IN 1915, A YOUNG VILLISTA, 12, GOES HOME IN EASTER; JUAN PERALES, OF S.L. POTOSI, HAD A MARBLE IN HIS POCKET

(Ed.'s Note: The young villista is not the object of the story below,  but shows how war robbed the innocence and childhood of many children in the Mexican revolution against the Diaz dictatorship.)

Special to El Run-Rrun

During the fight to oust dicttor Porfirio Diaz, no soldier was too young to become a “Villista” as was the case for a 12-year-old, Juan Perales. While other kids of his age were playing the games of young boys, Juan was swept out of his childhood and exposed to the waste and destruction of war.

Juan’s story began on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1915, and the place was Brownsville. A pioneer resident of the city, while discussing the history of the area with his friends—told the story of little Juan Perales.

While Pancho Villa’s army was zeroing in on Matamoros and pounding at its door, among his followers was Juan Perales. Juan was not leading the charge with a melody—but with a loaded rifle. He had become a “Villista” four months prior to the Easter Holidays.

As dead bodies were being removed from the battle site—among them was a very young and tired soldier. On Easter Sunday morning, Juan was one of the lucky ones taken on a stretcher with only a leg wound received in the fighting near Matamoros.

The wounded boy soldier was carried to the Besteiro Hospital in Brownsville. The young fighter, a native of Cerrito, San Luis, Potosi, started weeping aloud as his wounds were being dressed by the physicians. At this point nurse Hortence Nixon, promised Juan a bunny rabbit if he would stop crying.

With tears of a child he underwent the painful ordeal like an old combat soldier. After all the bandages were in place, the nurse brought him a candy bunny rabbit with a basket full of Easter eggs. Juan took his gift with much appreciation—but still, with a painful smile.

The gifts of candy were sent to the Besteiro Hospital, which was temporarily setup across where the Central Fire Station is today by the nuns of the Incarnate Word Academy.

The “Rabbit Soldier”, as he was known, became very popular with the hospital staff. While his wounds were healing, for an unknown reason Juan refused to eat and lost the will to live.

There was no mother, father, personal friends or even Pancho Villa by his side when days after Easter Sunday, the kid soldier took a turn for the worse and died. He demonstrated he could survive from a bullet wound— but what killed him was a deeper wound, depression.

As nurses gathered his belongings—among them was a marble found in one of his pockets, perhaps something he cherished as he went through his fighting days.

Juan’s biggest battle was fought while in a hospital bed. But there, without firing a shot won the hearts of all that came to know him. Within days, he descended into deep tranquility and died. He was only a child facing boyhood when his world came to a premature dead.

Viva Juan Perales!