Story & Photos by: Dave Shabaz, Publisher

   Last Monday, on Veterans Day, 101-year-old Lt. Col. Clifton Perkins of Artesia was honored with an award named for another Artesia war hero who lived to be 101, Lt. Col. Charles “Chuck” Joy.

  Artesia residents turned out for the ceremony honoring Lt. Col. Perkins and featuring presentation of the Lt. Col. Charles “Chuck” Joy Award at the War Memorial at Baish Park. The award was given by Boy Scout Troop 228 of Artesia.

Perkins turned 101 years of age last May. His dedication to his country spanned over three decades in the Army Air Corps and The National Guard.

“Clif Perkins exemplifies the values of dedication and service we strive to instill in our scouts,” said Jeremy Kern, scoutmaster of Troop 228. “His commitment to both community and country makes him an inspiring role model for our youth, and we’re honored to recognize him this Veterans Day.”

Perkins is also known locally for opening well-known local landmark restaurant La Fonda in 1965 along with his parents, BJ and Otiska Perkins.

Chuck Joy was not originally from Artesia but was a longtime resident. He served in World War II and flew over 50 missions with the Army Air Corps in a B-24 Liberator. He passed away at the age of 101 in January 2022.

Perkins was born in Pasadena, California, on May 30, 1923. He moved to Artesia when he was 6 years old and in 1943 graduated from Artesia High School. He joined the Army Air Corps, now the United States Air Force, at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. The Army Air Corps decided Clif had a proficiency for engineering and he began a 31-year military career that would take him around the world. He spent 10-years in the Air Force and Army and 21-years in The National Guard.

     Clif’s technical expertise began with hands-on training with the legendary B-17 bomber at Boeing’s Seattle plant. His dedication and proficiency soon led him to operational roles in Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia.

     In one of his voyages aboard the USS General Mann, Clif recalls navigating the Atlantic Ocean, “zigzagging” through dangerous waters as a protective measure against enemy submarines. The trip was long and arduous. The route took the ship through the Rock of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Suez Canal before reaching Bombay, India. The journey then continued by train to Calcutta, where the conditions were challenging, he said. Clif recalled traveling on open rail cars and living on sea rations – “kinda like popcorn,” he said.

     Clif’s courage shone during missions in the China-Burma-India theater as he flew C-47 transports over “The Hump,” a perilous route across the Himalayas. Stationed in Kweiyang, China, he eventually qualified to fly P-51 Mustangs due to a pilot shortage and played a critical role in protecting the Burma Trail, ensuring that vital supplies reached their destinations.

Clif’s Mustang was called the Queen of Hearts and displayed matching nose art. He spent a total of three years in China.

“I’ve been around the world and the people in China truly honored Americans,” he said.

     In Indochina, the bitter cold tested both man and machine. Cliff and his fellow airmen displayed ingenuity by setting barrels of rocks alight with gasoline to warm engines and keep missions running.

     After returning stateside, Cliff joined the Army National Guard, serving in Army Air Defense with the Hawk and Hercules missile systems. While still serving, Clif began working for his father at Perkins & Son in Artesia. They provided plumbing, sheet metal, air conditioning and soft water. After that, he owned Cliff’s Cafeteria. He kept the name “Cliff’s” since he always went by “Clif.”  

     Perkins bought and later sold a local Dairy Queen franchise and in 1965, with the help of his parents BJ and Otiska Perkins, he opened La Fonda Restaurant. The restaurant is currently owned by his daughter Betsy and her husband Josh, who bought the business in 2019.

 When Clif opened La Fonda, it held 70 customers. Today it can serve 400. The restaurant’s motto: “if you leave hungry, it was your own fault.”

  Perkins met Selah, his wife of 53-years, at the restaurant, where she was an employee. One night, they closed up and they were the only two people there he recalled. “I took a chance and asked her if she’d like to go to the racetrack in Ruidoso and that turned out to be our first date.”  

     Clif and Selah have two boys and three girls, along with 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He loves carpentry and loves making cornhole platforms. He said he doesn’t play the game but loves building them for people to enjoy.

   He said the one question he’s always asked is, “What’s your secret?” 

His reply: “I don’t have a secret. I don’t smoke or drink (because I did that when I was younger) and I figure that God put me here and he’s keeping me here for a reason.”

Perkins said he is fortunate to have watched Artesia grow. When he moved here in 1929, Artesia had 4,700 people and now has over 12,000 according to the 2023 census.

“It has been a privilege to be brought up here in Artesia,” he said.

Those who honored Perkins on Veterans Day would say it’s been a privilege and honor to have him here.