EL UVALDE TIMES Page 7 July 13, 1991 One day, when three of the prisoners had broken into the kitchen and stolen a loaf of bread and some pieces of bologna, he gave them as punishment to stand at attention for several hours with a rock in each hand where the other prisoners could see them. He watched them from his office across the grounds. When one of the soldiers could not stand still he asked his assistant to bring the prisoner over to see what his problem was. He noticed the young man had an artificial arm made of rubber from the elbow down. Willie told his assistant to get some bread and bologna for the three men but to tell them they must no tsteal from the kitchen again, that there wasn’t enough food for them to begin with and it wasn ’ tfairfor the other prisoners to do with even less. He also threatened that the next time the punishment would be more severe. When Bruno came back he asked him if that was tear in his eye. Willie explained to him that the soldier with the artificial hand had reminded him of his father, who had lost use of both his hands in an accident. His love for his father had made him feet compas-I sion for the young prisoners. Willie later obtained for the prisoners a soccer ball for he saw that they loved to play the game and were great players. One day he found a young prisoner playing an instrument and he got an idea. He found out the man had been an orchestra leader and he also remembered that during one of the attacks on the Germans the Americans had taken some musical instruments. I He asked his colonel if he could I get some of those instruments for I the prisoners. That’s how the I prisoners came to form an or-I chestra. The prisoners appreciated all I that the sergeant did for them and I they offered to shine his shoes and wash his clothes. Willie made quiet a few points one day when his captain came to find him in one of the prisoner cages while he was having his hair cut with one of those old long barber knives. When the war ended the “ Point System” was implemented and all soldier with 85 points could leave military service. One day I went to the camp to eat. (The American’s camp was located several miles from the prisoner’s camp.) Sergeant Petrocino asked me, “Have you seen the bulletin board?” “No,” I said. “ I haven’t seen the bulletin board” “You know how many points you got?” “You got the more points than anybody.” “If that’s true then I’m leaving.” I went to the bulletin board and I saw my name at the lop of the list: “Guillermo Luna De Leon......128 points.” A soldier sitting there told me, “Hey, De Leon Why don’t you give me half of your points. I only have sixty.” “Oh, chihuahua”, I answered. “I’m sorry.” I was told I could leave immediately. That I could be sent to Paris that very same day. I resumed to the prisoners camp to pick up my shoes and clothes I had there with them. I told Bruno I was leaving. “You’re going to leave us!” He said. “No, De Leon, don’t leave us.!” “I have to go back to my home town,” I told him. “Well,” he said. “Would you like for the orchestra to play you something as a farewell?” “That’s not a bad idea,” I told him. Bruno left and began to spread the word among the prisoners that Willie was leaving. Willie was amazed at how fast the word got around and they all gathered around so quickly since there were some3000prisoners in the camp. They looked bewildered and scored as they looked toward Willie and talked about his leaving. Then he was asked which songs he wanted to hear. “Well, I want three songs.” I told them. Bruno asked the orchestra if they knew them and they said yes. “First play me one of your songs, the “Lillie Marlene”, (which was very popular at the time.) “When I’m reaching the gate, play for me “Deep in the Heart of Texas”, (they were great musicians!) And when I pass the gate, play for me “South of the Border”, a Mexican song. In a broken voice, Willie concludes his story saying, “It was a thing that I fought them, I went around with them, fighting, and I took care of them, and they bid me farewell with music. By God and my dear mother who is dead I swear that this is the very truth. Maybe it was because of my father’s prayers for me, after those two telegrams that made him suffer so much. (Where he was twice told Willie had been killed.) ’’And that was my farewell from Europe.” When Willie returned to Uvalde he began to work with the other veterans to re-establish the American Legion Post 479 and they began to see some changes for better treatment of the Mexican people here. In future editions we hope, God willing, to bring you more of the beautiful memories of Mr. De Leon. We appreciate his patience in relating all this and we hope he will keep on making notes of his past, for his past is also the past of many residents of Uvalde. Servicemen Joe Luna, Robert Echeverria and George Echeverria salute Old Glory during flag raising ceremonies at the Fourth of July at Memorial Park. ■ ■ ♦ I fl Los soldados Joe Luna, Roberto Echeverria y George Echeverria saludan la bandera durante las ceremonias del Cuatro de Julio. Richard 0. Gonzales X ATTORNEY-AT-LAW * OFFICE: 512-278-7812 RES: 512-278-9685 FAX: 512-278-7868 231 SOUTH GETTY UVALDE, TEXAS 78801 i FRANK’S BODY & PAINT SHOP PAINT & BODY WORK — m REPLACE WINDSHIELDS Francisco Arismendi ■b, Owner Bus. 278-4810 South Evans St. P.O. 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