Tag Archives: Deming NM

CHS HEARS REPORT DIRECTLY FROM CHIRICAHUA APACHES

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        Dr. Kathleen Martin

The FASF’s sister historical organization in Columbus, NM, the Columbus Historical Society (CHS) has just heard a report from the two  Silver City, NM Co-Directors of the Chiricahua Apache Naion’s two Directors, Joe Saenz and Bill Bradford. The program was organized by long-time FASF Trustee, Kathleen R. Martin, Ph.D.  The meeting was attended by 16 members of the CHS, mostly from the Columbus and Deming areas, and by a special visitor, Dr. Jeffrey Sheppard.  The meeting was chaired by the CHS President, Shirley Garber.

WolfHorse Joe Saenz is of Huichol and Tci-He-Nde (Red Paint People) ancestry. He is the owner and operator of Wolfhorse Outfitters and Guides of The Gila National Forest, which is located in Silver City, NM. The short term above, “Nde,” means Apache in their native tongue.  Besides his role as Co-Director of the Apache Foundation, Wolfhorse is also a member of the Apache National Council.

Bill Bradford is a fully licensed attorney, also an Apache Nation Councilman, and additionally serves as the Nation’s official Chief Legal Counsel.

The entire presentation to the CHS was video recorded and appears below in its entirety.

                               Wolfhorse Joe Saenz opens up the program for the Society

                   Wolfhorse explains the Apache history in the United States as Bill Bradford listens at right.

  Wolfhorse and Bill Bradford – Joe spelled out the Apache Nation Foundation’s website (it’s at end of the video, too)

             Wolfhorse and Bill Bradford – Dr. Martin is at left raising her hand to ask a question of Wolfhorse

Listening from L to R: Mary Galbraith, Carol Krum, Clint & Kathy Townsend, and Joe who was discussing the many misconceptions present-day Americans have about the native Apaches as Bill Bradford looks on.:

L to R: Dr. Martin with a check for Joe Saenz, Bill Bradford, Pres. Shirley Barber, and VP Jim Tyo with Bill’s check.

The below video is the “Apache Nation Today and Yesterday” Presentation by Wolfhorse Joe Saenz and Bill Bradford as given without any deletions.  Suggest seeing it right here in full screen and high-definition quality. The full video including both presenters is 1:22:32 in length.

FASF’s Initial Business Sponsor Has Flown into the Sunset

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Long time local civic and business leader, Eddie Diaz, outside his Diaz Farms outlet in Deming, NM.

Our original business supporter and long time personal FASF Member, Eddie Diaz, of Deming, New Mexico, left on his final flight, Friday the 26th of July, this past week.

Eddie was born in Deming, NM, on December 18, 1958.  He graduated from Deming High School before taking over Diaz Farms, which he owned and operated until his untimely death last week.  Eddie was also and active civic leader, and served many terms as the Assistant Secretary-Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the large SW New Mexico and SE Arizona Columbus Electric public Utility.

Mr. Diaz is survived by his wife of  36 years, Guillermina, his son, Eddie, Jr. three daughters; Maggie Diaz-Romero, Cecilia and Cristina, four brothers, Javier (also a FASF Business Member), Armando, Samuel and Carlos; two sisters: Elia Holguin and Rosie Chancellor; two grandsons; Noah and Nickolas Romero; and his parents, Ruben and Antonia Diaz, also of Deming.

Eddie’s memorial service at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Deming was attended by several thousand friends and admirers, whose vehicles lined the streets in all directions, with standing room only in the church, which left many unable to even get inside to attend the service.

This extraordinarily large following bore testimony to his remarkable personality. Your webmaster had the honor and privilege of knowing Eddie for some 20 years and cannot remember a time when he didn’t see Eddie smiling and spreading his uplifting enthusiasm to one and all who knew or simply had the pleasure of meeting him.

