June/July 2002 - Philippine Defenders Main

BILLY E. BALLOU
After receiving the Quan paper for April
2002, I, as Billy E. Ballou’s widow, decided
to write to you and let you know he passed
away February 2, 2002.
He was an avid reader of your Quan
and it meant a lot to him to receive it.
He was a prisoner of war of the
Japanese during World War Two and
worked in a lead and zinc mine for over
two years.
I know how happy he would have been
to know that I’m sending in this letter to
you as my tribute to him.
Thank you,
Audrey M. Ballou
851 Citrus #15
La Habra, CA 90631
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LORENZO BANEGAS
Lorenzo “Lencho” Banegas, 82, lifelong
resident of Las Cruces, died Saturday,
Dec. 15, 2001. He was born on May 22,
1919 in San Isidro, NM to Febronio
Banegas and Luisa Ybarra Banegas.
Corporal Lencho was a veteran of the US
Army serving his country during WWII
where he was awarded the American
Defense Medal with Bronze Stars, WWII
Victory Medal, Philippine Defense Ribbon
with Bronze Star, Asiatic Pacific
Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal
and the Distinguished Unit Badge with 2
Oak Leaf Clusters. He was an ex-pow captured
April 9, 1942 during the Bataan,
Philippines Campaign and was liberated
September 8, 1945. He was a member of
the Las Cruces Chapter of ex pow’s, VFW
Post #3242 on Mesquite Street and
American Defenders of Bataan & Corregidor.
Lencho was very honored by the
support shown to himself and all vets by
Lt. Colonel Stone and the Mayfield High
School ROTC. He was also a member of
San Albino Catholic Church.
He is survived by his wife of 51 years
Nina Banegas of the family home; son,
Lawrence Banegas and wife Pancha;
daughters, Anna Lisa Banegas-Peña and
husband Richard, Martha Legarreta and
husband Richard and Janice Orten
Banegas, Vina Craig and husband Joel,
Jessie Kinnikin and husband Clay and
daughter-in-law, Lourdes Banegas; brother,
Charlie Banegas; sisters, Suzie Carrier
and Cecilia Zarate; also by 22 grandchildren
with 1 on the way, 1 great-grandchild
and 1 on the way. Lencho was preceded
in death by son, Louie Banegas and
grandson, Angelo Legarreta.
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RUBY BRADLEY
Col. Ruby Bradley, an Army nurse who
was one of the nation’s most decorated
female veterans and a World War II prisoner
of war, died Tuesday. She was 94.
At a Japanese prisoner of war camp, Col.
Bradley went hungry and instead gave
most of her food to children who were being
held captive. She and other nurses set up a
6 — THE QUAN
clinic to care for the sick and wounded.
A native of Spencer, W.Va., Col. Bradley
became a nurse in 1933 after a stint as a
teacher and joined the Army Nurse Corps
in 1934.
When the Japanese bombed Pearl
Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, she was a 34-yearold
administrator serving in the Philippines
at Camp John Hay. She was captured
three weeks later.
Col. Bradley was moved to Santo Tomas
in Manila on Sept. 23, 1943. She was
among a group of imprisoned nurses who
came to be known to captives as the
Angels in Fatigues.
Col. Bradley weighed about 80 pounds
when American troops liberated the camp
on Feb. 3, 1945. She said she never missed
another meal.
She received 34 medals, including two
Legion of Merit medals, two Bronze Stars,
and the International Red Cross’ prestigious
nursing honor, the Florence
Nightingale Medal.
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NICHOLAS DALESANDRO SR.
Nicholas Dalesandro, Sr., 80, of Prospect
Street, a retired die cutter for 30 years for
Old Colony Envelope in Westfield, died
Tuesday in Noble Hospital in Westfield.
He retired in 1983. Born in Chester on
June 23, 1921, he was a lifelong resident.
He was the son of the late Camelo and
Carmela (Lancia) Dalesandro. He was a
U.S. Navy veteran, serving in World War
II. He joined the Navy in 1940 and was
captured on Corregidor after the sinking of
the USS Quail and was Prisoner of War in
Japan for 3 1 ⁄2 years during World War II.
