Silvestre Herrera MoH Winner RIP

[Kyt]

Glendale war hero dies at 90

Silvestre Herrera, 90, a Mexico-born recipient of the Medal of Honor, died Monday at his Glendale home, authorities said.

Herrera, the first Arizonan to win the award during World War II, also wore Mexico's highest honor for valor on the field of battle, making him the only person to earn both.

Firefighters were called to his home near 75th Avenue and Camelback Road after relatives found him in bed and unresponsive Monday, said Daniel Valenzuela, a Glendale Fire Department spokesman.

Herrera was pronounced dead at the scene, Valenzuela said. The cause of death was not immediately determined.

Relatives could not be reached for comment late Monday.

In 1945, Herrera was awarded the Medal of Honor for saving his platoon from machine-gun fire near Mertzwiller, France, not far from the German border.

The Army private first class with the 36th Infantry Division took out one emplacement, then charged through a minefield toward a second, losing both feet to explosions. The eight Germans manning the machine-gun nest threw down their weapons and surrendered.

Despite risking his life, Herrera once said he didn't consider himself a particularly brave man.

"I was one of the lucky ones, to live to be awarded the Medal of Honor," he said.

In an interview two years ago, Herrera recalled the day he received the Medal of Honor from President Truman during a ceremony on the White House lawn.

"He told me he would rather be awarded the Medal of Honor than be president of the United States," Herrera said in an article that ran in The Arizona Republic. "That made me even more proud."

For his action, Herrera, who was born in Camargo, Chihuahua, also received Mexico's highest honor for valor, the Premier Merito Militar, which he wore with pride.

After the war, he worked as an artisan, crafting leather, and lived a quiet, private life.

But Hispanic veterans such as Herrera also found themselves locked out of public housing, swimming pools, classrooms and other public institutions when they came home, according to a 2005 documentary by Pete Dimas, a Phoenix College professor.

Nonetheless, recognition eventually came to Herrera. In 1956, an elementary school was named after him at 1350 S. 11th St. in Phoenix. In 2002, the Army broke ground on the Silvestre S. Herrera U.S. Army Reserve Training Center, 6158 S. Avery St., in Mesa.

Herrera was on hand in September 2004 for a ceremony to dedicate the $11 million facility.

Bob Herrera, one of Herrera's seven children, described the gesture as outstanding.

"Usually, they don't name a building or center for someone until they die," he said. "It's a living honor, and that's really super."

Bob Herrera said his father never talked much about his World War II experiences.

But the children knew there were stories when their father was invited to be grand marshal at Veterans Day parades. Gradually, over the years, the stories were told.

In November 1992, Silvestre Herrera joined Roy Benevidez, a Green Beret who won the Medal of Honor for action in Vietnam, for a ceremony at Desert Horizon School, 8525 W. Osborn Road, in Phoenix.

Silvestre S. Herrera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia