Nearly 74 years after Sergeant Willie Noriega Estrada died while protecting his tank crew during the Korean War, his family is still working to have his military award upgraded to the Medal of Honor. The New Mexico native was 23 when he was killed in action on 22 September 1952 near Bongowol, North Korea. He became the first draftee from Otero County to receive the Distinguished Service Cross, the US Army’s second-highest award for extraordinary heroism. According to reporting by the Carlsbad Current-Argus , his brothers Mario Estrada and Pete Estrada remain determined to make sure his actions receive the country’s highest military honour.
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