BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Memorial Day is a time to pay tribute to the men and women who have sacrificed their lives to protect our country. Today, one local hero was honored by his loved ones.
Tucker Estrada was a US Air Force Airman from Bakersfield. His family describes him as being a courageous, outgoing, and smart young man.
"He was an amazing kid," said Tucker's father Joey Estrada. "He left right out of high school so he didn't get to experience a lot of the things that his friends did, but then he got to experience so much more. Just watching him as a boy join the military and over the last few years become a man has been pretty exciting to watch from afar through FaceTime and that kind of thing. For me, it just means that it doesn't mean that your loved one has to serve on the battlefield to sacrifice for his country, because no matter what he's still sacrificing time away from his family, away from his friends."
Estrada says his son was a huge fan of sports, and one of his favorite memories was watching his son's passion for baseball, moments he says he will forever cherish.
Audrea Estrada, Tucker's mother, says one of the things she will forever remember about her son is the caring heart that he had for his loved ones.
"He was really kind. He had a variety of friends from all different walks of life. The one thing that everyone would comment on about him was he always knew when someone was having a bad day and he was able to reach out and try to cheer them up," said Mrs. Estrada.
Estrada says that during his son's childhood, one of the things he really cherished was his love for baseball, and he says his son was a huge Dodgers fan.
"Watching him enjoy a Dodger game, watching him get into it, even since he was a little kid, just the face he would make. He'd get excited about a play, and the next play he'd be really upset about it and real passionate about it," said Estrada. "It was genuine."
In honor of Tucker Estrada being a devoted Dodgers fan, as well as dedicating his life to serving our country, a local law office has gifted the Estrada family with Dodgers tickets in honor of Tucker and to acknowledge all our nation's heroes.
Audrea says the family plans on wearing Tucker's collection of Dodgers jerseys and hats in his honor when they head out to the game later this week.
"It was really great just to be able to do something that he loved. It did mean a lot to us that we're able to go and watch a game in his honor," said Audra. "We've been talking about going recently."
