Gudencio Flores

Gudencio was born in Inyo County, California, in 1925. He was the 5th child of Concepcion & Francisca Flores, who had 8 children (one died at 3 months). The family moved to the Watts area of Los Angeles shortly after he was born.

Gudencio’s father died unexpectedly due to a medical condition in 1932 when he was 7 years old. His father’s untimely death sent the family on a downward spiral. His mother--uneducated, inexperienced, and unable to speak English--was tasked with raising seven children on her own in the middle of the Great Depression. He wore donated clothes and often went without food.

Gudencio worked at a small neighborhood grocery store at age 10. As an adolescent, he sold newspapers on street corners, shined shoes, and collected/sold scrap metal.

Gudencio attended Jefferson High School in South-Central Los Angeles and played on the baseball team. He was forced to drop out of high school prior to graduation in order to work and assist his mother and siblings. In 1943, while working at a dry cleaners, he spotted a pretty young girl walking to school. He was later introduced to the girl, Dora Penunuri, and they soon started dating. Their romance was interrupted in 1944 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army at the height of World War II.

After six-weeks of basic training, Gudencio was assigned to the Army Air Force in Laredo, Texas. (The Air Force was a part of the Army at the time.) He trained as an Aerial Gunner in the lower ball turret of a B-24. He was also trained in various firearms including M-1 rifle, 30 caliber machine gun, 50 caliber machine gun, and bazooka. He was later transferred to Madison, Wisconsin, and attended Radio Mechanic School.

Gudencio was sent to the infantry (Americal Division) in the Philippines in 1945 as an Ammunition Bearer. He was a part of the U.S. invasion of the Philippine Island of Cebu. He participated in an amphibious landing during which he was under enemy sniper fire. Once the U.S. secured the island, his regiment trained for a covert large-scale invasion of Japan. However, Japan surrendered prior to the planned invasion. Americal Division was one of the first regimens to occupy Japan after the surrender, as a postwar occupying force.

After 6 months in Japan, Gudencio returned to the U.S. and was discharged from the Army in 1946. He returned to Los Angeles and continued dating Dora. They were married in 1949 and had two sons—Jerry and Steven.

Gudencio found work in a ceramic factory and later in a metal factory. In 1962, the family purchased their first home in Gardena. He sought work in the aerospace industry which was booming at the time. However, the industry required a high school diploma which he did not have. He attended night school at Gardena High School and obtained his diploma in 1966 at age 41. He was hired by McDonnell Douglas and later Northrop Grumman, where he built both military and commercial aircraft.

Gudencio retired in 1991 and spent time in his home workshop where he mostly worked on do-it-yourself home improvement projects. He and Dora enjoyed music from the 1940s and 1950s. Some of their favorite artists were Harry James, Helen Forrest, Frank Sinatra, Andy Russell, and Doris Day. They also loved dogs and cats and had many over their lifetime.

Dora passed away in 2015 after 66 years of marriage. In February 2015, a Christian pastor prayed with Dora just before her passing. During that visit, Gudencio professed Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and was later baptized on September 27, 2015, at age 90.

In 2017, Gudencio moved in with his son Steven and wife Beverley in Mission Viejo. He and Steven enjoyed many outings together such as Sea World, Knott’s Berry Farm, Angels baseball, Orange County Fair, just to name a few. He also enjoyed going to the Adult Day Program at a local church where he spent the day singing, dancing, and socializing with other seniors.

Gudencio often said that he enjoyed his life to the fullest and had no regrets about how things turned out. He often gave thanks to God for the life he had.

Gudencio taught his sons to love this country and to never take freedom for granted. He never claimed to be a victim of his circumstances early in life or felt that he was owed something for risking his life in service to his country. He was a part of the greatest generation—those who served their country honorably and risked everything for the cause of freedom, expecting nothing in return. He was an honorable man, American patriot, loyal husband, and the best Dad ever. He will be missed by all who knew him and loved him.

Gudencio is survived by sons Jerry and Steven and their wives.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.fairhavenmemorialservices.com for the Flores family.