He was held in the following prisoner of
war camps: Umeda Bunsho, Tsuruga, and
Cabanatuan. He held the rank of Chief
Petty Officer. He received the Bronze Star
Medal, World War II Victory Medal,
American Area Medal, Asiatic-Pacific
Theatre Medal, Philippine Liberation
Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and The Ex
Prisoner of War Medal. He was a member
of the American Defenders of Bataan &
Corregidor, Past Commander of Western
Mass Chapter American Ex Prisoners of
War, a member of the VFW in Westfield
and a member of the Disabled American
Veterans. He was the water commissioner
in Chester for many years. He attended
Westfield Vocational School after the war
for cabinet making. He was a life-long
communicant of St. John’s Mission Church
in Chester. He leaves his wife of 56 years,
the former Mary Lopresto Dalesandro; a
son, Nick Dalesandro, Jr.; a daughter,
Sister Judith (Rose) Dalesandro; a sister,
Ellia Bates; two grandsons, Anthony &
Andrew Dalesandro; and many nieces and
nephews. A daughter, Cheryl; a brother,
Tony; and three sisters, Alvira Sebastiano,
Mary Wilander and Margaret Nelson, predeceased
him. The funeral was held
Saturday at 8:00 a.m. from the O’Brien
Hilltown Community Funeral Home in
Huntington followed by the Mass of
Christian Burial at 9:00 a.m. at St. John’s
Mission Church in Chester. Burial, with
military honors was at St. Thomas
Cemetery in Huntington.
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RUBEN FLORES
Ruben Flores, age 84, lifetime resident of
Las Cruces left his dwelling place on earth
and entered eternal life to be with his heavenly
Father, Saturday, April 13, 2002 at
Memorial Medical Center. He was born
August 23, 1917 to Julian Flores and Anita
Mariana Flores. From 1939 to 1941, Ruben
spent time as a US Merchant Marine on the
U.S.S. American Seaman and the U.S.S.
America. On April 3, 1941, he was inducted
into the United States Army and assigned
to Clark’s Airfield in the Philippine Islands.
During his service, Staff Sergeant Ruben
Flores was a prisoner of war from April 9,
1942 to August 15, 1945. He was also a survivor
of the Bataan Death March. He was
honorably discharged from service on
March 14, 1946, and was decorated with the
Bronze Star for Service, Philippine Defense
Ribbon with one Bronze Star, Philippine
Independence Ribbon, American Defense
Service Medal with Foreign Service Clasp,
Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific
Campaign Medal with one Bronze Service
Star, Distinguished Unit Emblem with two
Oak Leaf Clusters, Philippine Presidential
Unit Citation Badge and a World War II
Victory Medal. Mr. Flores was very active
in his community where he was a member
of the Las Cruces Chapter of the Bataan
Veterans Organization, a lifetime member
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #3242
and a lifetime member of the Disabled
American Veterans Chapter 10. He was a
4th Degree member of the Knights of
Columbus, a member of the St. Genevieve’s
Catholic Church and a member of the
Sunshine Boys Breakfast Club. Survivors
include one son, Art Flores and wife,
Lourdes; three daughters, Carmelina and
Freda Claudeen Flores, Sandra Christine
Jacquez Flores; three brothers, Robert F.
Estrada and wife, Bertha and their daughter,
Rachel, Florencio “Lencho” Montoya,
Jose G. Flores and wife, Angelita; four sisters,
Celia Montes, Manuela Mestas,
Adelina Flores and Josefina Montoya.
Other survivors include seven grandchildren,
Michelle Fyfe, Michael, Jasmine,
Danielle and Amanda Flores, Annette
Mendoza and Pamela Vasquez; two greatgranddaughters,
Ruby Fyfe and Samantha
Flores. He was preceded in death by his
parents; his wife, Manuela Flores; two
brothers, Guadalupe Flores and Bessie
Montoya. Visitation for Mr. Flores was held
at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, 2002 in
Immaculate Heart of Marty Cathedral,
1240 S. Espina where the Prayer Vigil was
scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. The Funeral
Mass was offered Wednesday, April 17,
2002 at 10:00 a.m. in the same church with
the Most Reverend Bishop Ricardo
Ramirez.
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