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Hero Memorial Committee of Silvis, 1968-2001

1968-01-05 Article ""Not One Draft Card Burner On Second Street"" Page 4

Now, a Lasting Memorial For The Street...

Mayor William Tatman of Silvis and U.S. Rep. Thomas Railsback of Moline join hands under the bright new red, white and blue sign which designated 2nd St. in Silvis as "Hero St., U.S.A." (Dispatch Photo)

10 Moline Dispatch Sat., Feb. 24, 1968
 NBC Films Feature On Hero Street
By VI MURPHY
Dispatch Writer

Dusty, unpaved little Hero St. in Silvis made it big again yesterday as the second major network television crew from Chicago visited the families and filmed a documentary feature on the men it had contributed to military service and its war dead. 
This time it was the National Broadcasting Co. A few weeks ago Hugh Hill and his crew from the American Broadcasting Co. were out. 
Joe Howard of Chicago's Channel 5 headed yesterday's crew with Frank Rios, a native of Puerto Rico with a wide background in American broadcasting, doing the interview work on camera. 
There was also a sound man technician and cameraman working on the sound over film production. 
The NBC feature will highlight a family of two veterans killed in World War II, one of the Korean conflict, and an interview with a Hero St. veteran of Vietnam.
Bob and Joe Munos were there on camera yesterday to tell about their brother, gallant Johnny Munos who wrote so graphically to a friend about the monotony, lousy conditions and lost hopes in a war combat zone. 
Munos' letter is a wartime classic in that he so vividly expressed the feelings and homesick disgust felt by every normal an who ever donned a uniform and left his home and family to defend a beloved country. 
In reader response to the Dispatch's feature on Jan. 5 more combat veterans from World War I, World War II, and the two latter conflicts identified with Munos than any of the other boys, in that they also felt the same way he did while overseas. 
Also on camera yesterday was the family of Joe Sandoval - the father who saw seven of his boys go to the service, including William - known as Willie on The Street - who was killed in action while his paratroop company was taking a wooded section near Nijmegen, Holland. 
The home of Mr. and Mrs. John Pompa on 2nd St. just off 1st Ave. - Hero St. - was used as an interview base on three parts of the television production. 
Mrs. Pompa told about her son Tony, the quiet serious boy who lied about his age to enlist in the Air Force at 17 because he wanted to fly. 
At the age of 19 the boy who was crazy about airplanes all his life died in one as his bomber screamed out of control into the earth outside of Aviano, Italy. He left two children. 
Mrs. Angela Sandoval - not related to Joe Sandoval - was a delight as she talked about her boys. Six of them went into the service. Two of them, Frank and Joseph, were killed. Joseph left two boys. Frank was shot down on the Burma Road and Joseph's entire combat crew was wiped out in Germany. 
Joe Terronez, Silvis alderman who grew up with the Hero St. boys, told about thee drive being sponsored by the Ybarra-Gomez VFW post to finance building a memorial to the gallant men of Hero. St. 
Willard Gauley, retired physical education teacher who was idolized by the boys, reminisced about their boyhood and the outstanding athletes who came from the little group of Mexican families who were so poor and so proud. Gauley is treasurer of the memorial fund to which contributions are being accepted from all interested donors. 
Andrew Ortiz, who lives on Hero St., is freshly back from Vietnam. His story of the Vietnamese children and his feelings about his love and tuty to his country were simply but beautifully told. 
They also talked of the other men from Hero St. - dashing Joe Gomez, whose beloved daughter Linda (Hurtado) gave birth to his grandchild, a little girl, on Valentine's Day. Joe was awarded the Silver Star posthumously for gallantry. 
Sensitive Claro Soliz, the artist killed during the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium; Gentle Peter Masias, the brave paratrooper who wanted to be a singer when he got home and who never lived through battle to realize his ambition - they are in the NBC documentary too. 
So, another annal in the long overdue recognition to a little street one and one half blocks long which still has not been paved by the city to which it is bringing national acclaim, and which gave 57 boys to two wars - World War II and Korea - eight war dead, and a fresh crop of potential heroes to the Vietnam conflict. 
Hero St., Silvis, U.S.A - there hasn't been a draft card burner or dodger in the proud families who came to Silvis from Mexico so many years ago. 

