Reynaldo Severino Medina

Born: September 11, 1934, Chama, New Mexico

Died: Death: June 20, 2022, Española, New MExico

Reynaldo S. (Rey) Medina was born to Elvira Martínez and José Florentino Medina in Chama, NM on September 11, 1934. He enlisted in the US Air Force in 1951 at the age of 17 at the height of the Korean Conflict and was stationed at Kunsan Air Base, Korea with the 7th Fighter-Bomber Squadron of the Fifth Air Force until 1953. While serving as an Aircraft Control and Warning Operator at the rank of Airman Third Class, Rey’s duties included activities at Itazuke Air Base on the Japanese island of Kyushu. Following his service in the Korean Conflict theater, Airman Medina reenlisted in 1957 and was released honorably from active duty in 1959 while in service to the Syracuse Air Defense Sector at Hancock Field in Syracuse, NY. Upon his return to Northern New Mexico, he became an active and proud member of VFW Post 8448 in Tierra Amarilla and served as post quartermaster. In the 1970s and 1980s, Rey also served in the New Mexico Army National Guard, reaching the rank of Chief Warrant Officer.

Taking advantage of the G.I. Bill, Medina studied at New Mexico Highlands University prior to completing his studies at the College of Santa Fe. His passion for public service and his political talents led Rey to serve two terms in the New Mexico House of Representatives (1973-1976), representing District 41 (Río Arriba and Taos), as a member of the progressive “Mama Lucy Gang” faction of the House of Representatives. During his legislative tenure he served on the House Appropriations and Finance, Education, and Labor Standing Committees and on the Interim Energy, Health and Aging Study, and Legislative School Study Committees. Medina was proud of his culture and how it related to his public service. While serving in the legislature he declared “I’m a Chicano legislator and proud of that fact…I’m an American and a Goddamn good American. But I’m a Chicano.” (Santa Fe New Mexican 1973), and “To me Chicano is a feeling of closeness to the people. I feel very close to them, all of them…it’s a gut feeling, a gutsy feeling.” (Lovington Daily Leader 1973).

Of his many public service roles, Rey was most proud of his time as a Veterans’ Service Officer years as a Veterans’ Service Officer in Río Arriba and Taos counties. From this position he was able to help many veterans get placed in rewarding careers that allowed their families to ascend to the middle class.

His distinguished career in public service included and appointments as State Labor Commissioner, Chief of Hearings and Appeals for the Human Services Department, and Director of Property Control. Following retirement, Rey continued to serve his community in various capacities including the Governor’s Commission on the Handicapped, the Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission, and the Board of Trustees of Presbyterian Española Hospital.

He passed away peacefully at his home in Española, NM on June 20, 2022 and is buried in El Cementerio de Dolores in Chihuahua, Chihuahua alongside his late wife Elvia Isela Vidal Medina.

Images & Documents

Notes:

1. Obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/santafenewmexican/name/rey-medina-obituary?id=36043842

2. “Some Legislators Talk About Their Spanish Background,” Santa Fe New Mexican, February 11, 1973.

3. “Legislator Answers Roll Call in Spanish,” Lovington Daily Leader, February 11, 1973.

Prepared by Xavier Medina Vidal