Andres Flores Rodriguez

Birth: July 10, 1919

Death: December 7, 1974, Santa Clara, Rio Arriba County

Andres Flores Rodriguez was born in the company town of Santa Rita, New Mexico on July 10, 1919 to Pablo Guerrero Rodriguez and Luz Flores Rodriguez. Andres would tell stories of his life in Santa Rita, such as taking donkeys into the hills to gather wood for their homes before school, or swimming in local swimming holes like the Bear Canyon Dam.[i] He lived in the Casas Nuevas neighborhood of Santa Rita, where the homes were built by the company and rented to the foremen of the mines. Andres attended school in Santa Rita until his father died in an accident while working in the track gangs of the mines. As the oldest, Andres decided that it was his duty to take care of his family. He began work at the mines near Santa Rita, known then as the Nevada Copper Corp. By the time he was drafted into the US Army, Andres was already the main provider of the family. Realizing that the family would no longer be able to afford the rent of the Casas Nuevas neighborhood, Andres had a house built using the money received from the mine for his father’s death.[ii]

Andres was drafted on at the age of 21. He inducted through Fort Bliss, Texas on November 27, 1942, and entered Active Service on December 4, 1942.[iii] Andres served as part of the 313 Infantry Regiment, that was part of the larger 79 Infantry Division. The 313 held basic training at Camp Pickett, Virginia.[iv] Andres’ military occupational specialty was Lineman Telephones and Telegraphs. He served in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, and Central Europe Campaigns.[v] The 313 Infantry notably landed on Utah Beach on D-day, June 6, 1944 and The Battle of Cherbourg which paved the way for the liberation of France.[vi] Andres served throughout the entirety of World War II. During that time, he sent what little money he received from his military service back to his family in Santa Rita. “There was not only the stress from the war, but stress that he had left his family behind…so my dad, whatever little money he was making in the military, I’m sure he was sending back to the family because they needed help too.”[vii] He received an honorable discharge on December 22, 1945.

 When he was discharged, Andres came back to his home in Santa Rita and continued work at the mines. Eventually he married Maggie Greeley, the daughter of both Mexican and Irish immigrants. Though he was building his own family, he still took care of his brother, sisters and mother, working to support everyone he cared about. Andres became a supervisor of the powder department at the mine, giving the final order for all blasting done. His son remembers “I knew when my dad was out there working because the school would just shake, the noise was thunderous like somebody was bombing Santa Rita.”[viii] Holding a high position, and being skilled in the use of dynamite, the company contracted with Andres to blast clear gravesites for the expanding Santa Rita cemetery.

Andres was an avid fan of the LA Dodgers and the Dallas Cowboys. He also followed college and high school sports and took his family to Albuquerque, New Mexico every year to watch the state basketball tournaments. He also pushed his children to improve themselves, in sports, education, and in life. 

Andres never shared much about his time in the military with his family beyond his opinion that Austria was the most beautiful country he had ever seen.[ix] He died in Santa Clara, New Mexico on December 7, 1974, thirty years after his service in World War II. He was survived by his wife, Maggie G. Rodriguez and his children, Andres G. Rodriguez, Ernesto G. Rodriguez, Teresa Arsola, and Alicia Rodriguez.[x] Andres is remembered by his children as a giving, compassionate man of integrity, honesty, and high morals. He was a hard worker who was well respected by his community.  

Notes:

Prepared by Javier Marrufo, Western New Mexico University

Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Legacy Memorial, Find Your Veteran

https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/ANDRESFRODRIGUEZ/E2C4AE0

[i] Marrufo, Javier, and Andres G Rodriguez. Andres G. Rodriguez Interview. Other, n.d. 

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, Honorable Discharge, New Mexico, U.S. World War II Records, 1941-1945 § (n.d.). https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8867/. 

[iv] “History of the 313th Infantry in World War II : Wood, Sterling A., 1895- : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/HistoryOfThe313thInfantryInWorldWarII. 

[v] Enlisted Record and Report of Separation, Honorable Discharge, New Mexico, U.S. World War II Records, 1941-1945 § (n.d.). https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/8867/. 

[vi] Fallet, Pierre. “79th Infantry Division – Cherbourg Campaign: Seize the Harbor.” English. Accessed August 16, 2023. https://www.normandyamericanheroes.com/blog/blog-2/313th-infantry-regiment-toward-the-fortress-of-cherbourg. 

[vii] Marrufo, Javier, and Andres G Rodriguez. Andres G. Rodriguez Interview. Other, n.d. 

[viii] Ibid.

[ix] Ibid.

[x] “Andres F Rodriguez Obituary .” Silver City Daily Press. December 9, 1974.