El Paso celebrates links to World War Two heroes

Residents across the Borderland are taking the time to recognize those who sacrificed so much during World War Two as members of the popularly called, ‘Greatest Generation.”

The El Paso community has some direct connection to that conflict including the achievements of Company E.

Company E was the U.S. army’s only Mexican American combat unit, that included many warriors that came from the Segundo Barrio.

That unit of 250 riflemen spent over a year in close combat and eventually played an instrumental role in the liberation of Rome on June 4, 1944.

The unit was highly decorated but also went widely unrecognized despite the fact that they were often drawn into some of the toughest missions of the war.

“The point really needs to be made that contributions by Mexican Americans is really under reported,” said Dan Olivas from Community en Accion. “Here we are in a community that’s 85% hispanic and yet very few people know about the men of Company E.”

Additionally, thousand of local patriots will be taking the time to remember the thousands of victims of the Bataan Death March.

Back in 1942, allied survivors of the death march were exposed to inhumane conditions and war crimes by their Japanese captors until they were freed near the end of the war in 1944.

The enduring spirit and memory of those men is being remembered locally thanks to the Bataan Memorial March which has been held at White Sands Missile Range since 1990.