| Arizona’s Men and Women in Military Service to America in World War II: A Preliminary View |
By Christine Marin Ph.D.
Photographs: Chicano Research Collection, Hayden Library
Photographs: Chicano Research Collection, Hayden Library
World War II dominated every aspect of the Mexican American’s life in the
1940s. As the United States became threatened by a foreign enemies,
Mexican Americans in Arizona responded to the call for service and duty to
their country, the United States.
Corporal Ruben Limas of Phoenix distinguished himself by serving as editor
of an underground newspaper and fashioning a unique American flag to
attract planes during his 3 ½ years of Japanese internment. Attached to
the 60th Coast Artillery, Limas was captured by the Japanese at
Corregidor in December, 1941. He was a POW at the Toyama camp in the
Nagoya, Japan district. It was in this camp that he conceived the idea of
attracting the attention of American planes flying over the prison in the
hope that aid could be brought to a dying comrade. He decided this could
be accomplished by fashioning an American flag large enough to be seen
from the air. And so came into existence the most unique representations
of the Stars and Stripes ever created. Limas first dug out his prized bed
sheet and than made a requisition to the American medical officer in
charge for a bottle of mercurochrome. When an Arkansas boy donated a
1940s. As the United States became threatened by a foreign enemies,
Mexican Americans in Arizona responded to the call for service and duty to
their country, the United States.
Corporal Ruben Limas of Phoenix distinguished himself by serving as editor
of an underground newspaper and fashioning a unique American flag to
attract planes during his 3 ½ years of Japanese internment. Attached to
the 60th Coast Artillery, Limas was captured by the Japanese at
Corregidor in December, 1941. He was a POW at the Toyama camp in the
Nagoya, Japan district. It was in this camp that he conceived the idea of
attracting the attention of American planes flying over the prison in the
hope that aid could be brought to a dying comrade. He decided this could
be accomplished by fashioning an American flag large enough to be seen
from the air. And so came into existence the most unique representations
of the Stars and Stripes ever created. Limas first dug out his prized bed
sheet and than made a requisition to the American medical officer in
charge for a bottle of mercurochrome. When an Arkansas boy donated a
Those from the Salt River Valley also made their sacrifices:
PFC Arnold Castro was recovering in a rehabilitation center
in England early in 1945 from wounds received near Le
Haye du Puits, France. For his heroism, he was awarded
the Purple Heart. And for heroic achievement in action in
northern Italy with the Fifth Army, Staff Sgt. Mauricio M.
Aragón of Avondale received the Bronze Star. Corporal
Charlie A. Lugo won the Purple Heart for heroism in battle
in Saipan. Also a winner of the Purple Heart, Pvt. Manuel G.
Leyvas saw fierce action as a paratrooper in the African,
Sicilian, Italian, Normandy, and Belgium campaigns. And
PFC Carman Peña was awarded the Bronze Star for heroic
conduct on the field of battle. The award was made for
action in Germany, where he saved the lives of three
companions under heavy enemy fire. Let’s not forget Staff
Sgt. Juan Ramirez, reported to have died of wounds April
14, 1944 in Italy, and was awarded the Bronze Star for
heroism. At the outbreak of World War II, Valdemar
Cordova joined the military at the age of 17, just two
courses shy of his graduation from Phoenix Union High
School. While in the service, he flew bombing missions until
he was shot down over Germany. He was captured and
spent 1 ½ years as a POW at the Stalag Luft I Berth in
Germany. For his service, he was awarded the Purple
Heart.
PFC Arnold Castro was recovering in a rehabilitation center
in England early in 1945 from wounds received near Le
Haye du Puits, France. For his heroism, he was awarded
the Purple Heart. And for heroic achievement in action in
northern Italy with the Fifth Army, Staff Sgt. Mauricio M.
Aragón of Avondale received the Bronze Star. Corporal
Charlie A. Lugo won the Purple Heart for heroism in battle
in Saipan. Also a winner of the Purple Heart, Pvt. Manuel G.
Leyvas saw fierce action as a paratrooper in the African,
Sicilian, Italian, Normandy, and Belgium campaigns. And
PFC Carman Peña was awarded the Bronze Star for heroic
conduct on the field of battle. The award was made for
action in Germany, where he saved the lives of three
companions under heavy enemy fire. Let’s not forget Staff
Sgt. Juan Ramirez, reported to have died of wounds April
14, 1944 in Italy, and was awarded the Bronze Star for
heroism. At the outbreak of World War II, Valdemar
Cordova joined the military at the age of 17, just two
courses shy of his graduation from Phoenix Union High
School. While in the service, he flew bombing missions until
he was shot down over Germany. He was captured and
spent 1 ½ years as a POW at the Stalag Luft I Berth in
Germany. For his service, he was awarded the Purple
Heart.
