UVALDO SÁNCHEZ

SEptember 9, 1946  – April 21, 1967

[Please help us find his obituary.]

“I met Wally in 1958 when we were Little League teammates playing for Oden Motors at Taft Junior High School. He was a good pitcher and a very nice kid. 30 years later or so, I was shopping for fruit and vegetables at a market on 2nd Street when one of the employees asked: “Are you a Padilla? Are you Eli?” I said yes and he informed me that he was Wally’s brother. I said I had not seen Wally since graduation in ’64 and asked how he was doing. He told me Wally had been killed in Vietnam in April of 1966. Those words were like a punch to the gut. Tears welled up in my eyes and I told him I was unaware of his death. I should have known! This may have been the moment that eventually resulted in the creation of VHS Veterans Memorial. Rest in peace, Wally.”  – Eli Padilla

This is from a newspaper article published in one of the Albuquerque Newspapers:

Writes Letter Home

Marine ‘Doing Fine’ . . . Killed Next Day

 An Albuquerque Marine told his mother not to worry because he was “doing fine” in a letter she received here on Friday the day he was killed in Vietnam near Da Nang.  Marine Lance Corporal Uvaldo Sánchez, 20, son of  Mr. and Mrs. Cleofas Sánchez, was killed on patrol Friday.

 In a letter dated April 15, the Marine said, “We’re playing records on a portable record player in a bunker. It sounds funny but I feel like dancing.”

 Worried

 Two or three weeks ago Uvaldo wrote, “Practically everyone in my company has a Purple Heart award. I sure don’t want one.”  Then, he added ,“The Viet Cong sure can shoot good.”  Mrs. Sánchez said she had been worried about her son for the past few weeks because he was writing just once a week.  Prior to that, he had written home about three times a week.  She treasures some pictures he made in March when he visited a friend, Rudy Chávez of Corrales, who also is in Vietnam.

 Night League

 A graduate of Valley High two years ago, Uvaldo played basketball on the State Farm Insurance team in the local night league.  His hobby was fishing and he often fished at Red River and in the Jémez.  He worked for Romney Produce Co. before joining the Marines.  He went to Vietnam last July 17.  Born September 9, 1946, he was a member of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church.

 Survivors

 Surviving him are his parents; two sisters, Mrs. Alfreda Padilla and Miss Lanette Sánchez, both of Albuquerque; a brother, Alex Sánchez, who is with the Marines in New Hampshire; and, a grandmother, Mrs. Luz Sánchez,  also of Albuquerque.

 Gabaldón Funeral Home is handling arrangements.