Tina Duran Ruvalcaba is the daughter of of Sgt. Jesus Santiago Duran - Medal of Honor Recipient March 18, 2014~Valor 24.
She was born on December 23, 1968 while her father was deployed to Vietnam. Her father's marriage ended soon after his return from Vietnam and he remarried in Feb. 1972. He and his second wife, had one son Jesus (Chuy) Jr.
Her memories of her father are scant since Jesus was murdered when Tina was only 8 years old. She has however had the opportunity to meet several men who served with Jesus in Vietnam. One of the gentlemen shared that while in Vietnam, the men would name their machine guns after loved ones back at home. Jesus named his M-60 “TINA”.
Recently Tina petitioned the Riverside City Council to rename the Eastside library in honor of her father. A request that was completed in November of 2016.
She and her husband currently reside in Corona, CA.
© 2024