro Lorenzo Guerad
Sergeant Major Pedro Guerad was born in Cuba in 1954. In 1969, he left Cuba and came to the United States with his immediate family. In 1979, he joined the United States Army as a Combat Medic serving his initial assignment at Fort Riley, Kansas. Throughout his 32-year career, Sergeant Major Guerad held a variety of positions, including serving in Iraq as the Sergeant Major of the Combat Support Hospital in Mosul. He culminated his career by serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Director of Medical Logistics, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Sergeant Major Guerad received many awards and decorations during his service including the Bronze Star Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the U.S. Airborne Paratrooper Badge, the Uruguayan Jump Wings, and the Expert Field Medical Badge.
