Ramon Gonsalez, approaching 90, for years operated his RG Trucking firm on East Wetmore Street hauling sand and gravel.

 He keeps his trucks in first class condition showing his pride in his profession.

The longtime Mantecan and World War II Bronze Star recipient said he should have hid his last Peterbilt behind the building and maybe thieves wouldn’t have found it last week.

“I had just had it washed and polished,” he said of the 1997 vehicle.  “I was offered $60,000 for it four to five years ago,” he said.

Tracy Police located the Peterbilt that had been used for short hauls completely stripped on Tuesday in their community.  Gonsalez and his son Ron had added more accessories including more lights to the tractor.

They said thieves had pried open the gate to the yard braking off the lock.  Two 25 horsepower fishing boat motors were taken from his 16-foot McGregor’s boat.

The business had some 12 trucks on the road between 1985 and the year 2000.

Gonsalez played down the thieves in Manteca, saying “there are good people all over the world” based on his military service in Europe to those in Manteca.  In the Army he had saved one man’s life and later a comrade saved his life as well.