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CERTIFICATE OF ARRIVAL
documents Jose Obdulio Manuel Luis Barrena de la Torre arrived in
Miami, FL on 18 December 1944 as a visitor. He arrived via Pan
American Airlines DC-3 aircraft with registration number NC-30011*. It
was the civilian version of the C-47, little did he know then that he
would be jumping out of them in the near future.
*NC 30011, a Douglas DC-3A-414,was
delivered to Pan Am on 7 February 1942, purchased through the Defense
Supply Corporation. After the war it was assigned to Compania Mexicana
de Aviacion, registered XA-FEG. It was sold to Aero Maya in November
1966. This DC-3 was last noted as derelict at Mexico City in the late
1970s.
Jose was born on August 19, 1923 in Cuba and as a youth
immigrated to the United States.
On 1 July 1945 he enlisted in the United States
Army and volunteered for parachutist duty.
The specific period of his service is still being researched but it is
apparent that he was in Company A of the 508th Parachute Infantry
Regiment (82nd Airborne Division) near or shortly after the end of
WW-II. He was stationed in Frankfurt while the regiment was acting
as General Eisenhower's Honor Guard.
Jose returned to the U.S. and re-enlisted while at
Pine Camp (later known as Fort Drum), NY. He was later stationed
at Ft. Bragg, NC as well.
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 Petition
For Naturalization
submitted at the District Court, Montgomery, AL, dated 30 July 1945
indicates that Jose was then a Private in Company E, 2nd Battalion,
201st Infantry Regiment at Campo Rucker.
The document also references his arrival
date of 18 December 1944 as shown in the certificate of arrival at left.
Jose was discharged from the Army on 7 January 1948
and almost immediately returned home to visit relatives in Cabaranes,
Cuba.
Jose (line 29) returned to New York, NY aboard the SS
Magallanes. The ship set sail from Havana on 25 March 1948
arriving in New York on March 29, 1948.
 Jose died on December 8, 1994 and was cremated.
His ashes were buried in the Southern Memorial Park, North Miami, FL.
He shares the grave occupied by his mother, Carmen de la Torre.
(photo courtesy Dick O'Donnell) |
