Abelardo Cha Cha Jimenez (Vietnam Veteran) May 23, 1947-June 15, 2011 A Great American soldier/singer from the Rio Grande Valley was laid to rest on June 17, 2011 by Pedro Garcia 06/17/11 A Great American soldier from the Rio Grande Valley was laid to rest on June 17, 2011 at 11 am at the Rio Grande Valley Veterans Cemetery in Mission TX. Largely attended by residents of this entire region, including myself, we paid our final respects while live conjunto music was played and sung in the background. I only met Cha Cha, personally, five months prior to his passing outside my office at the Pharr Literacy Project were he was a GED student. I met him by accident as I was chatting outside with another friend about a Vietnam play I was going to direct, Cha Cha was within hearing distance, so he said to me, “I know about Vietnam I was there”. I started chatting with this ordinary man with a baseball cap who then said to me, “I’m Cha Cha Jimenez”. Instantly I was star struck, I couldn’t believe I was talking to one of the Tejano artist that had influenced and inspired me in the 70’s 80’s and 90’s. I use to love to hear his songs on the radio and dance to his harmonizing style. I would feel a pride in my Chicano roots. I was more than happy to make his acquaintance that day and I asked him if he had time, would he be interested in playing a part in my play, Pat & Lyndon (written by Archer Crosley.) He said to show him the part and he would surely give it a try. He ended up playing a singing bartender in a Saigon café in Vietnam named Marcel. He was great in the role! He was enthusiastic during rehearsals but would have to miss a few due to feeling ill. This was essentially when his problems with cancer were surfacing. It was sometime in April of 2011. But he was such a responsible cast member, always on time and always practicing his role and assuring me that he wanted to play the part to a tee, which he did. I could tell he had discipline from his many years of experience as an ensemble performer in the music industry and from his training as a U.S. Soldier. He was a professional. He became friends with all the cast members and was liked by everyone. We had a lot of respect for his accomplishments and we were proud of his service in Vietnam. Cha Cha was a decorated combat soldier. He and Rigoberto Ordaz, from Mission, TX, another Vietnam soldier who was also in our play became acquainted. I could see a brotherly bond of mutual respect and admiration between the two. At Cha Cha’s funeral his longtime friend Roy Rios counted 13 service ribbons and medals. Roy said to me, In all the time I knew Cha Cha, he never spoke of this part of his life.” I’m sure I only knew because he was in my play and I pried a bit to get his ideas for my direction. One time he shared an intimate story with me that only a counted few would hear from him. He had tears and deep sighs as he reminisced the account privately to me. I feel that it’s ok now to share it with you, here, briefly as I try to remember from Cha Cha’s words: It turns out that during a fierce battle with the enemy, his platoon was under siege when his squad leader requested a radio signal to call for reinforcements. Cha Cha who carried the communications device and his assistant heeded to the request and as Cha Cha handed the receiver to the commander a spray of machine gun bullets grazed by him striking the assistant dead. Cha Cha tearful told me it was awful, then he quickly changed the subject, cleared his throat, laughed and asked me another question about his lines in the play and how to deliver them. I never pushed. He was a humble guy when I met him and he was sensitive to others and their feelings. I really liked him and I will always and forever cherish his Tejano music with “Cha Cha Jimenez y los Los Chachos.” -May he rest in peace. Pictured here are: 1. Cha Cha Jimenez singing and playing his guitar 2. Cha Cha standing with his guitar in Vietnam and a group of pals, including Jose Martinez from Pharr, TX (center) standing behind the man with the white t-shirt 3. Rigo Ordaz and Cha Cha rehearsing a scene from the play Pat & Lyndon 4. Rigo Ordaz taking a break in Vietnam
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 18:50:25 +0000
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