‘Among The Valiant’ By Raul Morin

By kiki

Just got done rereading ‘Among The Valiant’ by Raul Morin. It had been at least ten years since the last time I had read it. It was a refreshing course, to say the least…The book is about Mexican-American WWII and Korean War heroes.

There is five GIs mentioned in the book that I knew/know well through the boxing community. And a GI lived in a barrio that I know well, Pico, California.

Pete Despart

Despart from Los Angeles, CA., and later from La Puente, CA. Drew NO. 158 in the national lottery to become the first Los Angeles native to be drafted into the US Army on October 29, 1941. In the early 1950s, Pete became the top Southern California AAU boxing head.

Ramon Fuentes

“Fuentes and his compadre, Art Gaitan, also of Los Angeles, sent many an enemy soldier to his grave with their blistering heavy machine gun fire”- Among The Valiant.

Ramon, who saw action in Guadalcanal, was, after the war, a world-ranked welterweight boxer. His biggest win was most likely his decision win over Los Angeles Golden Boy, Art Aragon.

Johnnie Flores

Flores was awarded the Bronze Star for “heroic achievement,” But he didn’t get it till many years later because he pissed off an officer.

Johnnie, after the war, became a top manager/trainer of world-class fighters. He managed and trained Jerry Quarry and Ruben Navarro, among others. Johnnie was also one of the co-founders of the Los Angeles Junior Golden Gloves.

Joey Olmos

Joey saw action and was awarded the Bronze Star in the Philippine islands.

Joey, after the war, became a top boxing referee in Los Angeles and later was the boss-man in the Los Angeles office of the state boxing commission.

Francisco De La Cruz

De La Cruz from Los Angeles was a 250-pound professional heavyweight.

De la Cruz saw action in Guadalcanal.

Gilbert Valeriano

I didn’t know Valeriano was from Pico, California (I lived in Pico in the early 1950s). Valeriano saw action in Okinawa.

Washing our Cars and Drinking Beer with Lil Raul Martinez

By kiki

                                        Whittier Distributors

In 1955, I was at my late friend Raulito Martinez's house on Date Street in Simons. We were drinking beer and washing our cars, his, a 1954 Chevy and mine, a 1946 Chevy.  

Done with the car washing, we kept drinking beer and smoking Pall Malls while listening to Hunter Hancock spin some R & B's on his radio show. We were soon joined by some friends who dropped by with a six-pack of Bud. We quickly ran out of beer, so we went and bought some more, a couple of six-packs, if memory serves, then more friends dropped by, we quickly ran out of beer again. But with all the guys that had shown up, we now needed to buy a case; soon, more friends dropped by, and they drank all the beer we had just bought. So Raulito came up with the bright idea of taking up a collection and going to Whittier Distributors on Whittier Blvd in ELA and purchasing a keg of beer with his father's resale number. 

'Needless to say, we got smashed. I ended up spending the night in my car, which I had parked in the local nite club's parking lot (the club was across the street from Raulito's house) … Raulito's family owned a mom and pop store and the local pool hall, thus the resale number…Just another Simons' memory from times gone by.

Lisa Blue

By kiki

Having breakfast at La Indiana Restaurant in beautiful Ole Town La Puente this morning with a crazy cousin and her somewhat sane sisters, and maybe their sane mom will feel good enough to join us. But being that it's Friday the 13^th I bet my crazier imaginary friends will make an appearance and try to ruin the day for us. Feel sorry for them if they try that because crazy cousin will knock them flat on their butts. Cousin will put up her dukes at a side glance from a chola, and no telling what she might have hidden in her hair, so my imaginary friends don’t stand a chance with her….I tried talking Connie into staying home so that she could join us “hell no, today is Friday the 13^th and I don’t want to be near you on such a day” she told me as she walked out the door….Oh well, I’ll let you know how things turn out with crazy Lisa Blue.

