Apolonio "Polo" Munoz, Carlsbad's first Hispanic city councilor and a World War II hero, died Monday morning at Carlsbad Medical Center and is being remembered as a philanthropist and humanitarian, the Carlsbad Current-Argus reported today on its Web site.

The 81-year-old Munoz was appointed to the City Council in 1969 by then-Mayor Bob Boyd and went on to serve on the council for the next 13 years, mostly under former Mayor Walter Gerrells, the Current-Argus reported.

Munoz dropped out of school at an early age to help support his mother and three siblings, then joined the Army as an infantryman and served in the Pacific theater of World War II, winning a battlefield Silver Star and Purple Heart, the paper reported.

He was among the soldiers who helped liberate Japanese POW camps in Manila and made a point of looking for fellow Carlsbad residents who had served in the 200th Coast Artillery and were taken prisoner in the early days of the war, the Current-Argus said.

One of the few he found alive was Carlsbad resident Joe Stanley Smith, the paper said.

After the war, he returned to his home town, married his wife Hortencia, and the two raised eight children while he went to work with IMC Potash where he worked for the next 40 years, said the Current-Argus.

After retiring from IMC, where he was the company's first Hispanic foreman, he stayed active in charity work in the community.

Among his awards were the Carlsbad Foundation Humanitarian of the Year in 2002, LULAC's Father of the Year award in 2001, and he was honored at Carlsbad's Heritage Days in 1999.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Thursday at San Jose Catholic Church.

Your Name:

Your Email Address:

Rate this article:
Poor Great

Comment:

BOLD

"QUOTE"

UNDERLINE