ELAC President's Corner Fall 2008 - East Los Angeles College

Fall 2OO8
Guerra Receives Burial 40 Years After His Death in Vietnam
former East Los Angeles College journalism student who
A was killed more than 40 years ago in Vietnam has been
finally laid to rest. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Raul Guerra,
whose remains weren’t found until 2007, was given a proper
burial on Memorial Day. Guerra was a former editor-in-chief
of “Elan,” a student-produced magazine at ELAC and a reporter
for the Campus News student newspaper. The 1963 Montebello
High School graduate also worked as a reporter for an
area newspaper.
Guerra was on a volunteer assignment as a naval reporter
during the Vietnam War on Oct. 8, 1967, when the plane he
was in crashed into a steep mountain in the Da Nang Province.
The plane was returning to the USS Oriskany, the aircraft carrier
Guerra was assigned to. Rescue teams were able to spot the
crash site, but weather and hostile conditions prevented the recovery
of the bodies. Forty years and 15 recovery missions later,
the remains of the promising news reporter and the four
servicemen who died with him were returned to the United
States in October of 2007.
A close friend and high school classmate of Guerra, Ray
Ramirez, an Army and Vietnam veteran, then took on the
task of identifying the exact location of where Guerra’s remains
had been delivered. Ramirez, the public information
officer of American Veterans Post 113, contacted numerous
government offices and cemeteries that had Vietnam veterans
remains resting in them. Ramirez and former ELAC and high
school classmates paid tribute to Guerra at a Memorial Day
ceremony at the American Veterans Post 113 in Irwindale.
Ramirez is also trying to raise funds for the Raul Guerra
Memorial Scholarship, which was established to honor Guerra’s
memory. The last award was given in 2006 and donations
can be given by calling Ramirez at (626) 338-4440 n
Longtime Popular Classified Employees Retire
President Ernest H. Moreno pictured with
Alice Rivera, who retired after nearly 35
years of service to East Los Angeles College
Robert G. Isomoto, vice president of administrative
services, says goodby to Olivia Altamirano, who
retired after 30 years of service to the college.
Alice Rivera, a fixture in the admissions office for nearly
35 years, has retired as a classified employee at East Los
Angeles College. “I’m done!” said Rivera, who celebrated her
retirement with family, friends and co-workers Aug. 8 at Luminaria’s
Restaurant. “I’d been putting it off and kept saying
I was going to retire, but this is it. I want to start collecting
my retirement checks and reap the benefits of retirement.”
She began her career in January of 1974 in the now defunct
evening division and moved to admissions two years later. “I
think I made the right choice,” she said. Her official date of
retirement was August 14.
A resident of El Sereno, Rivera joins her husband, Frank, who
worked for 7 Up Bottling, in retirement. “He’s been retired for
four years already and we’re ready to start traveling,” she said.
She also looks forward to spending more time with their three
grandchildren. “I’d like to be there when they get out of school
and play with them and do a little cooking for them.”
She started her employment at ELAC when her 35-yearold
son was 11 months old. Though looking forward to a wellearned
retirement, she says leaving all the countless students,
faculty and staff that she knew and served behind will be difficult.
“I’m a people person, so I’m really going to miss com-
to work,” she said. Oing
livia Altamirano of the University Center retired recently
after 30 years of service to East Los Angeles College
as a classified employee. She started working at ELAC in
1978 as a part time employee in the bookstore. She became
full time in 1980 and worked for many years in the Fiscal and
Counseling departments. She began working in the University
Center in 1995.
“I’m going to miss all the friendship,” said the native of Guadalajara,
Mexico. “I leave with some really good memories
and I met so many beautiful people that became special to
me. (ELAC President) Ernie Moreno was very good to me
and I’ll never forget all that he did for me. All the administration
was good to me and very helpful.”
She and her husband, Helio, raised five children and reside
in Alhambra. Their only daughter, Jessica, is an hourly employee
in the Counseling department. They are also grandparents
to two boys and two girls. “I’ve got time now to work
on a family scrapbook,” said Olivia, who already has vacations
planned for Puerto Vallarta and Europe n