Field notes
Reports from Latino soldiers as the nation lives wit the war

By Jane Di Leo
Adelante staff writer

josé gutierrez

One of the first casualties in Operation Iraqi Freedom was a Guatemalan immigrant who crossed the Mexican border illegally in the mid-1990s. Lance Cpl. Jose Gutierrez, 28, was one of more than 30,000 immigrants serving in the armed forces, according to newspaper reports.
Gutierrez, an orphan who grew up in war-torn Guatemala, gained legal status after he was adopted by a family in Southern California. He entered the military to gain citizenship.
Gutierrez’s body will be returned to his sister who, according to The New York Times, lives in a shack on the outskirts of Guatemala City.
After Gutierrez’s death on March 21, at least 15 other Latinos were reported dead. Reported casualties at press time were 96, but a final count of Latinos was not yet available.

mario cortez

The U.S. embassy in Mexico City has been flooded with calls, letters and visits from Mexicans who want to join the military in exchange for citizenship. But the U.S. military only accepts legal residents and citizens into its ranks.
Army Pfc. Mario Cortez was called to action in the Iraq conflict on April 3. He left his wife, Rachel, and their 2-year-old son to serve.
Rachel Cortez has not been given much information about Mario’s mission.
“I don’t really know exactly where he’s going but [he will stay] until the job’s done,” she said. Rachel, a stay-at-home mom, said that she watches the news with her son, Jacob, to explain his father’s whereabouts.
“He doesn’t really know what’s going on. He misses his daddy,” she said. This is a tough time for all the families at Fort Leonard Wood whose loved ones have been called to duty. Rachel has received support from a neighbor, who has helped her through this difficult time.
"I know that they are almost to Baghdad and that's all I know," she said last week. “I haven’t gotten a letter or anything.”

This column is the first in a series. If you know of a Latino who has been or might be deployed in the conflict and would like us to write about him or her, please let us know. We intend to try to follow their progress in the months ahead. Contact us at (573) 882-1939 or info@adelantesi.com.