SUNG AND UNSUNG RESIDENTS OF CHULA VISTA

Loyal fans of 2013 U.S. Champion Little Leaguers from Chula Vista 

REMARKABLE GALAXY—OK, so the Chula Vista Little League lost to Japan for the world title.  Our local kids are still the best little leaguers in the U.S. and that’s still saying a lot.  This city of 250,000 located between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico happens to be home to a remarkable collection of notable human beings.  Here’s what we mean:

United States Champions—Chula Vista Little League captured the 2013 National Little League Championship defeating Westport, Conn. in S. Williamsport, PA.

World Champions—The Parkside Little League (12 years and under) won the 2009 Little League World Championship in S. Williamsport, PA

Tom Waits

Tom Waits—Top selling vocalist, who went on to international fame after graduating from Chula Vista’s Hilltop High School.  Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."

Greg Cox—Former Mayor of Chula Vista and current member San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 1.

Tom Basinski—Crime writer/author.   Chula Vista cop turned DA Investigator turned successful author has penned two true crime novels both published by Berkley Books.  “No Good Deed” and “Cross Country Evil.” He is a regular columnist with the Chula Vista Star News.  http://www.amazon.com/Good-Deed-Berkley-True-Crime/dp/0425209601

Tom Basinski

Jessica Sanchez—Professional singer, who came in second in the 11^th season of the American Idol competition.  She is a native to Chula Vista and Eastlake.

Raquel Pomplun—Attended high school in Chula Vista and is a Southwestern College alum before becoming Playboy Magazine’s reigning Playmate of the Year for 2013.

Mario Lopez—Actor, TV game show host graduated from Chula Vista High School in 1991.

John J. McGinty

John J. McGinty—Medal of Honor recipient resides in Chula Vista.  The following is what this U.S. Marine did to earn his Congressional Medal of Honor: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Acting Platoon Leader, First Platoon, Company K, Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, Third Marine Division, in the Republic of Vietnam on 18 July 1966. Second Lieutenant (then Staff Sergeant) McGinty's platoon, which was providing rear security to protect the withdrawal of the battalion from a position that had been under attack for three days, came under heavy small arms, automatic weapons and mortar fire from an estimated enemy regiment.

Jessica Sanchez

Greg Cox

With each successive human wave, which assaulted his 32-man platoon during the four- hour battle, Second Lieutenant McGinty rallied his men to beat off the enemy. In one bitter assault, two of the squads became separated from the remainder of the platoon. With complete disregard for his safety, Second Lieutenant McGinty charged through intense automatic weapons and mortar fire to their position. Finding 20 men wounded and the medical corpsmen killed, he quickly reloaded ammunition magazines and weapons for the wounded men and directed their fire upon the enemy. Although he was painfully wounded as he moved to care for the disabled men, he continued to shout encouragement to his troops and to direct their fire so effectively that the attacking hordes were beaten off. When the enemy tried to out flank his position, he killed five of them at point-blank range with his pistol. When they again seemed on the verge of overrunning the small force, he skillfully adjusted artillery and air strikes within 50 yards of his position. This destructive firepower routed the enemy, who left an estimated 500 bodies on the battlefield. Second Lieutenant McGinty's personal heroism, indomitable leadership, selfless devotion to duty, and bold fighting spirit inspired his men to resist the repeated attacks by a fanatical enemy, reflected great credit upon himself, and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Ty Wigginton--Professional baseball player and Chula Vista High grad, who is currently with the Baltimore Orioles.

Donnie Edwards--Retired National Football League linebacker with the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.

Charisma Carpenter—Actress, model, who is best known for her role as Cordelia Chase in the popular television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel, for which she was nominated for four Saturn Awards. She was a regular on ABC Family's The Lying Game.  In 2004, she appeared in Playboy magazine as a model.