Twenty-two Arizona soldiers were killed in the European and Southwest Pacific battlefields in early 1945. Among
those KIA in the European area were Staff Sgt. Fernando Belis, Tucson; PFC Ernesto Miguel, Yuma; PFC Hilario
Padilla, Phoenix; PFC Ramón G. Ruiz, Clifton. Killed in the Southwest Pacific were: Staff Sgt. Robert Gonzales,
Nogales; Tech. Sgt. Hilario M. Gutierrez, Phoenix; PFC Trinidad A. Gutierrez, St. Johns; and PFC Francis D. Zavala,
Yuma.
So that men could be released for service overseas, many Mexican American women provided the supportive
services needed to continue the war effort. For example, PFC Carmen Martinez of Phoenix served with the U.S.
Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. She was on duty as a typist and filing clerk in the message center at the Marine
barracks in Quantico, Virginia. And Privates Maria C. Espinosa and Anita H. Garcia also enlisted in the Marine Corps
Women’s Reserve from Phoenix. Private Dolores Alice Ozuna of Globe served with the stenographic unit at an Army
airfield. Rose F. Varela of Phoenix enlisted with the Waves. Mary Lou Mazón served in the Rapid City Army Air Base in
South Dakota in 1942. Sgt. Josie Orñelas served with the WACs in 1943. Maria D. Armijo of McNary trained with the
Army Corp at Fort Des Moines with a Wave unit. In 1945, Sgt. Vicenta R. Torres, stationed in Italy as a WAC, had the
duty of directing mail from Italy to American fighting men stationed overseas. And in Phoenix, Pvt. Carmen C.
Contreras became the 750th Arizona woman to join the Army. And Cpt. Matilde Yanez of Phoenix served as chief
nurse in a combat zone hospital on the island of Luzon.
Born in Mexico to Valentίn Almanza and Felicitas Fierro Herrera and orphaned as a toddler, Silvestre Herrera was
raised in El Paso, Texas by a loving uncle and aunt, Librado and Gertrudis Santana. As a young man, Herrera
became a farm worker, and joined his family in the agricultural fields of Texas. Already married to Ramona Hidalgo
Guerrera, with three children, and another child on the way, Herrera received his U.S. Army draft notice in 1944. His
uncle reminded him that he was not a United States citizen and was not obligated to join the military. But Herrera
felt it was his duty to fight and defend his adopted country, the United States. The Army sent him to Alabama for
infantry training. On March 15, 1945, near Mertzwiller, France, his squad was pinned down by enemy German
machine gun fire. Private First Class Herrera stood up and charged with the bayonet fixed on his M-1 rifle. He tipped
over one machine gun and captured eight German soldiers. The squad advanced through a mine field toward
another, better fortified machine-gun emplacement. Herrera stepped on an anti-personnel mine, and both his feet
were blown off. He was evacuated to Bushnell General Hospital in Utah to receive medical care. On August 23, 1945,
PFC Silvestre Herrera was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in a special military ceremony by President
Harry S. Truman. He also received his United States citizenship upon his return to his Mexicano community in
Phoenix. Herrera was honored for his bravery with a proclamation by Governor Sidney P. Osborn designating August
25, 1945 as “Sylvestre Herrera Day”. It didn’t matter that Herrera’s first name was misspelled on the proclamation,
however. What mattered is that he was recognized by the citizens of the State of Arizona for his selfless act of
courage and sacrifices at a time when his country needed him the most.
The Governor and other important officials were at the Union Station in Phoenix to greet the train bringing Herrera
back home. He was the guest of honor at a patriotic parade down Central Avenue that morning and he sat on top of
the back of a brand new red convertible so the crowd could see him pass by along the route. The parade stopped in
front of the Republic and Gazette Building on Central. A platform was draped with red, white and blue bunting. The
people cheered for the governor. They clapped for the mayor and Governor Osborn shouted “On behalf of the
people of Arizona, I’m proud and happy to welcome you home, Sergeant Herrera!” Anthropologist Beatrice Griffith
reports in her seminal study of Mexican Americans, American Me, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1948, that “just a
few days before, it had been necessary for the Governor to take action to have removed from business
establishments signs which said ‘NO MEXICAN TRADE WANTED!”
