| The images are seared indelibly into our nation's collective memory. Marines
strain to raise Old Glory at the peak of a cliffside on Iwo Jima; a sailor in
Times Square grabs a girl he has never met, planting a deep kiss on her
lips.
They represented the nation's hopefulness at emerging victorious from nearly
for horrid years of war.
 |
In Ontario and other towns across the nation, the end of World War II
represented a new era of optimism. That combined with the desire of many to seek
a new start, resulted in a huge population boom for California.
Along with the rest of the Inland Empire, the city grew at an impressive
rate, adding to the housing stock that now makes up most of its residential
neighborhoods. Land that was vineyard one year became full of single-family
homes the next. |
Amid Ontario's coming of age as a city Ray Aguilera prepared himself
for adulthood. He headed to Chaffey High School.
Not many Latino children finished school in those days. Many attended through
eighth or ninth grade, then went to work in the groves and vineyards.
Schools were segregated in those days.
| "If you were Mexican, you went to Grove (Elementary School)," he
said. Anglos, even those who lived next to Grove School, attended Euclid
Elementary.
Aguilera was on a Guasti community track squad before attending school. When
he tried the pole vault, he cleared 8 feet. The coach saw and signed him up for
the squad.
Though Aguilera said he was too small for most sports, he ended up competing
in the 880-yard relay and the pole vault. |
 |
When they went to the movies downtown; Ray and his other Latino friends
had to sit in the balcony. They were not allowed to sit on the main level.
As the 1950s began, the United States again found itself going to war.
Aguilera had just graduated from high school and was picking grapes for
Garrett and Co. in the vineyards of Guasti.
| When he was drafted and sent to Ft. Benning, Ga., he came face to face again
with segregation, especially against blacks. The Latinos didn't know whether to
use the "white only" facilities or those for blacks.
"We were never taught to be prejudiced," he said.
Blacks or whatever, they were friends."
The young soldier then volunteered for Army airborne training in 1951, just
as the Korean conflict was heating up.
He and the other men of his unit trained intensely but never were called to
action. Later, he was given his discharge papers and sent home. |
 |
He married Olivia Vera, the girl from the neighborhood who first caught
his eye when she was 10 years old.
Aguilera took his interest in aviation and went to work for Northrop,
painting planes at its airport plant.
The planes, F-89 Scorpions, were built at Hawthorne, then shipped to Ontario,
where they were stripped and painted for delivery to the Air Force.
When Northrop moved that operation from Ontario, he left the company and went
to work as a painter for Pacific Aeronautical Corp. at Chino Airport.
Hard times befell that company, and he was laid off. Aguilera went to work
for Rohr Industries in Riverside, where he stayed 32 years, retiring in
1992.
He never thought of leaving Ontario.
"I'm here, and that's it." |
