Local Marine Helps Oklahoma Tornado Victims

A Miramar-based marine is pitching in to help tornado victims in Moore, Okla.

For Lance Corporal Vaughn Cannon, a U.S. Marine based at Miramar, this week’s devastation in Oklahoma hits close to home.

That’s because Moore, Okla. – the site of Monday’s destructive, deadly tornadoes – is Cannon’s hometown. Many of the people who’ve lost their homes, he knows personally.

Cannon said the home belonging to his grandparents was one of thousands ruined in the tornadoes.

Now, from his own home in Lakeside, Cannon says he feels compelled to help fellow Oklahomans in these tough times.

In an effort to help tornado victims, he and his family are collecting donations, money and clothing to send to those in need back in his hometown.

“I just thought, it’s not only my duty as an Oklahoman to do something to help out, it’s my duty as a Marine to do anything I can for them because they’ve always been so supportive of me,” Cannon told NBC 7 on Wednesday.

Besides collecting donations, Cannon and his wife, Yvonne, have been selling water, juice and snacks. The proceeds from those sales will go directly to tornado victims, to help families recuperate and rebuild.

“We are from Oklahoma City and Moore where it was affected. After seeing so many friends, and family, that have been affected by the storm, if we can't be down there helping them pick up the rubble, this is a great way we've decided,” Yvonne told NBC 7.

Cannon and Yvonne say Moore holds a very special place in their hearts.

“It’s our home. It’s our Oklahoman duty [to help]. They’ve been there for us, to support my husband and his military career,” Yvonne added.

Local military service member Brandon Roarke supports what the Cannon family is doing and recently donated to their efforts.

“I said, ‘I’ll donate what I was about to [use] to pay for my lunch to Oklahoma,’” Roarke said. "I've got a lot of friends in the area that got hit, so I'm here in California doing work for the military and thought, what a better way to donate from here to do something like this donation when I know it's going there."

The Cannon family will be collecting donations for Oklahoma through Sunday. Those who wish to donate call contact the family via email at yvcannon@yahoo.com or by calling 405-414-9280.