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 Although
America had not yet been drawn in, it was inching closer and closer
toward its undeniable destiny. Many parts of the world had already
been at war for over two years, but in early 1941, Americans were
still isolationists. The U.S. economy was rebounding from the Great
Depression and many families were still struggling to meet financial
responsibilities. The general American sentiment was anti-war and
the price paid by American Service members during WWI still lingered
in the not so distant past.
In 1941, with just more than two
and half decades of statehood, Arizona was the newest addition to
the Union. The number of people calling Arizona home barely reached
490,000, which was smaller than the neighboring State of New Mexico,
who had over 510,000 during the same period. This did not limit
Arizona's involvement in building America's fighting force. Arizona
was home to three Army Air Corp training sites and a desert training
center created by Gen. George S. Patton west of Phoenix. Arizona was
establishing itself as a significant contributor to the growing war
effort.
 Guadalupe
“Lupe” Lopez was a young Hispanic American from Tucson, Arizona.
Like many who endured the hardships of the Great Depression, he had
grown up in very humble beginnings. Born on Christmas Day 1918, he
was the second youngest of his six siblings. His father, Ignacio
Lopez, worked on local farms and performed any other odd jobs he
could to make ends meet. His mother, Rosario, maintained the
household and engineered ways to stretch her husband's hard earned
pay.
Growing up, Lupe spent most of his time playing with his
brothers and sisters in the vast open desert surrounding their home.
The jagged rocks, cholla cactus and other debris never seemed to
slow them down despite the fact that most of their lives they did
not have shoes to wear. He had only attended school up to the eighth
grade, and like many of the children in the community, he began
working on the farms to help support his family rather than
attending high school.
Ignacio Lopez always wanted more for
his family. As Lupe reached adulthood he continued to be hard
working and like most fathers hope for, Ignacio could see that his
son would have a better life than he did.
“This is your
opportunity,” Ignacio encouraged as news spread announcing the U.S.
military was recruiting to strengthen its forces. With an expected
salary of only $50 a month, it was a welcome increase to the minimal
day's wage he received working in the fields. It would also give him
a chance to experience the vast world beyond the borders of his
small desert town.
Lupe could remember the first time he had
seen a member of the U.S. military. He was 10 years old, and a group
of men on horseback approached his family's home. For fear that they
were bandits, Rosario instructed Lupe and his brothers and sisters
to run and hide in the mesquite trees and scrub brush that grew
sporadically in the desert near their home.
From a distance Lupe could see his father speaking to a
man in military uniform. The man was very light skinned. He
had light colored eyes and auburn red hair with a mustache
and goatee. Although they had never met, the man looked
strikingly familiar. Ignacio waved to the children that it
was safe to come out and introduced them to his brother, who
was a scout for the U.S. military.
The man sat tall
on his horse, and as Lupe approached he could see how
dignified he looked in his uniform. Although dirty from
riding, the uniform still presented a calling of respect.
The memory of the man as he rode away from their home
forever played lead to Lupe's imagination and his building
desire for adventure.
 A
foundation for victory
In 1940, the Arizona Army National Guard was comprised of only
1,466 Soldiers with a majority assigned to the 158th Infantry
Regiment. Lupe signed as a rifleman with the 158th on Jan. 27, 1941.
He and the other newly signed Infantrymen in the regiment had no
idea what was in store for them as they shipped off for training.
In September 1940, the 158th had been activated into federal
service. Once they reached full recruitment strength, the 158th
began training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Later that year, and after a
move and the completion of a training cycle at Camp Barkeley, Texas,
the Regiment learned they would be sent to the Panama Canal – a
vital and vulnerable artery to America's defense system.
The
United States military had yet to establish a jungle warfare
training center, and with expected military campaigns reaching into
the Pacific Rim, the necessity to develop jungle warfare tactics was
becoming a top priority. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the
declaration of war on Japan, the 158th Infantry began honing the
jungle warfare techniques they would later use throughout the
Pacific theater.
