Armando Alejandre Jr. - from the pages of Signum, the Immaculata and LaSalle yearbook - 1968We do not want to have too many "tearjerker" moments during our reunion, or as we prepare for it. Inevitably, these moments will come. At some point, an "In Memoriam" post will be necessary to remember and honor those who sadly, are no longer with us.
One of our classmates, Armando Alejandre Jr., unfortunately became well known, in an entirely unintended way, when he and three other men were murdered by kaSStro's cowardly "puffwaffe" pilots on the twenty-fourth of February, 1996.
You could not help but notice Armando's lanky, 6-foot plus frame around campus during our sojourn at Immaculata-LaSalle. He and "shorty" bantered and kidded a lot about our respective heights, lack thereof in the case of the writer, exchanging witticisms, such as - "Hey, Seven Floors - how's the weather up there?" "Guys be careful - don't step accidentally on Quiroga!"
I miss the guy, and remember all too well when Nelson Orta called, sounding very upset, to relay the news about the shootdown. The wave of shock which went through yours truly's short frame will never be forgotten.
The reason this is being written is because a documentary about this tragic incident has just been released. Here is the email received via a childhood friend - no, not an ILS classmate - which provides the details you need to know about it.
"Dear Friends & Family:
I'm writing to let you all know that SHOOTDOWN, a documentary film about the downing of two Brothers to the Rescue planes in February of 1996, one of which was carrying my father Armando Alejandre Jr., will be opening in theaters this Friday, January 25th. It was written and directed by my cousin Cristina Khuly. It will be the second largest documentary opening in the last 12 months, only after Sicko, Michael Moore's last film. It has been shown in numerous film festivals around the country and won Best Documentary at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival this year.
It is extremely important that if we all want the truth about what happened that day, and the simple truth about the Castro regime to be heard all over this country and hopefully one day the world, that we do our best to support this film on its opening weekend. Ticket sales have to be high on the first three days of showing (simply put, the only thing the film industry looks at) and will determine the future of this film into which my cousin has poured three years of her life. In case some of you saw a version of the film on the 10th anniversary, please note, that it is a completely different film from the one you screened. It has been worked and reworked until they produced the simplest, most concise grouping of facts which tell the story of February 24, 1996.
Even if you are not interested, please forward this e-mail to anyone you know who may have the desire to see this movie. Below is a list of theaters around the country where it will be playing. Three years ago people in the industry told my cousin this movie would never make it into even festivals because of its subject matter, Friday, January 25, it will be seen around the country.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this message and hopefully support Shootdown.
Marlene Alejandre-Triana"
P.S. If you would like further info the website is www.theshootdown.com <http://www.theshootdown.com/>
Do not wish to re-hash the terrible story of that day here - see the website for that; plenty has been written about it by others far more capable than shorty here. However, Armando was part of our lives, our history during those four wonderful years at Immaculata-LaSalle, he being one who helped make those years memorable. See the movie if you can possibly do so, and spread the word everywhere. We do not forget our friend and neither should anyone else. The world must know and be reminded about this heinous murder, so that someday for Armando's sake, the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
3 comments:
My Senior retreat roomie! His daughter and my daughter were also classmates at Our Lady of Lourdes. Small world. Miss you my friend, Lumumba
After reading the "correction," you guys STILL think I am the one with mental problems? We need to get back to the medication!
LT. Nelson Orta, with your permission Sir, I'd like to take a moment of your extremely valuable time, Sir, and do my best and try to explain the difference between a 2LT and a 1LT. From an Infantryman's point of view, the 2LT spends a little more time "in the field" than the 1LT. While doing this, he probably has the most valuable experience he can have. He literally acquires extremely valuable knowledge from Bucks (E-5 Sgt.) such as myself. He then reports all this activity to the 1LT and acts like he actually came up with this knowledge all by himself. Every now and then, JUST every now and then though, he will make a most feeble attempt at calling cadence as Airborne Infantry marches back. This task of course, is WAY beyond his area of expertise and he reluctantly relinquishes that duty back to us. He MUST kiss some serious A...in order to obtain the priviledge of NOT spending so much time in the field. Therefore, he becomes a 1LT! While wearing the silver bar instead of the measly brass bar, he now gets to cavort with some Captains, at the "O Club," (Officers Club) sometimes in an air conditioned office, or Company Headquarters, who in turn by the way, are kissing some serious A...with the Majors at Batallion hoping that maybe some day they will become one. And so on and so forth. Actually, 2LT's are fun to watch out in the field. 1LT's are a more serious bunch in most cases. But they are not the "fun bunch." We leave that to the Majors! Back to the 1LT's, in very general terms, (no pun intended) they have more of the common sense approach to things than the rest of all the other Officers combined. They learned at OCS (Officer Candidate School) to think things through, THAT, compiled with the knowledge they have acquired from the E-5's makes them perfect candidates for Captains. And yes, to the dismay and shock of many, SERGEANTS run the show! I trust that this explanation may have been to your satisfaction Sir, but then again, probably not. Respectfully submitted, RJ Reimundo SGT, 101 ABN (Airborne)
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