Alamogordo Proud the Story Beyond Politics

Alamogordo is in the news often and is in the national spotlight. Alamogordo, for decades led the nation in rocket research and is known for the testing of the first Atomic Bomb at the nearby Trinity site. 

Alamogordo has produced great scientist, athletes, artists and  television celebrities such as Jeff Griggs, Olympic Trials Contenders such as two time Olympic trials contender, Rene Sepulveda (1996, 2000), Olympic Athletes such ass Benny Garcia and so many other positive influences on American Society.

Alamogordo and Otero County New Mexico is so much more then the antics of Couy Griffin and Cowboys for Trump, more than a battle for control or a school board by a radicalized minority, more than a County Commission that didn’t want to certify elections. Those sensational stories carry the headlines but there are successful small business leaders working to reshape the downtown into a cultural arts district, and there are those individuals that came from Alamogordo that have made a lasting positive impact on Alamogordo like the few mentioned above.

Others of or from Alamogordo include…

Donna Barton Brothers (born April 20, 1966 in Alamogordo, New Mexico) who is a former jockey who won over 1,100 horse races and now covers horse racing and other equestrian sports for NBC Sports

William Edward McMillon (born November 17, 1971) is an American minor league baseball manager and instructor, and a former professional baseball outfielder, who played Major League Baseball from 1996–2004.

Conrad E. Hamilton (born November 5, 1974) is a former professional American football player in the National Football League. He played six seasons for the New York Giants and the Atlanta Falcons.

Neva Dell Hunter (died January 27, 1978) pioneered the practice of aura balancing, a form of spiritual therapy in which the practitioner works directly with the energy fields surrounding and penetrating the physical body.

Alan Hale (born 1958) is an American professional astronomer, who co-discovered Comet Hale–Bopp along with amateur astronomer Thomas Bopp.

Forest Alton "Junior" Daugherty, Jr (born July 19, 1930 in Alamogordo, Otero County, New Mexico) is a fiddler, guitar player and songwriter. He has been ranked among the top five fiddlers in the United States over a fifteen-year period.

Edward Uhler Condon (March 2, 1902 – March 26, 1974) born in Alamogordo and was an American nuclear physicist, a pioneer in quantum mechanics, and a participant during World War II in the development of radar and, very briefly, of nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project. The Franck–Condon principle and the Slater–Condon rules are co-named after him.

There are many others, and this just scrapes the surface of those that came from Alamogordo and made a lasting impact on society in a positive way. 

When one thinks of Alamogordo it is much more then the recent stories of political extremist.

Alamogordo has stories to tell and one of Alamogordo’s Goodwill Ambassadors; Kathy Ramsey, sends this message to America’s press; local, national and international that visits and covers the newsworthy events of Alamogordo and the Couy Griffin trial that begins on Tuesday…

“For those visiting Alamogordo to provide media coverage of former County Commissioner Couy Griffin’ s jury trial as Goodwill Ambassadors we would encourage your visit to our Center of Commerce to learn the positives of our community. It is located at 1301 N White Sands Blvd and open 9 - 4 PM , M-F. Phone (575)437-6120.

We are a good town with good people who want accurate messages told about our integrity, our law-abiding nature and the love we have for our area. This is an excellent place to work, play, do business, worship and raise families.

We are steeped in western heritage that includes neighborliness, family values and the notion of working together. This can be seen in small multi-generational businesses, a regional medical center, a breadth of faith communities and social service agencies. Recreational opportunities abound.

We love hosting Holloman AFB and celebrate the diversity and resources they provide our town. In addition our area is seeing downtown revitalization occurring with enhanced attention to the arts, our varied cultures and the wealth of our science and historical assets. We are proud of our town.

Much national attention has been directed toward us that is negative and incomplete in these times of extreme partisan divisiveness. We wish for a more accurate portrayal of life here and encourage you to bring this story forward. Many of our residents want to live differently and are tired of the drama inflicted by a few.

Goodwill Ambassadors- Alamogordo Proud!”

The story of Benny Garcia is a good summation of Alamogordo and how politics plays a part in the story, and has for decades; but politics is not the only story. 

Integration was the political hot potato of the early 1950s and then there was Benny Garcia.

Benny Garcia in the 1950s  at Alamogordo High School was an excellent Football kicker. He was on the B team. After some injuries and with the objection of his father concerned about him being injured, he became the primary starting kicker.

Albert Romero sprained his ankle and Benny became the primary kicker after that. He had a reputation for making it between the goal posts when it mattered most. Coach Buck saw his talents and made concessions to ensure he was able to take part in the school athletic programs. Benny would walk or run 6 miles home in the dark after practice to La Luz.

At the request of Coach Rolla Buck, Superintendent Barnie Caton arranged the use of a driver education vehicle for Benny to use so that he could take part in Sports. The extra effort paid off for the High School and was life changing for Benny.

His real notoriety came from the Javelin throwing. He set the state record that stood from 1951 to 1966. That record got the attention of the Arizona State University Track and Field Coach that awarded him a full ride scholarship.

A total of 4 individuals from Alamogordo and one coach made the Olympic Trials that has been affiliated with Alamogordo High School. René Sepulveda mentioned early is the most recent. 

Benny Garia though holds the title of  the first native-born New Mexico athlete to ever compete in the Olympics.

Benny Garcia’s name is displayed at the Tigers Hall of Fame, Arizona State Hall of Fame, Drake Relays Hall of Fame, and US Navy Hall of Fame. At the 1956 Olympics he finished 8th place, disappointing Garcia but making his hometown exceptionally proud. Garcia went on to live a phenomenally successful life as a high achieving Tiger Alumni and a respected businessman in Arizona. He died in 2015 but is fondly remembered for his contributions to the history of Alamogordo.

The intersection of sports and politics will always cross. Politics drives news stories. City Commissioner and mayoral races locally have been won and lost based on the results of Alamogordo Football and Sports as well as Political undertones and at times extremism.

Within the local education system there are coaches and teachers, counselors and administrators that are unrecognized as hero's. They are the ones that mold young minds positively and navigate local politics and help launch Olympic qualifiers. Business leaders, celebrities and those that make a positive impact. Some would say those in education are the saints yet the press typically covers the stories of the extremist. It’s not always the presses fault, the press covers the consumers appetite for news.

Alamogordo has a history that is rich, at times controversial, but never boring.

Locals such as our Goodwill Ambassadors of Alamogordo challenge the media to dig deeper and spread the success stories of Alamogordo as well and  of the positivity that also exists, in Alamogordo and Otero County New Mexico.

More News from Alamogordo

• Tularosa High Schools Pat Ventura Relays Local HS Results Results for Tularosa, Cloudcroft and Mescalero Apache Helicopters plus more
• What’s Happening Around Town: Events, Volunteer Opportunities and Resources Sports events, the arts, volunteering, food banks, need help and resources