David Moreno

A follow up to my previous post.

I remember one Easter Sunday service well, or rather the walk home. We were about a block from my house when we were approached by several boys a few grades above me. My cousin David Moreno knew them. For some reason the biggest kid in the group wanted to fight me. I still don't know why.

He stood in front of me so I couldn't pass him on the side walk. It was on the backside of Valencia Elementary School. I must have been about eight or nine at the time. My cousin David was about twelve or thirteen. I have no idea how old the other guys were, but presumably, since my cousin knew them, they were about his age.

I was trying my best to talk my way out of a fight with this guy but he just wanted to fight. While I was trying to decide what to do my cousin stepped in between us ad said “If you want to fight someone fight me!”

David was not big, in fact some of us called him Barney (after Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith Show, not to his face). The other guy was big kid, much bigger than David. I honestly didn't think David had it in him but he did.

The kid beat up my cousin pretty good but David never quit. When it was all over we walked home and I was filled with admiration for him.

David served in Viet Nam in the mid to late 1960's, in the Army.. He was never quite the same when he returned. He was shot to death near MacArthur Park in 1991. I see him as a hero. Rest in Peace Cousin!