El Barrio de los Veteranos
Mexican Americans in WWII from Merkel, Texas

With the surprised attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941 and the declaration of war by the United States, the sons from a small town in West Central Texas responded to the call, to defend the aggression from the Axis nations. In an approximate two-block section of Merkel, Texas laid a segregated Spanish-speaking Colonia Mexicana (barrio), that would see fourteen sons volunteer to fight for our nation’s freedoms. Two of the fourteen would sacrifice their lives to our nation.

Most of the men, from the barrio, were first generation Americans, born in the United States to parents who had immigrated to the Merkel area from Mexico, in the 1910s and 1920s. Others were sons of migrant Texan Americans (Tejanos) who had married Mexican national immigrants.

Merkel Texas was 17 miles west of Abilene along the U.S. Highway 80 and the Texas Pacific Railway. Merkel’s population in 1940 was 2,005. The rural communities were surrounding by agricultural and farm lands, and by 1940 the construction of a sprawling military base had begun to the south of the Merkel community. Other employment opportunities were in the oil industry and in the larger city of Abilene.

The Spanish speaking barrio was located in the western outskirts of the Merkel community. The two main streets of the barrio were Lois Street and Haynes Streets. To the north ran the Texas and Pacific Railroad and South 2nd was the southern boundary. A structural railroad housing section was located to the northeast of Lois Street, along the railroad tracks, where the residents worked for the railway. The families living in the sections were also related to the residents in the barrio.

Of the fourteen men from the barrio, that served during World War II, four pairs were brothers: Gilberto and Juan Biera; Lupe and John Jr. Duran; Ramon and Ylario Perez; and Librado Ybarra and Charlie Ortiz. There were also three brothers that served: Cecilio, Fermin and Justo Hernandez.

Lupe Duran and Ramon Y. Perez were killed in action and are interred at Rose Hill Cemetery in Merkel, Texas.

The following are the servicemen from the Merkel Barrio that served during WWII (Source: Fighting Men of World War II, Taylor County Edition):

Gilberto Biera 1925-1953	S 1/c U. S. Navy. Served in the Pacific, 1943-1946. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Biera, Merkel. Married to Anita Alejandro.
John Biera 1923-2001	Army Air Corps, Cpl. Served 60 combat missions in B-25 and C-47, 1943-1946. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Biera, Merkel. Attended Merkel Schools. Married.
Lupe Duran 1923-1945	U. S. Army, Pvt. Co. F, 24th Infantry Div. Killed in Action May 8, 1945, Mindanao, Philippines, 1944-1945. Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Duran Sr., Merkel. Married Mary Perez. Attended Merkel schools. Employed at Abilene AAB prior to service.
John Duran Jr. 1918-1965	U.S. Army Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Duran Sr., Merkel.
Jose O. Duran 1918-1981	U.S, Army Son of Mrs. Leonor Duran, Merkel.
Cecilio L. Hernandez 1925-1988	U.S. Army Son of Mrs. Guillerma L. Hernandez, Merkel.
Fermin L. Hernandez 1921-1995	U.S. Army, T/5 Army Medic, 5th Division, 10th Infantry, Africa, Europe, 1942-1946. Son of Mrs. Guillerma L. Hernandez, Merkel. Married. In Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) prior to service.
Justo L. Hernandez 1919-1994	U.S. Army, Pfc. C.A.C, Battery B, 413 A.A. Gun Bn. 1942-1946. Son of Mrs. Guillerma L. Hernandez, Merkel. Married. Attended Merkel schools.
Jose P. Lerma 1919-1987	U.S. Army, Pfc. Co. D, 361st Infantry, 88th Div. Europe, 1`942-1944. Son of Mrs. Anastasia Pallarez, Merkel. Attended Merkel High. Farmer prior to service.
Jesus Moreno 1925-1983	U.S. Army Son of Mr. and Mrs. Leandro Moreno, Merkel.
Charlie Ortiz 1924-2017	U.S. Marines, 2nd, 155 MM Howitzer Bn. Pacific 1943-1945. Son of Anita L. Ybarra and Stepfather Mateo Ybarra, Merkel. Employed by Abilene Hotel prior to service.
Ramon Y. Perez 1921-1944	U.S. Army, T/4 191st Tank Bn. Africa, Europe. Killed in Action in France 1944. In service 1942-1944. Son of Francisco Perez, Merkel. Attended Merkel High.
Ylario Y. Perez 1919-2007	U.S. Army, Pvt. 1944-1946. Son of Francisco Perez, Merkel. Married. Attended Merkel High. Employed by local R.R. prior to service.
Librado Ybarra 1915-1989	U.S. Navy, S 1/c, USS Hamlin, Pacific. 1943-1946. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Mateo Ybarra, Merkel. Married.

By Mike P. Hernandez 2023 All rights reserved.