                                                  After Breakfast

                                            Carmen, Suzie, and Lisa

Had a great time with my not-so-sane cousins J Lisa, Carmen, and Suzie. The girls are from the Adame side (maternal side) of the family. Lisa and Suzie went for the Menudo while Carmen and I settle for the huevos rancheros. Lisa and Suzie loved the Menudo, and the rancheros were 100 times better than the once Fernie and I had at Mario’s Tacos couple of weeks ago. At least they didn’t look like a 90-year-old lady’s shriveled up chi-chis. Lisa thought the huevos rancheros looked “perky,” I thought they looked “firm”

Had fun with Carmen as she tried to figure out how so and so was a cousin, she got that nameless cousin (only she knew who she was talking about) turned him sideways, upside-down, and every which way. In the end, she gave up when she said “I'm confused” the look Lisa and Suzie gave her when she said that was priceless. Suzie, when Lisa was telling her about my Mario’s huevos rancheros comments, how they looked like a 90 old lady’s tits, started pulling her top up, but it was just a tease. Lisa? What can I say about her? Other than I now understand when the man she married said: “now you know why I can’t take her anywhere” ….In closing let me say to my cousins, girls, I really enjoy spending this morning with you. We don’t get to see much of each other, but maybe things will change and we can spend more time in each other's company.

                                      With Carmen and Suzie

Dusty Dirt Roads and Avenues

     

By kiki

Dusty dirt roads, streets, and avenues were all I knew in my youth in the 1940s and early '50s. I grew up in a company town with dirt roads, streets, and avenues (Simons Brickyard). The company town was located about 12 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Ca. And I have many fond memories of growing up and playing in those dusty streets. Those dusty streets were our baseball diamonds and football fields. In those long-ago summers, we would play till the sun went down; we couldn't play after dark because the town didn't have any street lights… Soon after the sun went down, we kids lit a fire to hang out at. We would hang out by the fire until our parents would call us in for dinner. After dinner, we would head back to the fire to see what mischief we kids could get into, and we'd get into a lot of mischief back then. But now that I am an old man, I like to tell people that it was just innocent mischief we were getting into, But I don't think many believe me. But nevertheless, sometimes I wish I could go back and tell my younger self some things about that mischief, . . . but he probably wouldn't listen.

We would walk those dusty streets to our elementary school (Vail Elementary School). The school was fronted by a paved avenue (Vail Ave.), and part of the schoolyard was covered with "blacktop" The school and Vail Ave blacktop was the only blacktop we would see unless we went into Montebello or downtown Los Angeles…. So many great memories were made on those dusty roads and streets of that company town, and I am glad the roads and streets were never paved. Still, I bet that the older guys and the men who drove those dirt roads and streets in their old jalopy cars during the rainy seasons wished the roads were paved but had they been, we kids would have been robbed of some great memories….The above picture gave me a chance to reminisce about those beautiful dusty dirt roads, streets, and avenues of my youth. 

Mario’s Tacos's

By kiki

I just had the worst breakfast I've had in a very long time—my friends from Pico-Rivera who like to rave about Mario's Tacos. I will never again believe anything you say.

After seeing my doctor at Norris Cancer Center this morning, my son Fernie and I went out looking for a place to have some huevos rancheros. Drove through East LA and Montebello on Whittier Blvd and tried looking for a Mexican Restaurant. Soon we found ourselves in Pico-Rivera. Then I remembered how the people from Pico-Rivers raved on Facebook about Mario's Tacos at the corner of Durfee and Whittier Blvd. We found Mario's, and after parking, we walked in to see that you had to order at a counter…I asked the babe behind the counter if they served breakfast, "not bacon and eggs," she told me, "how about huevos rancheros?" I counter, "Yes," the honey replied. I told her I would have the huevos rancheros and coffee; Fernie said he would have the same. After ordering, we found a table in the near-empty joint. It was still early for the taco and burrito lovers. Soon we were called to pick up our plates at the counter; our breakfasts and coffee were on trays. We picked up the trays and walked back to our table. As I sat down, I told Fernie, "Big mistake coming here" The breakfasts were served on paper plates, the coffees on Styrofoam cups, the forks, and knives were plastic, the salsa looked like tomato sauce, and the huevos rancheros looked like a flat butt.

 

R.I.P. Sammie the Turtle

                                                  2009-2015

                                                     By kiki

Feeling very sad and blue this morning because Sammie the Turtle died yesterday…We were gone all morning having our tax papers done. … Got home after stopping for breakfast to find Sammie very still at the bottom of his tank. I didn’t get any reaction from him when I tried rousing him from what I thought was sleep…I don’t know what happened to him….I had our son Fernie clean the tank and put some clean water in it on Saturday, which he had done for me in the past. Also on Saturday I bought a new filter pump for the tank as the old one was pretty old. Losing a pet is very hard on me as I really get attach to them, just like if they were my kids or grandkids/great-grandkids…That’s why Connie told me last night “no more new pets, you get to attach to them” I’ll give my doggies an extra hug today.