From the Heart of Texas to a Purple Heart Recipient
By Philip Drescher
Emiliano E. Gimeno
January 24, 1921 – August 4, 2014
Emiliano E. Gimeno, born to Emiliano Jimeno Campuzano and Marcelina Fuentes Espinoza de Jimeno of Mexico, on January 24, 1921, served in the United States Navy during the Second World War. Gimeno was born in El Paso Texas, and was the oldest of ten siblings in a tight-knit family. The city of El Paso began to boom during this time, as Texans and other Americans migrated to the area. This, unfortunately, led to segregation of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans from the non-Hispanic population in the city. Gimeno noted the lack of opportunities for Hispanics, as he once stated that he and his family supported World War II wholeheartedly, partly because they believed it opened doors for employment for Hispanics.[1]
Gimeno joined the military in 1945, where he was drafted into the Navy. Gimeno recalled his days of basic training, as he was one of three Hispanics at the training site.[2] Gimeno says basic training was “a way of life,” and that he and the others had to forget about cultural allegiances to focus on being in the Navy.[3]
Commissioning of USS Yorktown on 15 April 1943. USN, photographed by Lieutenant Charles Kerlee, USNR. - Official U.S. Navy photo
Gimeno spent all of his time in service in the U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-10) an aircraft carrier that was commissioned in April 1943, and participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation.[4] On the 21st of March in 1945, Gimeno and the U.S.S. Yorktown began their journey towards Okinawa, where they began taking hits from Japanese strikes on March 23.[5] Those attacks continued until March 28 when the ship rerouted deeper into Japanese waters to take place in an additional attack on other Japanese islands. On March 29, the Gimeno and the aircraft carrier began two raids along with a photographic reconnaissance mission over the island of Kyūshū. That afternoon, at about 14:10, a single "Judy" made an apparent suicide dive on Yorktown. The anti-aircraft guns scored numerous hits. The plane passed over the ship and crashed about 60 feet from her port side. After the war, Gimeno was awarded the Purple Heart and six battle stars from the action he saw in the Marshall Islands, the Philippines, and Japan.[6]
After being discharged as a seaman first class in October 1945, Gimeno went to work at a cabinet shop back home. He said he liked seeing that people getting back from the war could focus on furnishing and remodeling their homes.[7] Later, Gimeno moved into the construction business. After some time he ran his own company, which was involved in the restoration of Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site in La Junta, Colorado, a portion of the Santa Fe Trail.
Before his passing, Gimeno was awarded a Purple Heart, honoring his service and sacrifice to his country.[8] Gimeno is survived by eight children, four daughters, and five sons, one son who has passed away. His wife, Irene, passed away in 2019.[9] He is also survived by 19 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. Gimeno currently rests in Fort Logan National Cemetery, and his character and courage will live on through his family and friends.
Footnotes ↓
[1] Fields, Brandon. “Emiliano Espinosa Gimeno,” Voces Oral History Center, The University of Texas at Austin, January 24, 1921. https://voces.lib.utexas.edu/collections/stories/emiliano-espinosa-gimeno.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] "Yorktown, USS (Aircraft Carrier)," National Historic Landmarks Program, National Park Service, Archived from the original on 13 January 2009, 26 June 2008.
[6] Fields, Brandon. “Emiliano Espinosa Gimeno,” Voces Oral History Center, The University of Texas at Austin, January 24, 1921.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] National Cemetery Administration. U.S., Veterans' Gravesites, ca.1775-2019 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.
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