Tigua Chief Dead At 96

The Tiguas have lost not only their Chief but, a great man and a multi-decorated war hero.

I met the Chief, Francisco "Frank" Holguin, on several occasions and he was always very kind and congenial. I had no idea what an amazing man he was until I read an article about his passing in the El Paso Times. According to that article:

Born on Aug. 22, 1920, Holguin was a decorated veteran of World War II, earning seven Bronze Stars and a Good Conduct Medal, making him the most decorated citizen of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. He was in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in Normandy and elsewhere in France. A graduate of Ysleta High School, he was one of the first Tiguas to earn a high school diploma. - El Paso Times

There is much, much more to his story. He passed away Friday and will be buried today at Fort Bliss National Cemetary, with full military honors.