By MIKAYLA ORTEGA and LORA ARCINIEGA
Valdemar DeHerrera, a decorated World War II veteran, former prisoner of war, and proud northern New Mexico rancher, died Tuesday, July 15. He was 105. Known as New Mexico’s last known survivor of the Battle of Bataan, DeHerrera leaves behind a legacy of resilience, faith, and family.
Born Oct. 8, 1919, in the rural village of Costilla near the Colorado border, DeHerrera was one of 14 children raised by Meliton and Lupita DeHerrera. He grew up working on the family ranch, learning the value of hard work early—lessons that would later help him survive some of the most grueling conditions of war.
At 22, DeHerrera was drafted into the U.S. Army and assigned to the New Mexico National Guard. What was supposed to be an 18-month training assignment in the Philippines turned into a three-year and seven-month ordeal after the attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into war.
As part of the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East, DeHerrera fought in the Battle of Bataan, a desperate campaign to delay the Japanese invasion of the Phillipines. He was eventually captured, narrowly avoided the infamous Bataan Death March, and spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner, first in Japan, then in Manchuria. After the surrender of the Philippine Island, Valdemar and several other soldiers would continue to fight.
He credited two things with helping him survive: faith and family.
In our last interview with DeHerrera in November 2024, we spoke with his family about what contributed to his courage and resilience.
“He believed his guardian angel was always with him,” said his granddaughter, Celina Trujillo. “He recalled three specific moments where he should have died, but someone—or something—intervened.”
One of those moments was in a bunker when a Japanese soldier shoved a gun into his chest, only for a Japanese soldier to step in and spare him. Another time, when he collapsed from weakness during a forced march, a fellow soldier carried him. And in Manchuria, when he defiantly stood up to a brutal overseer, a high-ranking Japanese officer intervened and showed mercy.
When he returned home in 1945, DeHerrera was malnourished and spent months recovering in Santa Fe. His wages from the war, sent to his father during his captivity, were used to purchase a 30-acre ranch in Costilla. There, he built a home and a future.
He met his wife, Consuelo DeVargas, in Taos and taught her to cook and farm. Together, they raised six daughters, one son, and two adopted children. They were married for 69 years until her death in 2019.
Their home, still nestled on that ranch, is filled with reminders of their long life together—vintage portraits of their children, photos from travels, and mementos of DeHerrera’s military service. His chair faced those family portraits, a daily reminder of what mattered most to him.
“He always said it was faith and family that got him through everything,” said his daughter Valerie Rael. “And he lived that every day.”
DeHerrera worked for the New Mexico Department of Transportation and then spent 26 years at the Molycorp molybdenum mine in Questa, where he retired as a general foreman. Despite the trauma of war, he built a life filled with joy, humor, and purpose.
Known for his sharp style and wit, DeHerrera wore his favorite sweater vests and flat caps well into his 100s. His hair, his family joked, even started turning black again. “He’s going in reverse!” Valerie once laughed.
He had a special bond with all generations of his family, including his great-granddaughter, Janae Trujillo, with whom he often shared snacks and stories.There’s a 101-year difference between them which makes you pause and reflect.
Family members recall how much he enjoyed visits, conversation, and cruising in the car—anywhere, just to ride. And even as a centenarian, he embraced new technology with wonder. “He would ask me to ask my phone questions,” Celina said with a chuckle. “He couldn’t believe what phones could do now.”
His story and survival became a symbol of New Mexico’s connection to the Bataan campaign. Of the 1,816 members of the state’s 200th and 515th Coast Artillery units deployed to the Philippines, more than 800 never returned. DeHerrera was a familiar face at the annual Bataan Memorial Death March event at White Sands Missile Range, representing a vanishing generation of heroes.
In his later years, he opened up more about his experience, and the family preserved his memories—including photographs he recovered from Japanese soldiers—now housed at the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe.
After Consuelo passed, his daughters took turns caring for him. “It was an honor,” said Valerie. “He loved deeply, and we felt it.”
DeHerrera died after suffering a series of mini-strokes. He spent his final days surrounded by the family he loved so much.
Before guests would leave his home, he would always say the same words:
“God bless you.”
A memorial service was held in Costilla on July 24, which included an honor ceremony from the Cerro and Taos VFWs and Mariachi singing his favorite song, “Malaguena Salerosa” which Valdemar had requested. A full military service was held on Monday, July 28, at the Santa Fe National Cemetery, where he is now buried alongside his wife.
And for all he gave—in war, in work, and in love—the blessing was truly ours.
