By JUAN ESPINOSA
Though he was many things in his life, Larry Alvarado, 77, will be remembered as the consummate veteran and champion of civil rights.
Alvarado died Oct. 5 at his home after a more than five decades-long battle against Agent Orange. He was born in Pueblo on Feb. 27, 1947.
In a feature story written by Pueblo Chieftain reporter Pete Roper in 2012, Alvarado said his life changed forever on Feb. 6, 1967 when he received his draft notice. Before that year ended, he was sent to Vietnam.
“Alvarado was assigned to the Army’s 54th and 255th aviation companies, which were flying support and supply missions out of bases in Vung Tao (an Army Special Forces camp) and Can Tho,” Roper reported. “It was his job to organize the loads put aboard airplanes and helicopters headed for the bush — rations, ammunition, propaganda pamphlets and so on. And drums of a heavy, smelly chemical called Agent Orange, a special weapon sprayed on the jungle that stripped it of its leaves, so the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army couldn’t hide so easily.”
As it was for a generation of Vietnam Veterans, Agent Orange proved to be a scourge on Alvarado’s life, but it also made him the hometown hero he became in the eyes of many as he fought relentlessly to help his fellow veterans get the help they deserved from the Veterans Administration.
It was at work as a postal worker that Alvarado began talking to other Vietnam veterans about their health problems and noticed the common thread of being exposed to Agent Orange,” Roper wrote. “By 1982, Alvarado himself was suffering from bouts of internal bleeding and vomiting.”
Eventually, the Vietnam veterans won.
“’Today there are 16 illnesses the VA recognizes as service-related from exposure to Agent Orange,’ Alvarado told Roper with satisfaction. “Alvarado has also been rated as fully disabled.”
“He doesn’t have an official title, Roper wrote. “At age 64, he doesn’t need one. The veteran community knows him well. And they call him for help.”
Alvarado is credited by Gloria Gutierrez, spokeswoman for Pueblo Latino Veterans Profiles in Courage, for creating the organization in 2015. He envisioned an event that recognized local veterans of Hispanic descent who served honorable in any branch of the military. Recipients are nominated by members of the community and awards are held in conjunction with National Hispanic Heritage Month each year. Two years after founding the Latino Veterans group, Alvarado himself was honored with the award.
Coincidently, Alvarado died during National Hispanic Heritage Month — Sept. 15 – Oct. 15. He was proud of his heritage and his involvement in the Chicano movement.
In an obituary posted on FaceBook his son, Damian said Alvarado is also survived by his other children Larry and Jasen (Cindy) and grandchildren Sylvia, Blair, Jadon, Kailee and great grandchildren Ximena, Erik, Alex and Arya. He married twice, first to Luella Gonzales (died 1975) and Diane Stone. He was born in Pueblo and raised with his sister Laura by Lola Ramirez and Florencio Alvarado.
“He had endless pride for his hometown, Pueblo, and enjoyed fashion, music, garage sales, westerns, Christmas trees and time with his good friends,” Damian said.
A Celebration of Alvarado’s Life will take place from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 2, 2024, at Blo Back Gallery, 131 Spring St., Pueblo, CO 81003.
