Mark Popp

 Mark Walter Popp, a resident of Angels Camp for 18 years, died July 24, 2013 in Palo Alto while receiving care at the VA Hospital.

  He was born January 6, 1950 in Hayward and was raised in Castro Valley. He enlisted in the Army immediately after high school during the Vietnam War.

   He was in the 5th Special forces Group (Airborne).  He was involved in covert operations in Cambodia & Laos, where he was a sharp shooter.

   He reported to a CIA operative. It broke his heart that he returned to an unappreciative nation that called returning soldiers names and spit on them.

   He served as bodyguard to Ed Daly, owner of World Airways in the 1970's, and was part of "The Last Flight from Da Nang" evacuation flight in 1975 when Daley sent his plane to rescue women and children in South Vietnam.

   This rescue flight made worldwide news; it always haunted Mark,  the memory of seeing so any people trying to board the plane unsuccessfuy, knowing they would be killed.

   Mark had a love for adventure, travel & exploration.  He traveled to many countries to collect rare snakes & reptiles for Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco.

   He also provided snakes to cutter Labs in Berkeley for their venom for research and anti-venom.

   Mark married Gloria Beach in April 1995 and they moved to Angels Camp that September. He loved going out in the evening and catching snakes.

   He soon gained a reputation up here as the "Snake Man" and would remove snakes from homes, business, etc.
  
     He was on-call with the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Department to remove snakes from a home  before they entered the house.

   He loved to fish and had an extensive collection of fishing gear for all types of water, from ocean fishing to small streams.

   He went on many fishing trips with Troy Griffith to the Delta, and Joe Maddux to New Melones.

   He was a member of Murphys Community Church until health issues prevented him from attending.

   He volunteered at the New Melones Visitors Center and was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 391.

   He is survived by his wife of 18 years, Gloria Beach-Popp of Angels Camp.  He will be buried with full military honors at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Santa Nella on Thursday, August 8, 2013.

  Mark loved adventure; his love of life will be treasured for a long time. Greetings can be emailed to Glomark@goldrush.com or mailed to P.O. Box 123, Angels Camp, CA 95222