
Author Dave Gutierrez
"Patriots From The Barrio"
The true story of Company E 141st Infantry: the only all Mexican American Army unit in WWII.
"Patriots From The Barrio"
The true story of Company E 141st Infantry: the only all Mexican American Army unit in WWII.
DAVE GUTIERREZ is a historian, writer, and author of the book Patriots from the Barrio, the true story of Company E 141st Infantry: the only all Mexican American Army unit in WWII. Patriots from the Barrio has been named one of the top 24 History books of all time by Book Riot. His articles have appeared in publications including American Legion and War History Online. Recognized by both the Texas Military Forces Museum in Austin and the National WWII Museum in New Orleans for his groundbreaking work on Company E 141st Infantry, he also specializes in genealogical research, Mexican American history, and World War II studies. Dave is a member of the National Medal of Honor Museum's Advisory Panel.
I have a writing passion for Mexican American History, Genealogy, and World War II. I'm looking to bring our positive stories to the world using any platform available.
"As Latino Americans we must improve at recording and documenting our own history, no one is going to do it for us."
Author Dave Gutierrez launches podcast that highlights true stories on Latino veterans. In each episode Gutierrez shines a light on stories that have remained in the shadows of history. Each story takes us on a historical journey of discovery on heroic Latino Americans in defense of their country.
Author Dave Gutierrez was asked to be a part of the historic and groundbreaking new PBS documentary by Producer John Leguizamo and Director Ben DeJesus
Hollywood Actor/Producer Wilmer Valderrama's production company obtained the film rights to Patriots from the Barrio.
Patriots From The Barrio
UPCOMING EVENTS:
January 19, 2025 - HAPPY HOUR PODCAST
MARCH 22-25 - NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR MUSEUM - OPENING
ARLINGTON, TX
Texas Military Forces Museum in Austin Texas
80 years ago today, the battle of San Pietro in Italy during WWII had a devasting effect on the 36th Infantry Division. The thunderous sounds of a deadly battle from a small village in the Liri Valley of central Italy still echo in Mexican American communities from Texas.
The 36th Infantry Division was training at Camp Bowie in Brownwood Texas when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor thrusted America into WWII. The 141st 142nd and 143rd infantry regiments made up the 36th Division. Originally made up of the Oklahoma and Texas National Guard units, the patch they wore was an upside-down arrowhead with a “T” in the center of the arrowhead. They were nicknamed the T-Patchers. They continued to train in the states until they arrived at Oran Algeria in North Africa in April of 1943.
The T-Patchers led the allied landings at Salerno Italy in September of 1943, their first large combat action in WWII. Company E in the 141st Infantry Regiment was an original Texas National Guard unit from El Paso Texas. Company E was made up entirely of Mexican Americans from the barrios of El Paso. When the unit was still training in Brownwood Texas, the Division had pulled other Mexican Americans from other guard units from all over Texas and placed them into Company E. Every enlisted man of Company E was of Mexican American descent and remained that way until they started taking casualties.
Sgt. Rafael Torres of El Paso had been wounded during the battle of Salerno and had gone back to North Africa to heal. When he returned to Italy, Company E had taken position over a small hill, Mt. Rotondo. From Mt. Rotondo they could look across the valley towards the small village of San Pietro. Company E was hunkered down in their foxholes on Mt. Rotondo, the Germans shelled them several times a day. They were decimated on Mt. Rotondo and taking heavy casualties. Tirso Carrillo of Rock Springs Texas and Pedro T. Soto of Kingsville Texas had been killed and many more wounded.
On December 15, 1943, the order to move from the horrors of Mt Rotondo to attack the village of San Pietro was a welcome order. At least during this battle, they could shoot back at the enemy. Sgt. Torres, who had just arrived back from being wounded at Salerno, was leading a column down the mountain to stage for the attack, when artillery shells started landing. Sgt. Torres was so badly wounded that as men passed by him lying on the ground, they just gave the sign of the cross. Company E, part of 2nd Battalion in the 141st was chosen to make a frontal assault on the village of San Pietro.
An olive tree orchard in the valley between Mt. Rotondo and the village of San Pietro that probably looked beautiful at one time, now looked ominous and eerie with half cut trees that had been blown away. The valley would be nicknamed Purple Heart Valley, to anyone trying to cross the area. The 141st Infantry took heavy casualties trying to take the village.
