People always want to know the secret to a long life. For Joe Guereña Vasquez of Globe, it’s simple: “I just let the Lord guide me.” Vasquez turns 100 on January 14. He said, “I don’t think about my age that much. The Lord takes care of me. He did the same thing when I was injured in the war. He watched over me and guided me.” 

Vasquez was drafted by the U.S. Army in December 1942 at the age of 18. He described a memory of the war: “On June 6, 1944, at approximately 3 in the morning, we boarded a ship for the invasion of Normandy. I was assigned to a machine gun crew. One machine gun crew consisted of five soldiers. We were all Mexican Americans and Native Americans. We were young and had not been tested in battle; everyone was scared.”

He continued, “As soon as we got off the landing craft, we started to take enemy fire…When we hit the beach, the tripod bearer hit the prone position. One of the arms of the tripod hit a feeler of a land mine. Four of my crew were killed instantly. I was the only survivor. I was hit by shrapnel all over my body: face, neck, chest, abdomen and legs. I knew I was going to die unless I got some help, as I was bleeding profusely. I started to call for a medic. At that time I saw a vision of crosses on a mountain top, the same as where Jesus was crucified. All of a sudden a medic appeared. I do not know who he was, but I can credit my life to him.” More details are described in the book “Memoirs of a Foot Soldier,” written by Vasquez’s nephew Norbert (Dave) Yanez. The book tells the stories of the four Vasquez brothers who served their country in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Nephews and other relatives who served in the military are also included in the book.

After recovering in England, Vasquez was sent to fight in Germany until the war was over. He returned home to Globe in fall 1945. He said, “It was difficult to adjust to civilian life.” He did some odd jobs and tried going back to school, but it didn’t work out. He says he got a call from Arizona Public Service, who offered him a job, and he retired from there 40 years later. 

In a ceremony conducted in 2007, Vasquez was awarded the Belgian Fourragere 1940, Purple Heart Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one silver star and arrowhead, WWII Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp, Ruptured Duck Pin, Combat Infantry Badge, and Marksmanship Badge with rifle, artillery and machine gun bars. 

Vasquez comes from a large family of six boys and three girls. His brothers were Edward (Linga), Richard (Cardo), Manuel (Quinco), Robert (Billy) and Johnny, and his sisters were Lupe (Pita) Yanez, Katy Dominquez and Margaret Sanchez. Vasquez is the last surviving sibling, and is currently living with his son Joey in Chandler. He also has two daughters, Debbie and Veronica. His wife Margaret passed away in 2004. 

Even though he’s no longer living in Globe, he still considers it his home. Vasquez looks forward to receiving the Arizona Silver Belt and Copper County News every week, so he can stay informed with what’s going on in town. 

Great-grandnephew Blaise Preston used to spend time at Vasquez’s home when he was younger. He said when he thinks about his Uncle Joe, he thinks about “kindness and his good heart toward me and my brother. He is always caring about family, and he loves sports; him and Bipa (Vasquez’s nephew John Yanez) talk about games all the time.”

Mario Villegas, Globe resident and war veteran, has lifelong memories of Vasquez. “As a kid, every time I would see him, he would yell over, ‘Hey, Sarge. What do you know?’ He told me about going to war and being wounded, but never in detail. As a war veteran, I now understand why he never went into detail. Growing up, I liked to play war and soldier. This was where I first learned that wearing the uniform of your country is a great honor. It is always great to fight for what you believe in. As my grandparents’ neighbor, we spent a lot of time sitting outside on Mesquite Street, talking and watching the traffic.” He continued, “He would see me playing with sticks as a gun (laughs), and that’s where the talks of honor came in.”

Vasquez’s family will be coming together to celebrate his birthday, and while he will enjoy time with them he’s not concerned about having a party. He just continues to take things day by day, and spends time reading his Bible, “I pray a lot. It’s all about religion and believing in the Lord.”