MARKS

   Mr. Rigoberto Marks, Retired Sgt Maj., U.S. Army and Decorated Veteran of three Wars, passed away March 3, 1988. He will be missed by his wife, Martha, daughters, Jennifer Darby and Patricia Holbrook, sons, Michael and Dennis Marks and nine grandchildren. The family wll receive friends and visitors Friday, March 4, from 2 until 4 and 7 until 9 at Pope Dickson ft Son Phillips Drive Chapel, 1210 Morrow Rd., Morrow, Ga. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 5, at 1:30 p.m. from The Dickson's Phillips Drive Chapel. Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery, 1173 Cascade Rd., S.W., Atlanta. Rev. Ron Hargrove, officiating. Pope Dickson ! ft Son, 961-2700.

[The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA, 04 Mar 1988, Fri, Page 39]

Naturalization records for Rigoberto LEDESMA on 8 November 1945 in Paris, France under Petition VS 1263 at which time he officially changed his surname to MARKS (see images 1 & 2).

As noted on image 3, his official home of record was 5045 University Avenue, San Diego, CA.

During the census of both 1920 and 1930 he was listed as having been born in Mexico and living in San Diego first as age 7 and then 17.  In both cases his surname was shown as MARKS.  His enlistment records are not available and it was presumed that he enlisted under the surname of LEDESMA.

His grandson, Tyler Zihlmann, however, clarified the issue by stating:

"When joining the military they had to clarify his surname because Ledesma and Marks was shown. He took the surname of his godparents, Marks. He personally used Ledesma as his surname but on some documents it showed Ledesma Marks. It shows on the documents his surname being Marks and on military records was Ledesma so indeed he kept two surnames, he changed it, and in most records it shows Ledesma."

Rigoberto was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge for action during the  Normandy, France Campaign, 6 June 1944 to 9 July 1944