From Tunnels to Tanks
By Brigid Miller
Jose G. Rivera
September 26, 1952 - April 30, 2015
Jose Rivera, uploaded to allveterans.com by the family, Nov 1, 2019
Joe loved America and dedicated his entire life to serving and protecting his country. He served in the military for multiple decades and served the Denver community for 18 years afterwards with the Sheriff’s Department. Friends remember him for his smile and his pride to be an American.[1]
At an army base in Panama, Jose “Joe” Rivera was born on September 26th, 1952 to Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe and Lucila E. Rivera. Guadalupe and Lucila met while serving in the U.S. military. Guadalupe was drafted to serve in the U.S. army during World War II, but he also served in the Korean and Vietnam wars, ultimately reaching the rank of Sergeant First Class, which is one rank below Master Sergeant. [2] Lucila was a cadet nurse during World War II.[3] Sometime after they were married, they were stationed in Panama, most likely because they could both speak Spanish.[4] While in Panama, Guadalupe and Lucila had Joe and his brother Luis.
Joe’s parents wanted him to go to college after high school, but he had always dreamed of being in the army, so he enlisted right out of high school.[5] He enlisted in the army infantry during the Vietnam War and served a full tour there. Rivera was not a very big guy, so he was often the one sent to search holes in the ground and other small spaces.[6] This kind of work was rough on him and “affected him the most out of his combat deployment.”[7] Joe shared many stories from his time in Vietnam and earlier military career. Some stories were heavier, like when he described crawling into the tunnels looking for booby traps and enemy forces, while other stories were more thrilling like when he talked about jumping out of planes or encountering the wildlife in Vietnam.[8] A friend of Joe remembers him telling a hilarious story about when he encountered a group of wild orangutans while on guard duty in Vietnam.[9]
Joe served his first full tour in Vietnam and decided to reenlist afterwards. He spent the majority of his time in service overseas. While stationed in Germany, he got involved with the Tank Units. Joe would work with the Tanks for the remainder of his military career. He most likely started as a squad leader within a tank unit, but eventually he became the unit commander as a First Sergeant (which is the same as a Master Sergeant as a non-commissioned officer - NCO).[10] Rivera always made sure that his unit worked as a team. In preparation for the Desert Storm (formerly Desert Shield) operation, Rivera told his men, “I love you guys, but nobody leaves here with clean hands.”[11] He meant that if they were going to do the dirty work, they were all going to do the work that they were trained for, nobody was going to “have the pleasure of not being a part of it.”[12] Rivera decided to retire rather than reenlist when the U.S. got involved with the conflict in Somalia in 1992 as a 40-year old First Sergeant.
Rivera’s military legacy is that he always took care of his people and they were always loyal to him as well, “they would do anything for him.”[13] Mike Jackson, a friend of Joe from the Sheriff’s Department and fellow veteran, recalled meeting some of the men Joe served with. One of Joe’s friends from the military completely redid Rivera’s Harley at no cost because they had such a strong relationship and his friend appreciated Joe getting them through some tough times.[14] Some of the men Joe served with in Germany respected him as a good “mentor, friend, and NCO.”[15] Jose’s legacy is reflected in the honors received throughout his military career including a Bronze Star, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and two Oak Leaf Clusters.
Jose Rivera, uploaded to allveterans.com by the family, Nov 1, 2019
Upon returning from overseas, Rivera was stationed in Colorado Springs for his transition into retirement. He eventually moved to Denver and worked as a Deputy Sheriff at the Denver Sheriff’s Department.[16] He worked in a jail managing inmates, but he was also elected to be a union leader for the department and was their Sergeant in Arms for about 10 years.[17] He always exemplified professionalism, pride to be wearing the uniform, and fought for his coworkers’ rights. [18] One of Joe’s goals was to better the lives of the deputies in Denver, and he did so by fighting for better training and benefits for them through his work with the union.[19] He raised his daughter, Josie, in Denver with a lot of lenience. He would let her climb around and get on top of the house, she could get away with a lot according to Mike. To Rivera, she was his greatest achievement and the greatest thing to happen to him.[20]
Any of his friends, family, and co-workers will tell you that he was an avid Raiders fan and a great single father to Josie.[21] Something that made Rivera unique was how quick he was with language. He spoke Spanish ever since his childhood and was fluent in German from his service in Germany, but he was also always quick to pick up dialects and better communicate with anyone. Whether it was Vietnamese while serving in the infantry or different dialects of Spanish, he could always learn quickly.[22] Joe Rivera always loved the United States, it is truly “where his heart was,” and he showed that love for his country through his decades of service, dedication to his coworkers in Denver, and pride to wear the uniform.[23]
Joe passed away on April 30, 2015 at the age of 62. He was survived by his father, daughter, brother, 4 sisters, and many nephews and nieces. His father passed away the following year at age 96 and was buried at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery with his wife, Lucila, who had passed away in 2006.[24]
Footnotes ↓
[1] Multiple tributes, “Obituary of Jose Rivera: All Veterans Funeral & Cremation – Wheat Ridge,” allveterans.com, Funeral Homes & Cremation Services (accessed July 10, 2020), https://allveterans.com/tribute/details/159135/Jose-Rivera/obituary.html.
[2] “U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947,” ancestry.com (accessed July 10, 2020), entry for Guadalupe Rivera, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1942; Nationwide Gravesite Locator, National Cemetery Administration.
[3] “Cadet Nurse Corps Files, compiled 1943-1948, documenting the period 1942-1948,” National Archives and Records administration (accessed July 10, 2020), entry for Lucila E Rivera, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1943.
[4] Mike Jackson, interview with Brigid Miller, Virtual Zoom interview, July 14, 2020. DU VLP.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Tribute by Linde Dillard (December 21, 2015), allveterans.com.
[10] Mike Jackson, Virtual Zoom interview.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Tribute by Eddie Marcantel (December 21, 2015), allveterans.com.
[16] “Obituary of Jose Rivera: All Veterans Funeral & Cremation – Wheat Ridge,” allveterans.com.
[17] Mike Jackson, Virtual Zoom interview.
[18] Tribute by Tonya Chapman (December 21, 2015), allverterans.com; Tribute by Margaret Gomez (December 21, 2015), allveterans.com.
[19] Mike Jackson, Virtual Zoom interview.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Multiple tributes from allveterans.com.
[22] Mike Jackson, Virtual Zoom interview
[23] Ibid.
[24] Nationwide Gravesite Locator
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