CA CA - Robert Franco Rivera, 31, Oxnard, 9 Jan 1963
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shehangsbrightly
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I found some more information on Roberto. He definitely entered into Selective Service in October 1950, per the El Paso Times. Listed in the El Paso City Directory as in the US Army as of 1953. As for Oxnard, CA, I find a Roberto Franco living there in the 1990s, but sadly it's a common name. I feel like the "Rivera" part of his name is confusing things in order to keep track of him.
Hello and thank you all for this thread!!! I just came across this website. Robert is my great uncle. Ramon was my grandfather. I hope that I can help to fill in some of the gaps. The family are all from Texas (Shafter to Marfa to El Paso). Eloisa (nee Franco) and Gregorio Rivera only had 2 sons together - Ramon and Raul. When Gregorio died, Ramon quit grade school to work and Raul was sent away to live with family in Marfa. Eloisa later had 2 additional children - Rebecca and Robert. since they were illegitimate, they may have had taken her maiden name, Franco; yet I think they sometimes used Rivera too. Raul resented being sent away as a small child and was not raised with his siblings, so when he was older he changed his name to Paul and moved to the east coast. Robert was in the military (don't know which branch) afterwards I think he briefly attended Sul Ross University. He moved to California and really wanted the rest of the family to move too. My grandfather refused to go to California and it created some tension. However Robert still kept in touch with my mother, Gloria. The last communication from him the family ever received was the letter he sent to my mother. I will need to confirm, but I think that was '63. The 1977 date is because I believe that was the last date there was a hit on his SSN. Rebecca (Molinar) died a couple years ago due to Covid and Ramon died in 2008. When my mom died I gave the letter to her cousin and she was the one who engaged with a detective in Oxnard. As that was Robert's last known location. Robert could have been a laborer and based on the majority of the family, he may have had limited English. I will ask around the family to see if any ones has any additional information.
I will need to ask my cousin. It may have been for employment. If I recall his SSN does not show on the death index. My suspicion has always been that it was identity theft. Robert would not have stopped communications with the family. And 1963 to 1977 is a very long time to not reach out to anyone back home.