SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — It was a long time coming for a San Diego Navy veteran.
After 20 years of service — and while battling stage four cancer — retired Storekeeper First Class Gerardo Soriano finally received the formal retirement ceremony he earned.
It was a moment decades in the making.
For Gerardo Soriano, a sailor who gave the Navy 20 years of his life, this was his final formation.
High-ranking Navy officials gathered inside the hangar at the USS Midway Museum — not for a deployment, but for a long-overdue retirement ceremony.
Terminally ill and battling stage four cancer, this was Soriano's final wish — to be honored, in uniform, by the service he dedicated his life to.
His journey began at 25, joining the Navy in Subic Bay, Philippines, one of more than 500 applicants. Only three were selected.
"To be chosen out of over 500 people, that says everything about who he was," a speaker said.
Over two decades, Soriano served on six ships and spent nearly 13 years at sea, mentoring younger sailors, setting the standard, and paving the way for those who stood watch after him.
Family watched from the front row, witnessing a moment they say meant everything.
"It's such an honor to see him recognized like this," a family member said.
For his son, this ceremony was more than a goodbye.
"It means the world to our family to do this for him," his son said.
On the deck of a historic warship, a sailor's career was finally given its due. A final salute for a lifetime of service.