Arriving in Panama on Jan. 2, 1942, Lupe and
the Soldiers of the 158th began an intense training program in the
jungles, which were better suited for insects and reptiles than they
were for men. For weeks on end, the day's long rains soaked the
Soldiers as they hacked though the thick vegetation with machetes,
callusing their hands. Frequent dealings with the deadly snakes of
the jungle, led to the unit adopting the name “Bushmasters” after
the venomous pit vipers found in Central America. A 1943 article in
Popular Mechanics Magazine recorded the abilities of the individual
Bushmaster jungle Soldier:
"One of America's most colorful
and least known soldiers of World War II is the Bushmaster ... His
tactics are borrowed from native jungle fighters, the American
Indian, British commandos, exponents of judo and the Shanghai
underworld ... (He uses) machetes, curved knives, tommy guns,
high-powered rifles, and hand grenades ... His average age is 22 and
his favorite weapon is the long-bladed machete...With his fellow
Bushmasters, he disappears from civilization for weeks at a time.
The men know how to sustain themselves on wild fare supplemented by
(jungle rations) carried in their packs. When they are not testing
their camouflage against aerial observers, making camp in a swamp,
or working out an intricate code of communications, they are
practicing jujitsu or improve on the native's technique with the
machete. The Bushmaster bows to no man in the art of hand-to-hand
fighting and any unwary (enemy) who crosses his path would probably
never know what hit him."
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Members of the
Arizona National Guard 158th Infantry Regiment conduct jungle warfare battle drills in Panama in 1942. Frequent dealings with the deadly snakes of the jungle, lead to the unit adopting the name “Bushmasters” after the venomous pit vipers found in Central America. (Photo Courtesy of the Arizona State University
Libraries Collection)
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Surely the tough upbringing in the Arizona desert
contributed to Lupe's adaptability to the harsh conditions
he found himself serving in.
Bloody Sunday
With the formation of the 6th Army, the Bushmasters were sent to
Brisbane, Australia, Jan. 16, 1943. When the 6th Army's headquarters
moved to Goodenough Island, New Guinea, the 2nd Battalion, 158th
Regiment provided security to the headquarters. The 158th Regiment
landed on the unoccupied island of Kiriwina, New Guinea as part of
Operation Chronicle to construct an advanced base and airfield.
Over the next year and a half the 158th battled their way
through the Pacific and on Jan. 11, 1945, they would face their
toughest challenge yet during the Invasion of the Lingayen Gulf.
During World War II, the Lingayen Gulf proved to be
strategically important in the war between American and Japanese
forces. On Dec. 22, 1941, the Japanese 14th Army landed on the
eastern part of the gulf where they engaged in a number of
relatively minor skirmishes with predominantly American and Filipino
troops. Following the defeat, Gen. Douglas MacArthur issued the
order to retreat from Luzon and withdraw to Bataan. For the next
three years, the gulf remained under Japanese occupation.
After the allied landing and initial invasion of Lingayen, the 158th
was tasked with the mission of locating and destroying Japanese
artillery guns hidden within the mountains of the island. These guns
were concealed under Nipa huts and mounted on rails so they could be
moved into position to fire, then back to their original placement,
disguising them from aerial observation.
On the morning of
Jan. 14, 1945, Lupe and the Soldiers of the 158th moved out of
Damortis along the Damortis-Rosario Road. The terrain to the north
and south of the roadway was paralleled by a network of ridges with
an adjoining series of spurs and draws. Enemy tunnels had been
constructed to allow artillery pieces to be run through the ridge
from the reverse slope. Fortified defensive positions had zeroed in
on every possible approach by the assaulting elements.
The
158th was entrusted with protecting the North flank. Able Company
was in the lead with Charlie Company close behind. The Japanese held
their fire until the advancing units were directly under their
muzzles.
As Charlie Company began crossing an open field of
rice patties the sky opened up in a hail of gunfire, raining lead
and artillery shells. In a blink of an eye the center body of
Charlie Company was gone. Able Company was now farther ahead but had
been cut off from its trailing companies and was experiencing
communication issues. As Able Company took a position just off the
roadway near a small series of shacks, the Japanese unleashed a
second barrage of artillery fire causing heavy casualties.
The shattered companies began to retreat the area, and Lupe was
assigned to the rear guard. As the Japanese continued to shell the
area, Lupe, under heavy fire, began to assist in the extraction of
wounded soldiers from the battlefield. Returning time and time
again, he carried the wounded back to the waiting jeeps. After his
fourth and final extraction he laid the seemingly lifeless body of
the injured Bushmaster into the jeep.
“Jump in” the driver
shouted.
With no room left in the passenger compartment of
the jeep, Lupe jumped onto the back spare tire, holding on with all
he could as the jeep sped off. As Lupe's grip began to weaken, his
arms and hands fatigued, he prayed to God he could hold on just a
little longer as the jeep continued to bob and weave its way down
the rugged jungle road.
