by 
Ruben Silvas
San Manuel Miner
On this Thanksgiving Day while having your turkey dinner with your family take time to think of those far away from home, our men and women in the armed forces stationed overseas. While you’re at it give thanks for those many men and women that sacrificed their lives so we can enjoy the freedom and way of life we have today. There is one man in San Manuel that takes time to count his blessings and gives thanks for the simple things in life like being able to celebrate another Thanksgiving Day with his family. Ruben Silvas also says there is a “Thanksgiving Day that I will never forget”.
In November of 1943, Ruben was a member of the United States Army serving in Italy. After 13 days of combat his unit was sent back to a little town that they had liberated a few weeks before. “We had a hard time taking that town,” said Ruben. The Germans had put up heavy resistance and the unit had suffered a lot of casualties. Ruben said that the town was about the same size as San Manuel.
As they approached the town they saw two little boys in the distance. “We asked our captain if we could give the boys some candy,” said Ruben. “He told us to go ahead but take your rifles.” Ruben and his buddies greeted the boys and gave them some candy. The boy’s mother came out of the house or at least what was being used as a house. Ruben said that the building had no roof and only one complete wall still standing. The woman began speaking to them in Italian which no one understood. The soldiers feeling sorry for the family each gave the lady two cans of K-rations.
When they returned to camp one of the soldiers told the others to “cheer up, tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day and we may get the chow truck and have a hot meal.” The next day the truck never showed up. It had been months since the men had a hot meal. Later that evening, the two boys from the previous day approached the soldier’s camp. The men thought the boys wanted more chocolate.
The boys were able to communicate with the soldiers using hand gestures. It turned out that they were asking Ruben and his buddies to come to their home and eat with them. When the men arrived at the house they found that the boy’s mother had a large pot of hot food waiting for them. The woman had used the K-rations and whatever she could find to make them and her family a hot meal. Being Italian, she had no idea about the American holiday. On a Thanksgiving Day in the middle of war torn Italy strangers had come together to share a moments peace and a hot meal. Two acts of kindness had brought them together. It was a Thanksgiving that Ruben has not forgotten. There are other things that Ruben has not forgotten and still haunt him to this day but there are many things he is also thankful for.
Ruben and men from his unit would be sent to England to train for the Normandy Invasion (D-Day). Ruben was with the 29th Infantry which would be part of the first wave leading the invasion. On June 6, 1944 Ruben then 19 years old would find himself struggling to live in the water off of Omaha Beach. He had been shot in the leg and was losing blood rapidly. He was able to get his field pack off before it dragged him under the water but was then unable to move due to shock and the loss of blood. Two of his fellow soldiers came to his rescue. They dragged him onto the beach which was under heavy fire from the Germans. He would be hit twice more while on the beach. To this day Ruben does not know if the men who helped save him made it through that day or the war. “I hope they made it,” he said.
“I am lucky I’m here and very thankful. In 24 hours we lost over 9,000 men killed or wounded,” he said. Ruben grew up in Patagonia, Ariz. This small town sent 18 young men to fight in the war. Ruben was one of three that returned. “War is pure Hell,” he said.
After being wounded at Omaha Beach, he was evacuated to a medical facility in England, then to the United States. He spent time in hospitals in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. After the war he went to Superior, Ariz. and stayed with one of his sisters. Later he went to work for Magma Copper in Superior and in 1954 moved to San Manuel where he worked for the mine and raised a family. Ruben knows he has much to be thankful for. We should be thankful for the men and women of his generation and for the simple things in life. Thank you Ruben for your service and this story.
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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