Mexican American men and women proved their American loyalties and bravery in wartime. Their deaths, medals,
citations, awards and unquestionable patriotism attest to their achievements and contributions to the nation’s
efforts in World War II.
those KIA in the European area were Staff Sgt. Fernando Belis, Tucson; PFC Ernesto Miguel, Yuma; PFC Hilario
Padilla, Phoenix; PFC Ramón G. Ruiz, Clifton. Killed in the Southwest Pacific were: Staff Sgt. Robert Gonzales,
Nogales; Tech. Sgt. Hilario M. Gutierrez, Phoenix; PFC Trinidad A. Gutierrez, St. Johns; and PFC Francis D. Zavala,
Yuma.
So that men could be released for service overseas, many Mexican American women provided the supportive
services needed to continue the war effort. For example, PFC Carmen Martinez of Phoenix served with the U.S.
Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. She was on duty as a typist and filing clerk in the message center at the Marine
barracks in Quantico, Virginia. And Privates Maria C. Espinosa and Anita H. Garcia also enlisted in the Marine Corps
Women’s Reserve from Phoenix. Private Dolores Alice Ozuna of Globe served with the stenographic unit at an Army
airfield. Rose F. Varela of Phoenix enlisted with the Waves. Mary Lou Mazón served in the Rapid City Army Air Base in
South Dakota in 1942. Sgt. Josie Orñelas served with the WACs in 1943. Maria D. Armijo of McNary trained with the
Army Corp at Fort Des Moines with a Wave unit. In 1945, Sgt. Vicenta R. Torres, stationed in Italy as a WAC, had the
duty of directing mail from Italy to American fighting men stationed overseas. And in Phoenix, Pvt. Carmen C.
Contreras became the 750th Arizona woman to join the Army. And Cpt. Matilde Yanez of Phoenix served as chief
nurse in a combat zone hospital on the island of Luzon.
Born in Mexico to Valentίn Almanza and Felicitas Fierro Herrera and orphaned as a toddler, Silvestre Herrera was
raised in El Paso, Texas by a loving uncle and aunt, Librado and Gertrudis Santana. As a young man, Herrera
became a farm worker, and joined his family in the agricultural fields of Texas. Already married to Ramona Hidalgo
Guerrera, with three children, and another child on the way, Herrera received his U.S. Army draft notice in 1944. His
uncle reminded him that he was not a United States citizen and was not obligated to join the military. But Herrera
felt it was his duty to fight and defend his adopted country, the United States. The Army sent him to Alabama for
infantry training. On March 15, 1945, near Mertzwiller, France, his squad was pinned down by enemy German
machine gun fire. Private First Class Herrera stood up and charged with the bayonet fixed on his M-1 rifle. He tipped
over one machine gun and captured eight German soldiers. The squad advanced through a mine field toward
another, better fortified machine-gun emplacement. Herrera stepped on an anti-personnel mine, and both his feet
were blown off. He was evacuated to Bushnell General Hospital in Utah to receive medical care. On August 23, 1945,
PFC Silvestre Herrera was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in a special military ceremony by President
Harry S. Truman. He also received his United States citizenship upon his return to his Mexicano community in
Phoenix. Herrera was honored for his bravery with a proclamation by Governor Sidney P. Osborn designating August
25, 1945 as “Sylvestre Herrera Day”. It didn’t matter that Herrera’s first name was misspelled on the proclamation,
however. What mattered is that he was recognized by the citizens of the State of Arizona for his selfless act of
courage and sacrifices at a time when his country needed him the most.
The Governor and other important officials were at the Union Station in Phoenix to greet the train bringing Herrera
back home. He was the guest of honor at a patriotic parade down Central Avenue that morning and he sat on top of
the back of a brand new red convertible so the crowd could see him pass by along the route. The parade stopped in
front of the Republic and Gazette Building on Central. A platform was draped with red, white and blue bunting. The
people cheered for the governor. They clapped for the mayor and Governor Osborn shouted “On behalf of the
people of Arizona, I’m proud and happy to welcome you home, Sergeant Herrera!” Anthropologist Beatrice Griffith
reports in her seminal study of Mexican Americans, American Me, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1948, that “just a
few days before, it had been necessary for the Governor to take action to have removed from business
establishments signs which said ‘NO MEXICAN TRADE WANTED!”
Mexican American men and women proved their American loyalties and bravery in wartime. Their deaths, medals,
citations, awards and unquestionable patriotism attest to their achievements and contributions to the nation’s
efforts in World War II.
| Contact the Author Copyright © 2006 by Christine Marin |
pair of blue trousers the problem of the field for the stars was solved. The flag was completed in time to be used to
cover the casket of the boy whose life the flag was designed to save. On subsequent days, the emblem was used
to attract the attention of planes. Corporal Limas won the Bronze Star, the Presidential Unit Citation with two Oak
Leaf clusters, and the Philippine Defense Ribbon.
In January, 1944, the Distinguished Service Cross was awarded posthumously to Private First Class Gilberto C.
