MI

By Leigh Cole

Manuel Najera certainly made his presence known in the service during World War II, flying 35 missions in Europe before coming home.

"If I would have died, it would have ended my family," Najera said.

But he took that risk and became an aerial machine gunner in the Army Air Forces in 1943.

By Joanne R. Sánchez

Pete Casarez's fondest childhood memory was playing baseball with his brothers, Frank, Eugene and Frutoso (Tuto) at the Catholic church playground, a half block from their home on East 9th Street in Austin, Texas.

"We were always together," he said of his brothers and himself.