BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — With the ring of a bell, the portrait of Jaclyn “Jackie” Kvasnicka joined other veterans frozen in time at the Portrait of a Warrior Gallery in the heart of downtown Bakersfield.
The Portrait of a Warrior Gallery honors fallen vets for their service and sacrifice in painted tributes. On Saturday, Feb. 17, Kvasnicka’s portrait was revealed during a special ceremony. Her portrait now joins other fallen veterans in the Portrait of a Warrior Gallery on the 1900 block of Eye Street.
Kvasnicka attended Garces High and California State University, Bakersfield before enlisting as a member of our local Army Reserves 422nd Company of the Military Police. She was killed by a drunk driver in 2014.
Parents John and Mary Jo Kvasnicka attended the ceremony honoring their daughter — a tribute that brings both joy and pain.
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“They keep these memories alive and it’s incredible,” said John Kvasnicka. “It makes us feel so proud, so proud.”