Goodbye Citrine, hello Pettit

BARSTOW • A local veteran, prisoner of war, and former Barstow police officer was honored posthumously Saturday morning when Citrine Road was officially re-named in honor of William Pettit.

“It’s totally awesome,” said Pettit’s wife, Marie Pettit. “I never expected something like this.”

Enlisting in the Marines in 1939, Pettit spent 39 months in a Japanese POW camp during World War II and another 33 months in a Chinese prison camp during the Korean conflict.
Upon retiring from the Marine Corps, Pettit joined the Barstow Police Department, where he served for 16 years.

City Council member Tim Silva — a neighbor of Pettit when they both lived on Old Highway 58 during the 1960s and 1970s — recalled the impression that Pettit made on him as a young man, when Silva would do chores for Pettit after finishing chores at this own family’s ranch.

“I remember sitting in the kitchen with him, and he said ‘you take longer to do your chores but you do them well,’” said Silva. “People don’t really know when they say something that might stick in someone’s head —we don’t remember most things, but I remember that.”

Mayor Joe Gomez said that Pettit Road — a connector that runs between Main Street and the Grandview neighborhood — is an important to many people.

“This road will lead to some big projects in the future,” said Gomez. “It’s important for people who live in Grandview and for people who work at Santa Fe.”

The Marine Corps Color Guard was on hand for the ceremony at the corner of Jasper and Pettit Roads, where they presented the United States and Marine Corps flags on horseback.

At the ceremony, Marie was also presented with a full-size street sign to keep.

“I’m going to put it right above the  front door,” said Marie.

Pettit road is the second street to be re-named in the city’s campaign to honor local POWs. A portion of Bigger street was re-named after Korean War POW David Villafana in July.