GREGORIO C. BARRERA

1917 - 2015

GREGORIO C. BARRERA March 12, 1917-April16, 2015 RIO GRANDE CITY - Mr. Gregorio C. Barrera , a loving husband ,father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend and comrade entered eternal rest on Thursday April 16, 2015 in McAllen Texas at the age of 98. He was born on March 12, 1917 in Rio Grande City, Texas to Antonio and Genoveva Barrera. He proudly served his country having enlisted in the United States Army on April 8, 1941. He was a member of the Immaculate Concepcion Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus Rio Grande City Chapter. He was a retired postal carrier with the Rio Grande City post office. In 1949 he was united in marriage to Teresa Hernandez until her passing in January of 2015. He will be dearly missed by his family. With all the Angels and Saints in Heaven Gregorio is SAFELY HOME The following is taken from the "Periódico Enlace" of Rio Grande City. The Legacy of Gregorio Barrera Gregorio Barrera was born in Rio Grande City in 1917, and volunteered to serve in the Army in 1941. In October of that same year, he was assigned to the Philippines, and in December the United States declared war against Japan following the attack of Pearl Harbor. In April of the following year, 76,000 American and Filipino soldiers were forced to surrender to the Japanese Army at Bataan. As Prisoners of War (POW'S), they were forced to march 70 miles in the heat, and miserable conditions for six days. Due to lack of food and water, many became ill with dysentery, malaria, and dengue fever. Many were executed by the Japanese soldiers. It is estimated that 10,000 soldiers died or were killed during the march. The surviving prisoners of war reached Camp O'Donnell. The stronger POW's were transported to Osaka Camp, Japan, all the time under very dire conditions such as forced labor, starvation, and denial of medical care, resulting in the death of many of the survivors . Mr. Barrera survived these atrocities crediting his faith and will to live. "What kept me going were my guardian angels' as I like to call them because I never knew who they were, but they showed me kindness along the way, like giving me medicine or sparing me from death," stated Mr. Barrera at a public appearance at the South Texas College Starr County Campus on Veteran's day 2010. "I still have nightmares about it….My mother was a woman of faith, and prayed hard for my safety, but no one could tell her where I was," he explained. "The day I came home, no one knew anything of me. I will never forget the expressions on their faces. We had a big celebration. When Japan surrendered in 1945, the POW's were liberated. Mr. Barrera recuperated in the Philippines, and San Antonio, Texas. He returned to Rio Grande City as an unsung hero as few people knew of his experiences. He worked as a janitor until he became a postal worker in 1957. In 1988, he was honored by the city with the naming of a plaza in downtown Rio Grande City, in his honor which was recently renovated, and unveiled at a celebration event on February 4, 2013. He was preceded in death by his wife, Teresa H. Barrera; his parents; a son, Juan Jose; a daughter, Irma Acevedo; brothers, Antonio, Oscar and Estruberto; and sisters, Hilda Morin and Raquel Salinas. Left to cherish his memory are his children, Gregorio Barrera Jr. (Cynthia ) and family of McAllen, Sylvia De La Garza (Eduardo) "Lalo" and family of Pharr, and Ruben Barrera (Silvestra) "Shirley" and family from Melbourne, FL; 13 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandchild survive him. Visitation will continue on Sunday, April 19, 2015, at the Hernandez Funeral Chapel of Remembrance, 701 E. Eisenhower, Rio Grande City from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm with the recital of the Holy Rosary at 7:00 pm. Mass of Christian burial rites will be celebrated on Monday April 20, 2015 at 3:00 pm at the Immaculate Concepcion Catholic Church. Burial will follow to the Rio Grande City Cemetery at 4:00 pm Military honors will be under the auspices of the Fort Sam Houston Honor Guard from San Antonio, Texas. Hernandez Funerals LLC of Rio Grande City is in charge of arrangements. Sign the guest book at www.themonitor.com/obituaries