Our Stories
Welcome Home Soldier By Bernard Gonzales
Quiet heroes are all around us. One of them is my father-in-law, Juan “Johnny” Estrada who today resides in Chula Vista, California. Juanito, as we respectfully call him, was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in 1923. He was one of 13 children. His family came to the United States when he was five years old and they eventually made Corpus Christi, Texas, their home.
Juan Estrada U.S. Army WWII Veteran
In 1942 the war was in its early stages, and 19-year-old Juan saw a way to gain U.S. citizenship. He decided to enlist in the armed forces but because of his lack of formal education, he was turned down by both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. Ironically, a year later, he was drafted into the U.S. Army after having received his Green Card. An Infantryman from the beginning, he says, “I always carried a rifle.” Juan served with the 3rd Armor, 36th Infantry Division through the North of France into the Rhine- land to secure its liberation from the Nazi occupation. The fighting was gruesome and relentless. He remembers, his unit was just full of kids, “we were all just kids.” Juan says, “you didn’t make close friends because they might not be there tomorrow, but you fought for each other as if you’d been together all your life.” His decorations and citations include the European/American Campaign Ribbon with two Bronze Stars, Combat Infantry Badge, Good Conduct Medal, and three Overseas Bars.
(opposite page: Photo courtesy Mickey Strand)
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