Manuel Holguin Medina

On April 1, 2021 retired Sergeant First Class Manuel Medina passed away at the age of 89 in his home surrounded by family and friends. He is preceded in death by Elfriede Medina, Joanne Rita Gonzalez, his daughter Rosa Luevano and three of his siblings. He is survived by Librada Medina, his children: Linda Barron; Deyda Loya; Emmanuel Medina; Jesus Medina; Christina Roberts; Elizabeth Santos; Patricia Valdiviez, 16 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren, and three of his six siblings. In 1947, he enlisted in the Army. He served in Korea in 1951 and did two tours of Vietnam in 1966 (Charlie Company 3rd Battalion 22nd Infantry) and again in 1969 (Replacement 9th Infantry Division). In 1969, he received the Purple Heart Medal. After retiring from the military, he opened his own business, National Refrigeration, providing HVAC services to the surrounding area. A deeply devoted man of faith, he spent several years building what he called, “The Road to Heaven”, a large cross and prayer area located near his home in Chaparral, NM. Throughout his life, he welcomed people of all faiths and backgrounds to visit the cross, to pray, and to find strength, healing, and comfort. He spent the later years of his life traveling around the world, visiting various holy sites and shrines, connecting with people from across the globe. Sergeant Manuel Medina was many things to many people throughout his 89 years of life. He was a Soldier, a leader, a business owner, and a husband. But his most cherished role was that of father and grandfather. He will be remembered as someone who sacrificed for his country and his family, who always gave more than he asked for, who put others before himself. He was a man who found strength to weather any storm through his faith. He passed that strength and tenacity onto his daughters, sons, and grandchildren. He will always be remembered as a man who brought joy, love, and laughter to everyone he met. While he is gone now, he will always live on in the hearts of his family and everyone who was blessed to have known him. “We hold you close within our hearts and there you will remain, to walk and guide us through our lives until we meet again.” Visitation and rosary service for Manuel Medina will take place on Wednesday, April 14th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Sunset Funeral Home-Northeast (4631 Hondo Pass). The funeral mass will be held Thursday, April 15th at 11:00 am at 3031 Rim Rock Dr., Chaparral, NM. He will be laid to rest at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in a private service. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in memory of Sergeant Manuel Medina be made to Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #844. Donations can be made online at https://vva.org/donate/ or by mail (P.O. Box 26842, El Paso, TX, 79925). Please email ecam_acho@yahoo.com for more information about the local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America.