Solar company gifts 15 panels to local Vietnam veteran [Video]

SAN DIEGO — Fifty years after returning home from Vietnam to a less-than-warm welcome, U.S. Marine veteran Charles Cedillo is experiencing a different kind of homecoming—one marked by gratitude and generosity.

Though he walks with a slight limp these days, Cedillo stands tall as a pillar of strength for his family in Golden Hill. Recently, his unwavering support for others was recognized when Semper Solaris, a veteran-owned solar company, selected him to receive a free 15-panel solar installation through their “Semper Cares” initiative.

“When we threw my name in the hat, I told my daughter, ‘Snowball’s chance in hell that I get picked,'” Cedillo recalls. His daughter, Gia Rios, had nominated him for Semper Cares Project Yankee, a program helping veterans achieve energy independence.

Among hundreds of nominations, Cedillo’s story resonated deeply. As a disabled veteran, …