It is genuinely difficult to even imagine that this vital and loving character has moved on, that he is no longer among us, except insofar as his energetic and upbeat spirit will never leave those who were blessed enough to have known him.

Eddie had a deep personal interest in his local environs and his roots in the rich history of the area, so he quickly took the first opportunity he found to help the FASF become better-established as an exponent of the exciting history it was organized to help perpetuate.  The minute he obtained his FASF Decal, he quickly and proudly had it mounted on his business’s front entry door where it remains to this day.

It Took 2 Years – But The FASF Has its NM Historical Marker!

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Thanks to the untiring efforts of our 1st VP, Jason Adams, the FASF now has its own local NM State Historical Marker firmly planted near our historic 1916 Airfield, which, as Columbus Mayor Bruce D’Salas’ official business card proudly states:  is “The Cradle of American Air Power.”

Let’s take a photographic look at the sequence of actual physical events that took place before the two-year long process of obtaining state approval for the Historic Marker was successfully completed.

The entire lengthy process took place under the jurisdiction of the New Mexico Department of Culltural Affairs. The Department’s web pages describe the process involved: “The markers happen through a strong partnership among the Historic Preservation Division, the Cultural Properties Review Committee, New Mexico Department of Transportation – and the public.” 

All of these agencies and groups must have been queried and counselled in order for such a Historical Marker to be approved, and then finally contructed for the site it represents.  As you might imagine, Jason had a big task in hand to get this objective reallized, and it took no small amount of patience to weather the long process involved in the achievement.  But, today, we now have this marker in place, with its own highway tourist/visitor pull-off parking area so that passing motorists can conveniently pull off state Highway 9, right in the town of Columbus itself, to safely read both sides of the sign’s historical inscription.

Remember: Just click on any photo below to see it in full-size and hi-resolution!

L to R: Miguel Garcia, of Deming, NM, and Baltazar Granados, who actually  hails from Columbus, are with the New Mexico Department of Transportation (DOT), and did the original site survey work for the new FASF Historical Marker.

Miguel and Baltazar pose by their truck before commencing the survey work. The FASF billboard marking the 1916 airfield is behind them to the left.

Here is Baltazar measuring the dimensions for locating the new Marker Sign. Highway 9, in the forefront, has a steep drop-off shoulder closer to the Airfield, so these men had to find the nearest place where the shoulder was relatively flat, so that passing motorists might easily park their vehicles when they go over to read the Marker Sign. These men began this stie work almost exactly one (1) year ago!

Here we see the men from the P&M Sign Company Team working to erect the new sign, which was made by their firm under contract to the state of New Mexico. P&M makes most of these historical marker signs for New Mexico.  They are located in picturesque Mountaiinair, NM.  This work was completed by them this past September

Here are the actual text portions of the two-sided Marker, which clearly point out the historical information regarding the location’s importance.  This sign is heavy-duty and completely weather proof.

The P&M team halfway through to completion. L to R: Larry Archuleta of Las Vegas, NM, Marcos Tavera ,Charles Padilla, and Andrew Lopez, all three from Mountainair, NM

Here is the front side of the sign, with page one of the story facing to the West.

And here, above, is the back side of the Marker, facing East towards El Paso, Texas. You can see by the construction of the Maker that this ediface is both sturdily made – and situated.

L to R: FASF celebrants of the new Sign’s Official Dedication: Columbus Mayor Bruce D’Salas, Airfield Director, Bob Wright; Long-time FASF member and just-retired Manager of the nearby Pancho Villa State Park, John Read; FASF Treasurer, Alma Villezcas; Bill Madden, Airfield Site Chairman; Fritz Wagoner, Airfield Survey & Artifact Team; and Historical Marker Committee Chairman, 1st VP of the FASF, Jason Adams, and his daughter, Chloe.  All four of the FASF members on the right side of the sign are from Las Cruces, NM.  At the left in photo, The Mayor and Bob Wright are from Columbus, and John Read and Alma Villezcas are both from Deming, NM.