Last Friday, Metro honored U.S. Army Private Joe Gandara, a World War II hero who perished in combat, with the unveiling of a plaque at the 26thSt/Bergamot Station of the Expo Line.
Private Gandara was a Santa Monica native who grew up in the nearby Pico neighborhood. he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and was deployed to Europe. In June 1944, his detachment came under devastating fire and was pinned down for four hours. Private Gandara voluntarily advanced alone toward the enemy position, destroying three machine guns before he was fatally wounded.
Due to his Hispanic heritage, Private Gandara was passed over for medals, awards and recognition during World War II and the decades that followed. Only in 2014 was Private Gandara’ s heroism, valor and sacrifice in defense of freedom recognized when he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by U.S. President Barack Obama.
