My Eulogy for Ruben
Eulogy
Ruben was born in November 1924 in Jerome, AZ within the United Verde Hospital #3 (which was opened in 1922 and closed in 1926) since his family moved there because of his father’s work opportunity that brought the family to the United States of America previous of his birth. His father was a good worker and people manager. Pedro, the father, came to Jerome, AZ for mining.
Ruben comes from a family of nine children. He was the 4th child with two older sisters and one older brother; he was their first boy born in USA.
The Tellez children had grown up in the United States in very culturally-mixed neighborhoods, both in Jerome, AZ, and San Diego, CA.
Ruben attended Memorial Junior High for grades 7-9th, in San Diego, and then grades 10-11th at my own San Diego High School from 1939-1941.
Ruben was quite social. He had lots of friends. Ruben loved his bicycle. He and his friends spent hours riding and fixing their bikes. As he got older, he liked several girls, but one became special to him.
Ruben and Peter (his brother) worked for the CCC in 1941 and 1942 for it sent money back to their household for their family and then soon after they both volunteered for the Army. Ruben went a step further and volunteered for the paratroopers and placed in the 101st Airborne, D Company.
Ruben Ruiz Tellez died on June 8th, 1944 in Normandy, France at 19 years, 6 months, and 15 days old from German snipers shooting him down. This man died for his country and his loved ones with his bravery in his right hand and his ambition in the other.
This courageous man may be buried beneath my feet, but his heart is buried in the sands of Normandy Beach. The heart filled with pride and not red, but purple in color.
Ruben was born in November 1924 in Jerome, AZ within the United Verde Hospital #3 (which was opened in 1922 and closed in 1926) since his family moved there because of his father’s work opportunity that brought the family to the United States of America previous of his birth. His father was a good worker and people manager. Pedro, the father, came to Jerome, AZ for mining.
Ruben comes from a family of nine children. He was the 4th child with two older sisters and one older brother; he was their first boy born in USA.
The Tellez children had grown up in the United States in very culturally-mixed neighborhoods, both in Jerome, AZ, and San Diego, CA.
Ruben attended Memorial Junior High for grades 7-9th, in San Diego, and then grades 10-11th at my own San Diego High School from 1939-1941.
Ruben was quite social. He had lots of friends. Ruben loved his bicycle. He and his friends spent hours riding and fixing their bikes. As he got older, he liked several girls, but one became special to him.
Ruben and Peter (his brother) worked for the CCC in 1941 and 1942 for it sent money back to their household for their family and then soon after they both volunteered for the Army. Ruben went a step further and volunteered for the paratroopers and placed in the 101st Airborne, D Company.
Ruben Ruiz Tellez died on June 8th, 1944 in Normandy, France at 19 years, 6 months, and 15 days old from German snipers shooting him down. This man died for his country and his loved ones with his bravery in his right hand and his ambition in the other.
This courageous man may be buried beneath my feet, but his heart is buried in the sands of Normandy Beach. The heart filled with pride and not red, but purple in color.
Tiffany's Eulogy of Ruben
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=275190789247419 is the link to the video. This website would not allow its upload.
Ruben's niece, Patricia Salazar, remembers a conversation with Uncle Pete about Uncle Ruben's death
I'd like to share one memory I have that still brings me to tears. I was driving to work over 10 years ago (around 2001) and was listening to NPR. It was a few days before Veteran's Day and the host was interviewing a WWII vet about his memories.
The host asked him what his most difficult memory was. I expected him to say something about a combat experience or the harsh conditions. To my surprise he said his brother had died overseas and his most difficult memory was coming home and facing his family without his brother.
This struck a cord in me because my Uncle, Pete Tellez, was also in the European theater when Uncle Ruben was killed. I called my Uncle Pete to thank him for his service and relayed the radio interview I heard that morning.
For the first time ever I heard my Uncle Pete with tears in his voice. He told me his most difficult experience was coming home to face his Dad. He told me how his Sargent allowed him to travel to the first burial site once things calmed down and how he picked up some dirt from the grave site and carried it with him the remainder of his deployment. He brought it home and gave it to his Dad and apologized.
He carried a heavy burden and tremendous guilt that he came home and his younger brother didn't. This was the one and only chink in my Uncle Pete's armor that I ever saw and I was sad that he still felt guilt over being the survivor after so many years.
The host asked him what his most difficult memory was. I expected him to say something about a combat experience or the harsh conditions. To my surprise he said his brother had died overseas and his most difficult memory was coming home and facing his family without his brother.
This struck a cord in me because my Uncle, Pete Tellez, was also in the European theater when Uncle Ruben was killed. I called my Uncle Pete to thank him for his service and relayed the radio interview I heard that morning.
For the first time ever I heard my Uncle Pete with tears in his voice. He told me his most difficult experience was coming home to face his Dad. He told me how his Sargent allowed him to travel to the first burial site once things calmed down and how he picked up some dirt from the grave site and carried it with him the remainder of his deployment. He brought it home and gave it to his Dad and apologized.
He carried a heavy burden and tremendous guilt that he came home and his younger brother didn't. This was the one and only chink in my Uncle Pete's armor that I ever saw and I was sad that he still felt guilt over being the survivor after so many years.
World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas about Tellez
Name: Ruben R Tellez
Inducted From: California
Rank: Private
Combat Organization: 506th Parachute Infantry 101st Airborne
Death Date: 8 Jun 1944
Monument: Normandy, France
Last Known Status: Buried
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal
Inducted From: California
Rank: Private
Combat Organization: 506th Parachute Infantry 101st Airborne
Death Date: 8 Jun 1944
Monument: Normandy, France
Last Known Status: Buried
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal
US Government Burial Record
Name: Ruben R Tellez
Gender: Male
Race: White
Religion: Catholic
Cemetery Name: Saint Laurent (Permanent Cemetery), Saint Laurent, France
Grave number: h 2 21
Disposition: According to next of kin
Service Branch: Army Rank: Private
Service Number: 39294839
Gender: Male
Race: White
Religion: Catholic
Cemetery Name: Saint Laurent (Permanent Cemetery), Saint Laurent, France
Grave number: h 2 21
Disposition: According to next of kin
Service Branch: Army Rank: Private
Service Number: 39294839
Ruben's Burial
Ruben, as were the other soldiers who died during the Normandy Beach Invasion, was buried twice, first as soon as possible, second when the American Cemetery in Normandy was established.
In this photo taken in the National Archives in DC, Harris (on the left) is finding the location on the map of Ruben's first grave while other students are looking for their soldier's graves.
In this photo taken in the National Archives in DC, Harris (on the left) is finding the location on the map of Ruben's first grave while other students are looking for their soldier's graves.