Vietnam Veteran "Ghost Town Survivors"

Juan Guajardo: Raised to do his duty
My San Antonio
NOVEMBER 4, 2014

With help from his wife, Victoria, family and support groups, he moved on. He's a founding member of the Ghost Town Survivors, friends who escaped the gang life, served in the military and returned to their old neighborhood to help those in need.

He arrived in South Vietnam on Jan. 13, 1969.

When the door of the aircraft opened, he was blasted by the smell of burning waste and blistering heat. After a few days of training, he was on patrol, trudging in the jungle with young men from across America, unaware of what awaited them.

It was a far cry from the shrill horns that blared from speakers at the Arizona Café off General McMullen Drive this October morning as Juan Guajardo reflected on his life-changing tour of duty.

He grew up not far from the eatery, in a West Side neighborhood called El Ghost Town, where he learned the code of the streets.

His skills helped him outlast years of turf wars and gang violence alongside life-long friends: Leonardo “Lalo” Mendez, Hector “Pro” Caldera, Luz “Louie” H. Gallegos and Alfred “Curly” Palacio.
read more here