For the 158th, Jan. 14, 1945, became
known as “Bloody Sunday” and was the largest number of casualties
sustained by the 158th in any battle during the regiment's history.
In the days that followed, and throughout Lupe's life, he
reflected back on that day. The coincidence of finding himself in a
foreign land on a road that shared the name of his mother, paired
with divine intervention, he survived. This was not the first time
he contributed his faith in God to keeping him safe.
During
an earlier operation of the war, Lupe's squad came under heavy fire
and took cover inside a hut in a village they were patrolling. The
hut's bamboo walls were riddled with bullet holes, almost every inch
penetrated by gunfire. As the jungle fell silent, Lupe paused to
gather himself when he looked up and saw a picture of the Virgin
Guadalupe hanging, undisturbed on the wall above him. Faith,
perseverance, and dedication to duty had guided him in some of the
fiercest fighting of WWII.
Lupe had been gone from his Tucson
home over four years. He had experienced victory and defeat,
happiness and grief, and endured the physical and emotional pains of
war. None of this could prepare him for the news that would
overshadow all of these emotions.
On March 13, 1945, during
operations in the European theater Lupe's younger brother, Ignacio
Lopez Jr., was killed in action crossing the Rhine River. Lupe was
always close to his brother and knew that his joining the 158th had
a direct influence on Ignacio's decision to join and serve his
country as well. In some way, and for the rest of his life, Lupe
carried the responsibility of Ignacio's death in his heart.
A Bushmaster returns home
Lupe was discharged from service on June 17, 1945. Not unlike
service members today, Lupe returned to his Tucson home and began
the challenges of reentering into the civilized society he helped
shield from the hardships of war.
Lupe began working
different odd jobs becoming a fish monger and later a cement mason.
Eventually he began working for the City of Tucson in the water
department.
On Aug. 1, 1946, just over a year after being
discharged from the U.S. Army, Lupe received a letter from the War
Department in Washington D.C. In the letter it was written:
“I have the honor to inform you that by direction of the President,
the Silver Star Medal has been awarded to you by the Commanding
General, 43rd Infantry Division for gallantry in action on January
14, 1945 ... Sergeant Lopez remained in the rear guard during the
movement and helped carry out the wounded. Voluntarily he returned
and assisted in carrying out the remainder of the men while under
heavy fire until all wounded were evacuated. The fearless actions of
Sergeant Lopez undoubtedly resulted in saving some of the men's
lives and his gallant conduct was an inspiration to the men working
with him.”
Lupe was proud to have served his country and was
proud to be an Arizonan. Although the time he served in the 158th
was just a small fraction of his life, it had in some way defined
who he was.
Always humble about his service he rarely spoke
about his experiences as he started a family of his own. He married
and later fathered three boys and three girls. He developed a love
for baseball and always cheered for the Los Angeles Dodgers until
the State of Arizona welcomed in the Arizona Diamondbacks. Lupe's
love for Arizona trumped just about anything.
In the late
1960s, America again looked overseas at a conflict beginning in an
area not unfamiliar to Lupe. Military operations in Vietnam were
gaining momentum and this time it would put Lupe in his father's
shoes as his oldest son, Guadalupe “Rey” Reyes-Lopez, would answer
the call to service in 1969.
My father was always very quiet
and humble about his military service,” Rey said. “When I told him I
was joining the U.S. Army he was very proud and immediately he began
to open up about his experiences to in some way impart his knowledge
and experience onto me.”
In the weeks leading up to Rey
leaving for basic training, Lupe gave him tips he learned during his
jungle warfare training and experiences with the 158th.
Lupe
would tell Rey, “keep your head down and walk lower than everyone
else. This will keep your silhouette below the horizon line and make
you less of a target.”
He passed on many other tips to keep
Rey healthy and safe, all of which served him well when Rey returned
home in 1972 unharmed after a three-year enlistment and tour in
Vietnam.
Lupe's inspiration to serve did not stop there;
countless grandchildren and other relatives enlisted in all branches
of the U.S. Armed Forces.
As the decades passed and Lupe
aged, he never seemed to forget who he was and that no matter what
else he did he was a Bushmaster. In 2013, he took part in the City
of Tucson's ceremony to unveil a WWII memorial to recognize all of
the Tucsonans that served during the war. He inspected the wall with
special detail ensuring that his brother Ignacio's name was included
on the wall.
