| Nasario Jimenez Benavidez |
| Nasario Benavidez taken in the 1940s |
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Nasario Benavidez, my father, was born April 25, 1922 in Crystal City, (Zavala County), Texas to Tomas and Maria (Jimenez) Benavidez. His nickname was "Chalo." His six brothers and sisters are Matias, Maria, Fortunato, Tomas, Eva and Jesus. His birthplace, Crystal City, is the Spinach Capital of the world and became a major shipping point for winter vegetables as soon as the railroad reached the city. There is a statue of Popeye erected across from city hall. Ironically, while my father was serving in the Army during World War II, Crystal City became the location of a Japanese internment camp. As the son of migrant workers, he received very little formal education, only through the second grade. He served in World War II in the United States Army Air Force Division from1942 through 1945, doing a tour of duty in the Aluetian Islands. During his service he received an injury to his hand in a work-related accident, but he always told us that a Japanese had shot off his finger. He received three overseas bars, American Theater, Asiatic-Pacific Theater, one bronze star Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal and Honorable Discharge pin. (Click here to read more about his military service.) Enlistment papers indicate that my father's address was 348 Leona in Eagle Pass, Texas. At the time of this writing the house at that address is still there. I visited it in September 2001 and found it occupied by the same family that my grandparents sold it to sometime in the '40s or '50s. My father returned to Eagle Pass upon his discharge from the military and was employed driving a taxi cab there. It was through this job that he met my mother, Aurora Paez. In 1949 he received a certificate from the Maverick County Veterans Vocational School in Automobile Body Repair, and then in 1950, a certificate from the Veteran's Basic Training School. This is the avenue by which he educated himself and began a life-long career in the paint and body field. My father and mother married on September 3, 1959 in Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas. It was the first marriage for him at 37, and the third for her at the age of 39. The following year they started their family and had three children in the next six years, Carlos, me and Mario Dad's occupation was paint and body man. He worked at Gene Spires Buick in downtown San Antonio, and then bought a piece of property where he built his own body shop, literally from the ground up. It was called Southcross Body Shop, and was located at 2008 W. Southcross in San Antonio. The lot had been occupied by an old and abandoned plant nursery. I remember going there during the building process and helping clear out debris for construction of the building. My father carved out a meager but ample living for our family on his salary. The business that he built sustained us even after his death. My father's passion was hunting. He took many trips into the hill country northwest of San Antonio. I don't remember him coming home empty-handed too often, and many times with two and three deer, javalina, rabbits, armadillo, or snakes. And we ate everything he brought home. My father also loved animals. He raised fighting roosters and AKC German Shepherds. Some of the Sheperds were sold to Lackland Air Force Base for training as drug sniffers. It was not unusual for us to have goats, chickens, ponies or horses as "pets." My father also loved to be with family. He barbecued often, and there was never just one family, it was everybody -- his brothers, sisters, cousins and all their families, too. We celebrated many Christmases with family, as well. Our house was always full. In writing this history and speaking with other family members I have come to find out that my father always took an interest in and "looked after" the nieces and nephews whose fathers were taken away from them in one way or another. His brothers' children were always important to him and he maintained a relationship with them and their mothers for many, many years. On January 30, 1977 dad was in a head-on collision near Carrizo Springs, Texas. The other car was driven and occupied by two Mexican nationals who were drunk. They ran into Dad's car, which my brother, Carlos, was driving at the time. Dad suffered serious injuries to his head, neck, and especially his chest. He had open-heart surgery to repair his aorta, which had burst. The bone in his leg was shattered, and the impact had broken a vertebrae in his neck. Two months later, pneumonia set in. He died in the hospital. The other individuals died, too; one at the scene, and one at the hospital. Carlos was the only survivor. My father died on March 27, 1977 and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas with full military honors. His headstone reads: Nasario Jimenez Benavidez, PFC US ARMY, WORLD WAR II. |
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| Nasario Benavidez Taken about 1975 |
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