Estrada of Nogales, for extraordinary heroism on July 11, 1943, in the Solomon Islands. The war department citation
said Estrada, an infantryman, killed two enemy machine-gunners when they attacked his company on the Munda
trail in New Georgia. And Corporal Anthony Santestebán of Winslow won the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in
action against the Japanese on New Georgia Islands. The 20-year old Marine was a member of one of the artillery
batteries which helped pound the enemy into submission on Munda and Kolombangara. The parents of Tech. Sgt.
Richard Estrada Mora of Miami received a telegram from the war department stating their son’s tragic death. Sgt.
Mora was killed in action on the Marshall Islands on February 3, 1944. Private First Class José S. Ramos of Globe
was listed as KIA in the navy department casualty list in early February, 1944. And Lt. Manuel Treviño, Jr., of
Superior had completed twenty aerial bombing missions in the South Pacific by February 13, 1944. Lt. Treviño,
awarded the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters, had seven Japanese aircraft to attest to his courage.
The casualty list of Tucson men KIA was heavy: PFC Paul J. Berumen was killed when two Flying Fortress bombers
collided in action. Sgt. Alfonso M. Hernandez was KIA in Italy, April 24, 1944. Marine Pvt. Anibal J. Norzagary was KIA
in the South Pacific; Corporal Raul P. Moraga was KIA on July 15, 1944 in Italy. Marine PFC. Merado D. Robles was
KIA on the island of Saipan on June 24, 1944.
cover the casket of the boy whose life the flag was designed to save. On subsequent days, the emblem was used
to attract the attention of planes. Corporal Limas won the Bronze Star, the Presidential Unit Citation with two Oak
Leaf clusters, and the Philippine Defense Ribbon.
In January, 1944, the Distinguished Service Cross was awarded posthumously to Private First Class Gilberto C.
Estrada of Nogales, for extraordinary heroism on July 11, 1943, in the Solomon Islands. The war department citation
said Estrada, an infantryman, killed two enemy machine-gunners when they attacked his company on the Munda
trail in New Georgia. And Corporal Anthony Santestebán of Winslow won the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in
action against the Japanese on New Georgia Islands. The 20-year old Marine was a member of one of the artillery
batteries which helped pound the enemy into submission on Munda and Kolombangara. The parents of Tech. Sgt.
Richard Estrada Mora of Miami received a telegram from the war department stating their son’s tragic death. Sgt.
Mora was killed in action on the Marshall Islands on February 3, 1944. Private First Class José S. Ramos of Globe
was listed as KIA in the navy department casualty list in early February, 1944. And Lt. Manuel Treviño, Jr., of
Superior had completed twenty aerial bombing missions in the South Pacific by February 13, 1944. Lt. Treviño,
awarded the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf clusters, had seven Japanese aircraft to attest to his courage.
The casualty list of Tucson men KIA was heavy: PFC Paul J. Berumen was killed when two Flying Fortress bombers
collided in action. Sgt. Alfonso M. Hernandez was KIA in Italy, April 24, 1944. Marine Pvt. Anibal J. Norzagary was KIA
in the South Pacific; Corporal Raul P. Moraga was KIA on July 15, 1944 in Italy. Marine PFC. Merado D. Robles was
KIA on the island of Saipan on June 24, 1944.
| BARRIOZONA |
| Bilingual Community Expression Published by the Hispanic Institute of Social Issues |
Los Veteranos of World War II: A Mission for Social Change in
Central Arizona is an intense, touching and historical testimony
presented in a DVD. Written and produced by Dr. Pete R. Dimas —
Arizona historian, college professor, and director of the Braun
Sacred Heart Center (BSHC)— the DVD presents an invaluable
piece of history through the voices and vivid reminiscences of its
protagonists: brave and enduring Arizona men who fought in
WWII, and who through their continuous post-War community
involvement helped improve social conditions for Latinos in our
State.
To learn more about this DVD or to purchase it visit:
Los Veteranos of World War II: A Mission for Social Change in
Central Arizona
Central Arizona is an intense, touching and historical testimony
presented in a DVD. Written and produced by Dr. Pete R. Dimas —
Arizona historian, college professor, and director of the Braun
Sacred Heart Center (BSHC)— the DVD presents an invaluable
piece of history through the voices and vivid reminiscences of its
protagonists: brave and enduring Arizona men who fought in
WWII, and who through their continuous post-War community
involvement helped improve social conditions for Latinos in our
State.
To learn more about this DVD or to purchase it visit:
Los Veteranos of World War II: A Mission for Social Change in
Central Arizona
Los Veteranos of World War II: A Mission for Social Change in Central Arizona DVD Pete Dimas