#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Alfred V. Guerra

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Alfred V. Guerra, who served as an infantry soldier in the Pacific theater during World War II.

Alfred V. Guerra was from San Antonio and joined the Army in 1944 during the height of World War II. He joined shortly after turning 18.

“At the time, I didn’t realize what I was going to go up against,” Guerra said during an interview.

After training at Camp Fannin, he served as an infantry soldier in the World War II Pacific campaign. Guerra was the sniper for his platoon and received an Expert Rifleman Medal for his marksmanship. He first went to serve in the Philippine Invasion. During this time, Guerra fought in the Battle of Leyte, Luzon and Hollandia, New Guinea. Machine-gun fire during an enemy ambush injured him, and for this, he received a Purple Heart.

In 1945, Guerra fought in the Japanese invasion of Okinawa, where an enemy shot him. He went to a Navy hospital ship for surgery. During this transfer, someone lost his records. According to the Soldiers’ Angels website, Guerra was listed as missing in action for seven months due to this loss of records. His family did not know where he was during this period and thought that he was missing behind enemy lines. After healing from his wounds, he returned to duty before discharging in 1946. He received a Bronze Star for his actions during his service.

After discharging from the Army, Guerra settled down in San Antonio, where he and his now late wife raised their family. He worked for 38 years as a systems analyst at Kelly Air Force Base before retiring. In 2020, he moved in with his daughter because his home fell into disrepair. The next year, volunteers from various organizations, including Soldiers’ Angels and the Military Order of the Purple Heart, helped Guerra and his family renovate his home to make it livable again. Guerra moved back into his home in July 2021, and he was thrilled to be back.

Currently, Guerra is 95 and spends his days at home tending to his yard and garden.

Thank you for your service!

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Contributors

Writer: Jurnee Allen

Editors: Alexander Reza and Annabelle Colton

Fact checker: Timothy Georgetti

Graphic artist: Kiki Kelley