“That's the first thing I did when I received
the paper,” Lupe said. “I looked for his name and by God it was
there.”
Lupe was again humbled to be taken by Honor Flight
of Southern Arizona to Washington D.C., and visit the National WWII
Memorial in 2014. Throughout his life he was always grateful and
amazed by strangers that would see him in his Silver Star WWII
veteran cap and thank him for his service.
Sept. 14, 2015,
Lupe was at a doctor's appointment with his son. The countless tests
and routine procedures would be a daunting task for the 96-year-old.
Through all the standing up, sitting down, filling out paperwork and
physical examinations, Lupe grew tired.
“They had me
standing for an hour,” Lupe exclaimed exhaustedly as he sat slightly
hunched in a chair as he waited for the doctor to return with his
examination results.
“For an hour dad, but you are a
Bushmaster.”
Upon hearing his son's reminder, Lupe used the
little remaining strength he had to sit up tall, shoulders back
looking straight ahead. He knew that he was a Bushmaster and
Bushmasters always stand tall.
Guadalupe “Lupe” Lopez died
two days later, just months shy of his 97th birthday.
The
Arizona National Guard's 158th Infantry Battalion would be
represented at Lupe's services by the Battalion Command Sergeant
Major James Denton.
“The experience of attending Guadalupe
Lopez's services was personal to me,” Denton said. “Throughout my
service as a Bushmaster, and as I mentor other Bushmasters, I remind
them that their actions and how they serve represent not only our
unit today but all the Bushmasters that have come before them.
Lupe's service and sacrifice is immeasurable, and the legacy that he
and all the other Bushmasters of the 158th's history will never be
forgotten. We train to the standards they set all those years ago
which established the reputation of who we are today.”
Sept.
2, 2015, the Arizona National Guard and the 158th Infantry Battalion
celebrated its 150th Birthday. Currently there are over 800 members
of the 158th Bushmasters serving today and approximately 5200
members of the Arizona Army National Guard.
A heart in the right place
Lupe had lived a full life, he had served his country, raised his
family, and after WWII he lived a life filled with peace and
friendship. He had only expressed one disappointment about his
military service and that was not having ever been awarded the
Purple Heart after being wounded in combat.
The only
independent proof that Lupe's family possesses of his sacrifice and
injuries sustained in combat is from a Bushmaster Association
newsletter from spring 1991. Published in the newsletter is a list
compiled by the late Col. Herbert B. Erb, who had served with
the158th during WWII. Included in this list is the name Pfc.
Guadalupe Lopez, noting him as being wounded in combat during
operations in Sarmi, New Guinea.
Throughout Col. Erb's life
he compiled the list from research he had conducted from General
Orders awarding the Purple Heart Medal issued by the 158th
Headquarters, and combat casualty records from the 71st and 54th
evacuation hospitals that had supported the 158th during their
combat operations.
During combat, and not unlike many
situations throughout WWII, injured service members were evacuated
to rear area medical facilities and in some instances their names
were not reported back to their parent unit.
To complicate
matters, on July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at the National
Personnel Records Center destroyed approximately 16-18 million
Official Military Personnel Files. This included 80 percent of the
files for Army Service members who were discharged from service
between Nov. 1, 1912, to Jan. 1, 1960. No duplicate copies of these
records were ever maintained, nor were microfilm copies produced.
Auxiliary records from the Department of Veterans Affairs have been
used to reconstruct basic service information but most of the
records are considered incomplete.
Col. Erb's research showed
that in official after action reports by the Commanding General of
the 158th Regimental Combat Team and the Commanding Officer of the
158th Infantry there were 1,410 Bushmasters wounded in action.
However there were only 1,368 official orders related to Bushmasters
who were wounded in action.
The Purple Heart is awarded to
members of the armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an
instrument of war in the hands of the enemy and posthumously to the
next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or die of
wounds received in action.
Lupe's family has submitted a
request to the National Archives for his complete service records in
the hope that it will contain documentation substantial enough to
petition the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to award
Lupe a Purple Heart.
His family has no doubt that if Lupe is
finally awarded his Purple Heart, as his family accepts the award in
his honor, he will be there in spirit standing tall, just as
Bushmasters always do.
By U.S. Army Sgt. Wesley Parrell
Arizona National Guard Public
Affairss
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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