Veteran of the Month (Phil Kendro

VETERan of ThE monTh

San Diego - November 2021

By Amber Robinson

Phil Kendro

USMC Marine Veteran

There are few veterans in this county who are as busy as Marine Veteran Phil Kendro. If you were to ask him why, he’ll give you the best answer.

“It’s all to help others, to help my community and to be an example,” said Kendro.

Kendro has a big, bad resume and is the perfect vet for this November’s Veteran of the Month. His time in service as a pilot was nothing short of boastful with his post-service work including working with Hollywood’s elite, coordinating San Diego and the country’s largest military events and maybe most importantly, working to bring San Diego’s veterans together in the name of camaraderie, getting a job and beer.

After four years as part of ROTC at Pennsylvania State University on a Navy Scholarship, Kendro was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps as a pilot in 1995. During his time as a Marine officer Kendro served all over the world. After some time with a grounded fleet and then as a T34 instructor, Kendro left to serve overseas. In (year) he deployed with a mixed company of Marines and Sailors to Kuwait, Iraq where he flew Harriers, which are short takeoff attack jets.

“We took over four different airfields while we were there, flew missions for a few months and brought everyone home safely,” said Kendro.

After Iraq Kendro ended up in Japan in a unique job where he got to teach air traffic controller and foreign air protocol to aviation units from all over the world.

“In that job I got to work with Iraqis, the Thai, you name it,” said Kendro. “It was such a privilege to work with and teach people from literally everywhere.” Kendro served 22 years in the Marines before retiring to San Diego in 2018. During his two decades of service he was lucky enough to spend two tours in sunny Southern California. It was during these times he decided he and his family would live here after retirement.

After service, much like many veterans, Kendro stumbled.

“I struggled for about four months looking for work,” said Kendro.

Kendro also said he felt lost without the daily structure of service. He began to worry how he would provide for his family and pay the bills without work. For Kendro it was a dark time.

Luckily, Kendro finally found work, but now he uses that time of struggle as a way to reach out to other veterans who are in that same predicament.

Another way Kendro reaches out to other vets is through San Diego’s Veteran Beer Club which he cofounder.

“In 2016 myself, Brian and Kevin Cortes began brainstorming ways we could bring vets together to job network among other things,” said Kendro.

Later that year they linked up with Second Chance Beer Company and hosted their first event. Now, the Veterans Beer Club is one of the most well-known veteran gatherings in San Diego, offering free food and beer, business networking, VA home loan information and much more. They have hosted events all over San Diego county at various breweries.

“There are about 140 breweries all over town,” said Kendro, “and we have hosted our event in about 55 to 60 of them.”

Kendro says when you arrive at the event you are color coded. For instance, red means “I need a job”, blue means “I have a job but am looking”.

“Or, you can just come and hang out,” said Kendro. “The most rewarding thing about our events is the camaraderie.”

Kendro’s volunteerism for his fellow vets definitely doesn’t stop there. He is also one of the main coordinators for the Miramar Air Show, as well as the usual announcer. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial, helping to coordinate at least two major large-scale events with them a year, he helps to coordinate the San Diego Fleet Week Sea and Air Parade and lends his skills as a broadcaster to air shows and public events up and down the west coast, just to name a few of the things that keeps Kendro busy outside of his usual job. Currently, that job allows this high-energy local icon the ability to work with Hollywood’s best as the Assistant Director of the Entertainment Media Liaison Office, otherwise known as LA Public Affairs.

There he’s gotten the chance to advise, educate and coordinate military assets for a myriad of projects within the entertainment industry.

“I’ve gotten to work with so many great networks and on so many great projects,” said Kendro. “ From game shows to multi-million dollar movies to working with Discovery, Science Channel, with Paramount and the WWE.”

Like I said, he’s got one of those killer resumes.

And the resume is still getting stacked. Kendro has got plans on top of plans for the future. As you can imagine, he’s not home much. But he believes the work he does for his community is worth it. Kendro is aware that volunteer efforts like his are what make our veteran community so strong.

That community servitude and respect for veterans is something he seeks to also instill in his kids, the youngest six, the oldest 9, who he takes to many of his events. Kendro proudly shares how his eldest, Brandon, was ableto meet local icon, WWII and Pearl Harbor survivor, Stu Hedley, at one of the many events he coordinates or hosts.

“That is something he will never forget,” said Kendro.

For Kendro, the sky’s the limit, literally. With his pilot background he still belongs to many flight organizations.

So, if you are a vet and need a job, to connect with fellow vets or are just wanting to get above the clouds out here in sunny SoCal, you know who to call.

We thank Phil Kendro for his service to his nation, his community, and his military brothers and sisters.