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Colonel Juan Raigoza, a resident of Albuquerque, died Sunday, August 8, 2004. He was born on June 24, 1918 in Redlands, CA. He was drafted into the Army at age 23, six months before the 7th of December 1941 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the entry of the United States into World War II. Juan Raigoza made the military his career. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant shortly after the beginning of World War II and served in all levels of command from unit commander to the General Staff of an infantry combat division and retired as a Colonel. He was a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. The Purple Hearts were awarded to him for wounds received in combat both in World War II and the war in Korea. Besides the Purple Heart, he was awarded 13 other combat decorations and service ribbons. The combat decoration he was most willing to talk about was the Star of Ethiopian awarded to him by the Emperor Haile Selasse for acts of bravery in action. It was the highest decoration given to any non-Ethiopian during the Korean War. It is roughly equivalent to the American Congressional Medal of Honor. During the Korean War he served for a time as liaison and advisor to the Ethiopian infantry battalion. Juan was interviewed for a recent book titled "On Hallowed Ground," which was a recount of the Korean War. His respect for the Ethiopian troops won praise from American and United Nations commanders. After the Korean War he was sent to Fort Sill to help rewrite the manual of support weapons using the experience of both World War II and the Korean War. Before his retirement he was sent to Panama to head the department of the U.S. Caribbean School where Latin American officers and enlisted men attended artillery courses and basic and advanced courses in infantry taught in both English and Spanish. Juan Raigoza had degrees in mathematics and graduate courses in mathematics and in Spanish and English literature. After retirement he taught mathematics and Spanish literature at Highland High School for 17 years. Amongst his war trophies he also had some plaques and mementos of his years as a teacher. One of which he is especially proud is a plaque from one of his calculus classed that reads, "Thanks for making our last year so special - Calculus, 1978." During his career in the Army, Col. Raigoza was a member of an Army fencing team and won several trophies and awards for championship in both the foil and saber. Juan Raigoza was associated with the local television Val De La O show, a weekly Spanish language television show produced in Albuquerque. He appeared as co-host, newscaster, commentator and producer. The Val De La O show was one of the first Spanish, musical-variety show to be syndicated in the United States and one of long lasting-popularity in New Mexico. Juan Raigoza is a veteran of the campaign trail. After losing the nomination for Lt. Governor, he traveled across the state with and on behalf of Joe Skeen, Republican candidate for Governor in 1974. At the advice of fellow party members, he decided to remain active in the party and try for an office in 1976. He ran for Representative for House District 18, but was defeated in that pursuit. He was a member of the Republican State Finance, Central, Advisory Rules and Candidate Identification Committees. Juan was an avid reader. He was a member of several book clubs since the 1930s and has a large collection of books in mathematics, history, and literature both in Spanish and English. He has contributed many books to the libraries of both of his daughters, Renee and Michelle. He has also given hundreds of books to several charitable organizations. Juan Raigoza is survived by his wife of 57 years, Geraldine Vivian Raigoza, his daughters and sons-in-law, William and Renee Wolff and their children, Michael Philip Moore, Sarah Wolff, and Melanie Miller and Jim and Michelle Welby and their children, Justin Thomas Welby, Erin Bevins and Allison Welby, his two brothers, Eliseo Carrillo, Jr., and Vicente Carrillo and several nieces and nephews. His mother, Abigail Carrillo, and his sister Matilde Lujan preceded him in death. He was once asked if he had ever thought of what he would like to have inscribed on his tombstone. He sort of smiled and said that he would probably like to change a couple of words and paraphrase Amado Nervo, the Mexican poet, and have inscribed, "I lived and sinned like everyone, but I loved enough to be forgiven." Services will be held Friday, August 13, 2004, 11:00 a.m., at French Mortuary, Lomas Blvd. Chapel, 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, 924 Menaul NE. Pallbearers will be Jim Welby, William Wolff, Justin Welby, Michael Moore, Eliseo Carrillo Jr., and Vicente Carrillo. French Mortuary 10500 Lomas Blvd. NE 275-3500
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