Hero St., Silvis...
From The Corner Through The Years: Red, White and Blue All Over
By VI MURPHY 
Dispatch Writer

Well it's official now. Brave little 2nd St. in Silvis is now officially Hero St. U.S.A., and there is a bright new red, white and blue sign at the corner of 1st Ave. to proclaim it 
Hero St. became official yesterday afternoon in a dedication ceremony during which Silvis Mayor William Tatman unveiled the sign while u.S. Rep. Thomas Railsback of Moline stood by.
It was a proud day for the Mexican-American community throughout the Quad-Cities and a large crowd of people jammed into the little block-and-one half street to share it with them.
Speaking of the more than 57 men and eight dead heroes from Hero St. who fought in two wars, Tatman declared Hero St. in all its future development is to be a "living memorial to honor these men."
In addition to the street sign, a permanent memorial is to be developed on a five-lot area in the heart of Hero St. in the form of a park being designed to provide a place for children to play in all the years to come, a community center building for Mexican-American events and meetings, and a grotto high up on the face of the bluff, which will be a shrine commemorating the dead heroes and the contributors of the Mexican- American community to this country's defense and causes. 
The unveiling was a stirring moment with a muted roll of drums from the crack Los Amigos marching band as Tatman removed the covering from the sign. 
As the white lettering on the red and blue background showed, the trumpets in the band swung into a triumphant version of "Only In America" from "West Side Story" and the drums crashed into a powerful background.
Tears were in the eyes of many members of the families of the dead heroes and in those of the members of the little Mexican community who have worked doggedly for almost 10 years to achieve this recognition. 
The organizations on hand to take part in the celebration then swung down the dusty little unpaved Hero St. in a colorful parade which marched smartly to the brisk music of the Los Amigos. 
Rev. Louis Scaechter of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Silvis gave the invocation and dedication.
Alderman Joe Terronez, who has been a leading influence the last two years in the Hero St. campaign for recognition introduced the surviving parents of the eight dead heroes - two mothers and three fathers. 
Railsback's attendance at the observance was two-fold in interest. He made a special trip, in an extremely tight schedule, from Kewanee to be the honored guest at the affair, and to meet the people for whom he has been working long hours in Washington to obtain a federal urban renewal grant for developing the park. 
"I am proud to be the representative in Congress that represents this neighborhood where the families generously gave the best they had to this country - their men," Railsback said.
He added, " I question that any group of this country has done more," Fifty men served from Hero St. in two wars - World War II and the Korean conflict. Eight were killed. 
Railsback observed that now there is a new name on a street and a new park in development. And there were memorial wreaths before Hero St. homes. 
"All this is well and good but it is not enough," the congressman told the crowd. "Freedom is always a goal, not an achievement."
Terronez introduced his city council committee which will supervise development of the park - Ivan Ingram and Bob Leibowitz. 
Ed Angerer, Rock Island architect, is designing the facility, including the grotto shrine which will be dedicated to the Lady of Guadalupe, beloved image of Mary to the Mexican people. 
The entire Silvis city council was on hand, in addition to representatives from veteran's organizations from throughout the Quad-Cities. 
The event ended with a memorial to the men killed in military action with the traditional gun salute and the sad, plaintive notes of "Taps" sounding softly over the final echoes 
The Hero St. Dedication was short, but deeply significant and the people lingered long on the little street after it was over. They were in no hurry to leave. 

When they were trying to decide on a fitting monument to the heroes of Second Street, off First Avenue, in Silvis, a small group of interested citizens watched a group of boys playing basketball in a tiny yard that spilled the youths into the street. there was no better place. 
"Let's do something that will be part of the street for all the generations of children to come and which we can share with the community," one of them suggested. The natural result was a park. 
The site is set aside and appropriately enough, takes in the face of the old playground, Billy Goat Bluff.
The park will include a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and honoring all the war dead of Silvis, in the names of the eight heroes from the street. 
There will also be a well developed recreation area and a community building which all organizations in Silvis can use as a meeting place and for festivals, programs, exhibits, and concerts. 
An application is being prepared for a federal grant, but half the $150,000 total cost will have to be raised by the people, who are looking for help from interested veteran's organizations, Mexican-American groups and other interested people who share the pride in the tremendous contribution to this country by the patriotic families from the once poor, but proud little Mexican community on the short, unpaved length of Hero Street, Silvis, Illinois, U.S.A.
All contributions should be sent to Willard Gouley, treasurer, Hero Street Fund, Bank of Silvis, Silvis, Illinois. 

14 Moline Dispatch, Sat. Jan 27, 1968
Donate to Hero St. Memorial 
First donations in a special fund for a memorial to mark Hero St. Silvis were turned over by George Vretis seated president of the Bank of Silvis, to Willard Gauley, fund treasurer, as Silvis Aid. Robert Leibowitz looks on. Plans are to place a memorial at the corner of 1st Ave. and 2nd St. to note that 8 young men out of 37 in service from the street died in two wars. (Dispatch Photo)

Silvis City Council Committee on Hero Street Development:
Joe Terronez, Chairman
Robert Leibovitz
Ivan Ingram
Cooperating on plans and the development are Mayor William Tatman, Ed Angerer of Rock Island, architect, citizens of Silvis, Quad-City Mexican American organizations, veterans groups, State Representative Pete Pappas of Rock Island and U.S Representative Thomas Railsback of Moline. 

