RUBEN G. PLATERO

RUBEN G. PLATERO

Mar. 2, 1925 - Dec. 10, 2013

Ruben Platero, 88, of Calexico passed away on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 of natural causes at Rancho Mirage, CA.
He was born March 2, 1925 in Calexico and was married to Virginia (Tomato) in 1949 in Calexico. Ruben entered the U.S. Army when he was 17 years old in June 1943 and was discharged in December 1945 as Staff Sgt. in W.W. II. He served in Caledonea, New Zealand, New Guinea, Luzon with the 43rd Division as a rifleman for 20 months. He participated in two campaigns and used the Grand M-1 caliber 30 and other hand weapons as well as cover and concealment and camouflage. He guarded such vital installations as motor pools, ammunition dumps and did out post guard duty. Ruben was a proud army veteran of the Pacific War, mustering out as a Staff Sgt. due to variety wounds. He was wounded while earning 2 Purple Hearts, Asiatic- Pacific Theater Medal; Purple Heart/Bronze Star Medals; Army good conduct medal; combat Infantry man Badge; Asiatic-Pacific campaign medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars with one bronze arrowhead; Philippine Liberation ribbon with one Bronze Service Star. American Campaign Medal; honorable service lapel button World War II, Republic of the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation badge. When he was at the Eisenhower hospital, doctors, nurses and staff of Filipino descent came and thanked him on behalf of their grandparents and great-grandparents for the liberation when they were told he was in the first wave that stormed the islands.
He is survived by his wife, Virgina; daughters, Eva, Yolanda, Irene, and Sandra; 9 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation and Military honors will be held on Friday, December 20, 2013 at Frye Chapel in El Centro at 1 p.m. Cremation will follow and burial will be held at Ft. Rosecrans Memorial Cemetery at a later date.