Sgt, US, Army Juan José Peña   

Born: december 13, 1945, hagerman, NM, USA

Died: JUNE 11, 2018, ALBUQUERQUE, NM, USA

Sgt Juan José Peña was drafted into the US Army in 1969.  He took his basic and Advanced Infantry training at Fort Ord, California, then attended the Non-Commissioned Officer Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was then shipped to Cam Rahn Bay Vietnam where he was assigned to 3RD Platoon, Company B, 2ND of the 35TH Infantry Brigade, 4TH Infantry Division. In March of 1970, he would take part in cross-border operations during the US “Cambodian Incursion.”  He served as Platoon Sgt, Platoon leader, Battalion firebase Resupply NCO, at Plieku and An Khe and for a short time mini-firebase Commander in Cambodia. He was offered a battle field commission to First Lieutenant, but declined the promotion.  Juan returned to New Mexico, where he served as Vice Commander and founding member of Vietnam Veterans of New Mexico, and a member of the New Mexico Chapter Gi Forum. 

Juan Jose returned to New Mexico, where he became a tireless Chicano Activist serving his state and community in various leadership roles, and winning many honorary awards for his service. What follows is a short list of his achievements.  

Awards

-2003 Walking the Talk Award, Hispano Round Table of New Mexico 

-2000 City of Albuquerque Human Rights Board Human Rights Award 

-1995 Profile of Courage Award, Viêtnam Veterans of America, New Mexico State Council 

-Men of Achievement, 16th Edition (1994-1995) International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England 

-Hispanics for UNM Achievement Award, 1999 

B0ards, Commissions

2003 – Board Member, National Hispanic Cultural Centre of New Mexico 

2001-2002 – New Mexico Department of Education Textbook Review Committee 

1998-2012, New Mexico Department of Education Bilingual Education Advisory Committee 

-2007, Chairman, Hispano Round Table of New Mexico. 2008 Chairman 

-1996-2018 – Barelas Community Development Corporation, President 2006-2007 

-1998-2006 – Member, Downtown Action Team, Albuquerque 

-2002-2006 – Vice President – Community Enrichment Services Organization, Inc. 

-2006-2018 – Disabled American Veterans – Life Member 

-1998-2018 – Member Executive Committee, New Mexico Land Grant Forum 

-1983-2018 – Member Hispano Round Table of New Mexico, Chairman 2007, 1998, 1998, 1995 

-1998-2018– Member, 35th Infantry Brigade Association 

-1992-2018 – UNM Centro de la Raza Advisory Board Member 

-1994-2018 – Member, Arizona/New Mexico Chapter, Fourth Infantry Division Association 

-1995 – 2018 – Albuquerque Public Schools Community Council on Equity 

-1983-2018 – Member American GI Forum of New Mexico, Commander 2001-07, 1999-2000 

-1983-Present – Member American GI Forum of Albuquerque, Commander – 1992-2005, Vice-Commander 

-2000-2001, 2002-2003, American GI Forum of the United States National Secretary 

-1984 – Founding Member Dads Against Discrimination  

-2001 – Barelas Community Development Corporation Representative to the Historic Neighborhoods Alliance  

-2001 – New Mexico Department of Education Textbook Review Commission 

-1977 to 2018, Founding member of Viêtnam Veterans of New Mexico, later VVA Chapter 318 

-1993-1994, Viêtnam Veterans of America New Mexico State Council Board Member 

-2001-2002 – Member, Explora Children’s Museum Board of Directors 

– 1986 – Member, American Legion Post 13 

-1983 – 2017 – Member, National Association for Judiciary Interpreters 

-1983 – 2017 Member & Founding President of the New Mexico Translators & Interpreter Association 

-1978 Member, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Las Vegas Chapter, Las Vegas, New Mexico. 

-1978 Chicano National Committee on Immigration and Human Rights 

-1969-1972 Chicano Associated Students Organization (CASO).  Presidential Selection Committee of CASO  

-1972-1978 CASO faculty advisor 1972-1978. 

-1972-1981, Northern New Mexico Legal Services Board of Trustees member, President 1973-1981. 

-1973-1978 President, New Mexico Concilio for Chicano Studies. 

-1972-1978, New Mexico representative to the National Association for Chicano Studies 

-1976- present, Member, Modern Language Association. 

-1972- present, Member, Western Social Science Association. 

-1972 – 1973  Member, Nosotros, Inc., a community service organization, Las Vegas, New Mexico 

-1972 – Co-Editor of “El Pasatiempo, A Language Journal,” NMHU, Las Vegas, New Mexico. 

-1968 – Co-Editor of the “Trilanguage Journal,” New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, New Mexico. 

-1976-1978, Program Director and Moderator for “Asuntos Históricos de Nuevo México” at KFUN Radio 

Images & Documents

Notes:

See Library of Congress Vet History Project oral interview at https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.31548/ 

Please note that this biography is incomplete. If you are a relative or close friend of this veteran, we encourage you to contact us at vlgp@sfcc.edu to complete this biography with your story and documentation (if available). 

Biography organized by E. Garcia