The cost of publishing this informational brochure was provided by the Ybarra-Gomez Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Silvis, Illinois.

Saving...

Now, a Lasting Memorial For The Street... Mayor William Tatman of Silvis and U.S. Rep. Thomas Railsback of Moline join hands under the bright new red, white and blue sign which designated 2nd St. in Silvis as "Hero St., U.S.A." (Dispatch Photo) 10 Moline Dispatch Sat., Feb. 24, 1968 NBC Films Feature On Hero Street By VI MURPHY Dispatch Writer Dusty, unpaved little Hero St. in Silvis made it big again yesterday as the second major network television crew from Chicago visited the families and filmed a documentary feature on the men it had contributed to military service and its war dead. This time it was the National Broadcasting Co. A few weeks ago Hugh Hill and his crew from the American Broadcasting Co. were out. Joe Howard of Chicago's Channel 5 headed yesterday's crew with Frank Rios, a native of Puerto Rico with a wide background in American broadcasting, doing the interview work on camera. There was also a sound man technician and cameraman working on the sound over film production. The NBC feature will highlight a family of two veterans killed in World War II, one of the Korean conflict, and an interview with a Hero St. veteran of Vietnam. Bob and Joe Munos were there on camera yesterday to tell about their brother, gallant Johnny Munos who wrote so graphically to a friend about the monotony, lousy conditions and lost hopes in a war combat zone. Munos' letter is a wartime classic in that he so vividly expressed the feelings and homesick disgust felt by every normal an who ever donned a uniform and left his home and family to defend a beloved country. In reader response to the Dispatch's feature on Jan. 5 more combat veterans from World War I, World War II, and the two latter conflicts identified with Munos than any of the other boys, in that they also felt the same way he did while overseas. Also on camera yesterday was the family of Joe Sandoval - the father who saw seven of his boys go to the service, including William - known as Willie on The Street - who was killed in action while his paratroop company was taking a wooded section near Nijmegen, Holland. The home of Mr. and Mrs. John Pompa on 2nd St. just off 1st Ave. - Hero St. - was used as an interview base on three parts of the television production. Mrs. Pompa told about her son Tony, the quiet serious boy who lied about his age to enlist in the Air Force at 17 because he wanted to fly. At the age of 19 the boy who was crazy about airplanes all his life died in one as his bomber screamed out of control into the earth outside of Aviano, Italy. He left two children. Mrs. Angela Sandoval - not related to Joe Sandoval - was a delight as she talked about her boys. Six of them went into the service. Two of them, Frank and Joseph, were killed. Joseph left two boys. Frank was shot down on the Burma Road and Joseph's entire combat crew was wiped out in Germany. Joe Terronez, Silvis alderman who grew up with the Hero St. boys, told about thee drive being sponsored by the Ybarra-Gomez VFW post to finance building a memorial to the gallant men of Hero. St. Willard Gauley, retired physical education teacher who was idolized by the boys, reminisced about their boyhood and the outstanding athletes who came from the little group of Mexican families who were so poor and so proud. Gauley is treasurer of the memorial fund to which contributions are being accepted from all interested donors. Andrew Ortiz, who lives on Hero St., is freshly back from Vietnam. His story of the Vietnamese children and his feelings about his love and tuty to his country were simply but beautifully told. They also talked of the other men from Hero St. - dashing Joe Gomez, whose beloved daughter Linda (Hurtado) gave birth to his grandchild, a little girl, on Valentine's Day. Joe was awarded the Silver Star posthumously for gallantry. Sensitive Claro Soliz, the artist killed during the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium; Gentle Peter Masias, the brave paratrooper who wanted to be a singer when he got home and who never lived through battle to realize his ambition - they are in the NBC documentary too. So, another annal in the long overdue recognition to a little street one and one half blocks long which still has not been paved by the city to which it is bringing national acclaim, and which gave 57 boys to two wars - World War II and Korea - eight war dead, and a fresh crop of potential heroes to the Vietnam conflict. Hero St., Silvis, U.S.A - there hasn't been a draft card burner or dodger in the proud families who came to Silvis from Mexico so many years ago. Hero St., Silvis... From The Corner Through The Years: Red, White and Blue All Over By VI MURPHY Dispatch Writer Well it's official now. Brave little 2nd St. in Silvis is now officially Hero St. U.S.A., and there is a bright new red, white and blue sign at the corner of 1st Ave. to proclaim it Hero St. became official yesterday afternoon in a dedication ceremony during which Silvis Mayor William Tatman unveiled the sign while u.S. Rep. Thomas Railsback of Moline stood by. It was a proud day for the Mexican-American community throughout the Quad-Cities and a large crowd of people jammed into the little block-and-one half street to share it with them. Speaking of the more than 57 men and eight dead heroes from Hero St. who fought in two wars, Tatman declared Hero St. in all its future development is to be a "living memorial to honor these men." In addition to the street sign, a permanent memorial is to be developed on a five-lot area in the heart