Joe Lazarine

Joe Henry Lazarine, 90, went home to his Lord on November 14, 2016. He was born on December 19, 1925, to Guadalupe and Guadalupe (Perez) Lazarine. He was married to Frances G. Lazarine for 68 years, before she passed on his birthday last year. Joe Henry went to school until the 11th grade, at which point he was drafted into World War II. He joined the Navy April 13, 1944, and was sent to San Diego, California where they taught him to swim, an essential skill, especially for a sailor. The next two years he was a gunner in the Pacific on aircraft carrier CVE 77, commonly known as the USS Marcus Island. According to project military historian, Bill Davies, the Marcus Island was “part of a composite task, Taffy 3, of only destroyers and escort carriers that defended the unarmed transports of the invasion” of Leyte Island in the Philippines. The U.S. Force initially given that assignment, Admiral Halsey’s 3rd Fleet, was lured away from Leyte, so when the Japanese “battleships, cruisers and destroyers appeared at Samar Island, just north of the Leyte Landings, Taffy 3’s commander, facing impossible odds, ordered all his destroyers to charge, with all weapons firing and his escort carriers to attack with all planes. This suicidal attack worked because Japan’s admiral thought he had run into Admiral Halsey’s fleet and turned and ran. With heavy loss, Taffy 3 lost two destroyers and one escort carrier and served General Douglas MacArthur’s return to the Philippine Islands. There were more harrowing sea missions where he ended up earning an Asia Pacific Campaign medal with four bronze stars and a Philippine Liberation ribbon with two bronze service stars. He was discharged from the Navy May 21, 1946, after 26 months of service.

Joe Henry sold insurance, as well as worked other various types of jobs through the years to support his family, that included his surviving children, Angela (Carlos) Vera of Beeville, Jo Ann (Ben) Wathen of San Antonio, John (Kathy) Lazarine of Houston and Kathy (Hector) Garcia of Beeville. He was also survived by nine grandchildren, Tim R. Alaniz, Jennifer L. Rivera, Joshua Wathen, April A. Cantu, Andrew J. Wathen, Melissa L. Guerrero, Klaire K. DeLeon, Kamryn A. Garcia and Katie S. Lazarine; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, 2016, at Galloway & Sons Funeral Home Chapel with a rosary recited that evening at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 17, 2016, at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Father Richard Gonzales officiating. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Tim R. Alaniz, Joshua Wathen, Andrew Wathen, Carlos DeLeon, Abraham Arias and Joshua Wathen Jr. Honorary Pallbearers include Chon Moron, Billie (Tiger) Olivarez, Albert (Catony) Olivarez, Joe (Dinky) Martinez, Sydney Mitchell and Compadre Joe Martinez

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