Juan Padilla was married and an automotive painter before being drafted into service from Del Rio Texas. Padilla, like many Mexican Americans, was placed into Company E, when they arrived in the 36thDivision in early 1941. Also drafted from Del Rio Texas were two other childhood friends of Padilla, Cruz Hernandez, and Pablo Charles. Padilla carried a rocket launcher and three men had managed to make their way pass the eerie orchard. The three men were then pinned down by heavy machine gun fire. Padilla got up and fired his rocket launcher scoring a hit on the enemy concrete pill box but was hit and killed. Seeing their childhood friend killed on the battlefield enraged Hernadez and Charles who fired at the enemy position until Hernadez was also hit and wounded. Charles was able to reach Hernandez and pull him to safety.
Simon Jimenez from El Paso Texas was one of the tallest and strongest of Company E. Along with Jesse Daly and Guadalupe Martinez, both of El Paso, the three men moved into position and were pinned down by machine gun fire. The bullets were getting closer to their position, and they knew they had to move quickly. The three men got up and moved forward when Jimenez stepped on a mine. The mine detonated and wounded all three men. Jimenez immediately lost a foot and hand; he fell close to a barbed wire entanglement. Jesse Daly who had been running next to Jimenez, lost his right arm in the blast. Martinez had one of his legs badly mangled as well.
Ramon Gutierrez of Del Rio Texas and Guillermo De Leon came upon a wounded Ricardo Palacios Jr. of El Paso Texas. Palacios had dug himself into the earth near Jimenez who was still alive after stepping on a mine. Gutierrez, De Leon, and Palacios watched in disbelief as the wounded Jimenez crawled forward and waved the men to move forward, Jimenez draped his body over the barbed wire entanglement for men to use to get over the wire. With his last act on this earth, Jimenez was still thinking of the mission to take the village of San Pietro.
Two other Mexican Americans were killed on the ground between Mt. Rotondo and the village of San Pietro. Jesus Escobedo from Sinton Texas and Antonio De Hoyos from Melvin Texas were also found dead on the battlefield. They had died of their wounds on the battlefield as medics were unable to get to them in time. Major Milton J. Landry was commanding 2nd Battalion of the 141st Infantry. Witnessing the heavy loss of life in his unit, Landry would later write,
“All those young healthy brave men dead, some blown to bits never to be identified, what a terrible and dreadful feeling came over me. We had casualties and I was their commander and that is when I could no longer hold those feelings inside of me. I sat down and cried. They were my boys, and I loved each and every one of those splendid Americans.”
Pascual De Leon of Laredo Texas had come across the wounded Rafael Torres, many men had passed by Torres because they thought he was dead. Pascual De Leon was able to get a medic that helped save Torres’s life. Rafael Torres lived to be in his 90’s. Pascual was killed a few weeks later at the crossing Rapido River. Ricardo Palacios Jr. crossed the Rapido River on his 21st birthday, only to be captured and spend over sixteen months in a German POW camp. Palacios survived WWII, returned home and raised his family, he passed away in September of 2017.
The family of Juan Padilla had just received a package in Del Rio, Juan had sent home a captured Nazi flag from Salerno. The next day a knock on the door had the family excited to see what else Juan might have sent home. Instead, a telegram arrived at the home in Del Rio with the tragic news that Juan was killed in action on December 15th. Juan never made it back home; he is still buried in Italy at the American cemetery in Nettuno. Simon Jimenez was laid to rest with many of the men of Company E at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso.
A half a million Hispanics served in WWII, and they too were part of the Greatest Generation this country has ever seen. In the valley outside the village of San Pietro some of them made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their country. They shall not be forgotten.
Dave Gutierrez
Author "Patriots from the Barrio"
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In 1939 there were two Texas National Guard units in El Paso Texas, Company E was composed entirely of Mexican Americans from the barrios of El Paso. As more Mexican Americans joined the guard from south Texas, they were assigned to Company E. Author Dave Gutierrez details the segregation and discrimination of the time and follows the men from the barrios of Texas to some of the most horrific battles in Italy during World War II. The men of Company E were part of America's Greatest Generation. Some enlisted, some were drafted, but serve they did and they served with distinction and pride not because they were Mexicans, but because they were American Patriots. They just happened to be PATRIOTS From The BARRIO.
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