Environmental Steward

The business that has undertaken the greatest effort to ensure their operations are managed with the best "green" business standards. Either in the vineyard, in production, or stewardship, this business has shown leadership that deserves this award.

“The team at Tablas Creek Vineyard has operated with the environment in mind since its inception. They became one of the first wineries in Paso Robles to certify their vineyard as organic in 2002, certified biodynamic in 2016, and focused regenerative viticulture’s global spotlight on our region by becoming the first winery in the world to be Regenerative Organic Certified. With resource conservation in mind, every new planting at Tablas Creek since 2006 has been wide-spaced and unirrigated, proving that dry-farmed varieties can flourish in Paso Robles. Beyond the vineyard, their team reduced their carbon footprint by shifting to lightweight glass over a decade ago and releasing one of America’s first premium boxed wines, among other big and small actions. The Tablas Creek team continues to be a leader in environmental stewardship.”

George Marrett

ECHO Founder, Author, Pilot, Veteran

By Camille DeVaul

When it comes to the Vietnam conflict and rescue missions operated there, you are sure to find the name George Marrett in the history books.

George is an aviator, writer, one of the founders of the El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO), and one of the earliest members of the Estrella Warbird Museum. You can typically find him tellings jokes and introducing speakers at the Estrella Warbirds Museum at their monthly dinners. But on the rainy night of January 4, it was George's turn to tell his story.

& Bob

The Origin Story

Born in 1935 in Grand Island, Nebraska, George was 5 years old when the United States joined World War II and 10 years old when it ended. Along with most Americans at the time, his family lived with food and supply rations. He remembers helping his father raise and sell rabbit meat and hide to help their family survive the tight times.

"The war made a big effect on me," as he retells of planes flying overhead in his childhood during the second world war.

Living near an Army Air Corps base, George and his childhood friend played fighter and bomber pilots, re-enacting the war stories they heard over the radio.

"That got me interested in airplanes in that time period [of the war], right off the bat," says George as he goes on to explain his journey to later becoming a decorated United States Air Force officer.

George graduated from Iowa State College in 1957 with a BS in chemistry and then entered the United States Air Force (USAF) as a second lieutenant from the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). From there, he spent a few years in pilot and flight training at several Air Force bases (AFB) around the country. In 1964 he was selected to attend the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB where he flew the Northrop T-38 Talon, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, and General Dynamics F-106 Delta Dart.

After graduation, he transferred to the Fighter Test Branch at Edwards for three years, where he tested the McDonnell F-4C Phantom, Northrop F-5A, and the General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark.

The Sandy Chapter

After some convincing, George went to Thailand to join the Vietnam conflict by flying the Douglas A-1 Skyraider as a "Sandy" rescue pilot in the 602nd Fighter Squadron. While there, he completed 188 combat missions, over 600 combat hours, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Air Medal with eight Oak Leaf Clusters.

George's year of rescue missions in Southeast Asia was a formidable one. Twelve pilots in George's squadron were lost that year, two suffered from severe burns that sent them home, and 26 airplanes were lost.

Here, George recounts witnessing a pilot going down during one of his missions: "Suddenly, I see a parachute going to the tree and an airplane crashing into the ground — Now I am the only one left with two helicopters [who have] never been on a rescue. They have already shot down two airplanes. And that was the deer in the headlight that of all of my flying experience that was the one where I was just stunned."

For this downed pilot, George was told to turn around and resume the rescue mission the next day. That pilot ended up in a prisoner of war camp for five years before returning home.

George wrote the book "Cheating Death: Combat Air Rescues in Vietnam and Laos" to memorialize the men that were killed in his squadron.

"Rescue, I think, changed my outlook on life. Rescue is a big thing. It's American," George says of his year of rescue.

Homeless, Not Hopeless

When George retired from Hughes Aircraft in 1989, he couldn't let go of the rescuer he had become. Moving to Atascadero for retirement, he couldn't help but notice the homeless population there with no organization to help them.

"There are a lot of homeless veterans and there is just something about a veteran that is homeless and that just can't be," says George as he explains why he felt called to the homeless cause. "That rescue [in Southeast Asia] changed my life and outlook on things."

After years of working with the Atascadero Loaves and Fishes by expanding their services, the first Board of Directors for the soon-to-be ECHO was born, with George sitting as the group's first vice president. The journey to building ECHO into the organization it is today is recounted in George's latest self-published book. In it, he recounts their humble beginnings and the miracles their organization would soon foster.

One cannot possibly condense all of George's stories and life onto one page. But that is OK because George has written six books recounting the different chapters of his life. His experiences have impacted more than just himself and are ones that have gone down in history.

This February, George celebrates 65 years of marriage with his wife, Jan. Together they have two children, Randall and Scott, and four grandchildren, Tyler, Zachary, Cali, and Casey.

George has been inducted into the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame, received the USAF Test Pilot School Distinguished Alumnus award, and was inducted as a Fellow with the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.