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SJ community remembers retiree, volunteer

By Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published August 05, 2010

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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- The retiree volunteer community and members of base leadership joined together to commemorate the memory of a man who dedicate more than four decades of his life to serving others.

After retiring from the military, Col. Michael Todaro's commitment to his fellow servicemembers and their families did not end, he continued his service by volunteering on base for another 24 years.

Joan Todaro, the colonel's widow, and Col. Shawn Pederson, 4th Fighter Wing vice commander, placed a plaque with this name and years of service on a Volunteer Memorial Wall at the base exchange honoring his selfless sacrifice.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart," Mrs. Todaro said. "He really loved all of you."

Though Colonel Pederson, who recently moved to Seymour Johnson AFB, had not meet Colonel Todaro it did not dim his feelings about the base's loss.

"Thank you for his service," Colonel Pederson told Mrs. Todaro. "Colonel Todaro was a patriot with 24 years of volunteer service. His lifetime commitment to serving his country and Seymour Johnson are the perfect example of integrity, devotion and service before self that we cherish so much in our retiree community. We rely on our retiree volunteers and we could not survive without them."

The colonel volunteered at the 4th Medical Group in the pharmacy where he met Capt. Joshua Swantek.

It was a true pleasure to have worked together, said the 4th Medical Support Squadron pharmacist.

The memorial bares a message thanking volunteers for their service which reads "Honoring the volunteering of those retirees and spouses who served their country and continued to 'still serve' through the Retirees Activities Office. May they rest in peace."

"Colonel Todaro left this world serving his country," said retired Master Sgt. W. Watson, Retiree Activities Office director.
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