of Hero St. in the form of a park being designed to provide a place for children to play in all the years to come, a community center building for Mexican-American events and meetings, and a grotto high up on the face of the bluff, which will be a shrine commemorating the dead heroes and the contributors of the Mexican- American community to this country's defense and causes. The unveiling was a stirring moment with a muted roll of drums from the crack Los Amigos marching band as Tatman removed the covering from the sign. As the white lettering on the red and blue background showed, the trumpets in the band swung into a triumphant version of "Only In America" from "West Side Story" and the drums crashed into a powerful background. Tears were in the eyes of many members of the families of the dead heroes and in those of the members of the little Mexican community who have worked doggedly for almost 10 years to achieve this recognition. The organizations on hand to take part in the celebration then swung down the dusty little unpaved Hero St. in a colorful parade which marched smartly to the brisk music of the Los Amigos. Rev. Louis Scaechter of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Silvis gave the invocation and dedication. Alderman Joe Terronez, who has been a leading influence the last two years in the Hero St. campaign for recognition introduced the surviving parents of the eight dead heroes - two mothers and three fathers. Railsback's attendance at the observance was two-fold in interest. He made a special trip, in an extremely tight schedule, from Kewanee to be the honored guest at the affair, and to meet the people for whom he has been working long hours in Washington to obtain a federal urban renewal grant for developing the park. "I am proud to be the representative in Congress that represents this neighborhood where the families generously gave the best they had to this country - their men," Railsback said. He added, " I question that any group of this country has done more," Fifty men served from Hero St. in two wars - World War II and the Korean conflict. Eight were killed. Railsback observed that now there is a new name on a street and a new park in development. And there were memorial wreaths before Hero St. homes. "All this is well and good but it is not enough," the congressman told the crowd. "Freedom is always a goal, not an achievement." Terronez introduced his city council committee which will supervise development of the park - Ivan Ingram and Bob Leibowitz. Ed Angerer, Rock Island architect, is designing the facility, including the grotto shrine which will be dedicated to the Lady of Guadalupe, beloved image of Mary to the Mexican people. The entire Silvis city council was on hand, in addition to representatives from veteran's organizations from throughout the Quad-Cities. The event ended with a memorial to the men killed in military action with the traditional gun salute and the sad, plaintive notes of "Taps" sounding softly over the final echoes The Hero St. Dedication was short, but deeply significant and the people lingered long on the little street after it was over. They were in no hurry to leave. When they were trying to decide on a fitting monument to the heroes of Second Street, off First Avenue, in Silvis, a small group of interested citizens watched a group of boys playing basketball in a tiny yard that spilled the youths into the street. there was no better place. "Let's do something that will be part of the street for all the generations of children to come and which we can share with the community," one of them suggested. The natural result was a park. The site is set aside and appropriately enough, takes in the face of the old playground, Billy Goat Bluff. The park will include a grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and honoring all the war dead of Silvis, in the names of the eight heroes from the street. There will also be a well developed recreation area and a community building which all organizations in Silvis can use as a meeting place and for festivals, programs, exhibits, and concerts. An application is being prepared for a federal grant, but half the $150,000 total cost will have to be raised by the people, who are looking for help from interested veteran's organizations, Mexican-American groups and other interested people who share the pride in the tremendous contribution to this country by the patriotic families from the once poor, but proud little Mexican community on the short, unpaved length of Hero Street, Silvis, Illinois, U.S.A. All contributions should be sent to Willard Gouley, treasurer, Hero Street Fund, Bank of Silvis, Silvis, Illinois. 14 Moline Dispatch, Sat. Jan 27, 1968 Donate to Hero St. Memorial First donations in a special fund for a memorial to mark Hero St. Silvis were turned over by George Vretis seated president of the Bank of Silvis, to Willard Gauley, fund treasurer, as Silvis Aid. Robert Leibowitz looks on. Plans are to place a memorial at the corner of 1st Ave. and 2nd St. to note that 8 young men out of 37 in service from the street died in two wars. (Dispatch Photo) Silvis City Council Committee on Hero Street Development: Joe Terronez, Chairman Robert Leibovitz Ivan Ingram Cooperating on plans and the development are Mayor William Tatman, Ed Angerer of Rock Island, architect, citizens of Silvis, Quad-City Mexican American organizations, veterans groups, State Representative Pete Pappas of Rock Island and U.S Representative Thomas Railsback of Moline. The cost of publishing this informational brochure was provided by the Ybarra-Gomez Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Silvis, Illinois.