Biography
Jimenez, Michael Angelo. (Mike; Jiménez Tejeda, Miguel Angel); b. March 30, 1917, NYC; Spanish-Dominican American; father Manuel Jiménez Romance, mother Herminia Tejeda; Family moved to the Dominican Republic in 1932; Family moved to Barcelona, Spain in 1934; Education in U. S. through the 8th grade, later training in radio communications; Single; Radio communications and sales; Member, Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT); In Spain at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War; Between July 16 - December 31, 1936 served in militias in Barcelona, and with the XI BN “Thaelman” Brigade; January 1, 1937 promoted to Captain and served with the XIV Corps (guerrillas), served in the Cía Radiogeniometría y Escucha of the Batallón de Transmisiones del Ejército del Ebro; In February 1939 left Spain with his battalion at Portbou after destroying all equipment to deny it to the Nationalists; Imprisoned in four different French concentration camps, the longest at Camp de Gurs; In 1940 escaped from the camps to the American consulate in Marseilles and was returned to the US; In 1940-42 lived in NYC and worked as union organizer with the United Electrical Workers (UE) in the midwest and Connecticut; Enlisted in the US Army on December 10, 1942, 82nd Airborne, rank Tech SGT, served at North Africa, Sicily and Italy (Salerno, Anzio); Commission to 2LT on December 1, 1943 and transferred to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), operations in France and Northern Italy in 1944-1945 with the 2677th Regiment (Provisional); Discharged November 15, 1945 left the military as a Captain, Decorations include, Bronze Star; and in 1945 Letter of Commendation presented by Italian Prime Minister Ivanoe Bonomi and received Legion of Merit for a special mission to supply partisans in German-occupied Italy. In 1945 rejoined the UE as union organizer primarily in Rome, NY and in 1956, negotiated the transfer of a group of NYS UE locals into the International Association of Machinists as a Special Representative. Was subject to McCarthy-era governmental harassment and left the IAM during a purge of leftwing staff in 1957. Subsequently worked as a mediator with labor unions and a salesman and independent businessman primarily in the car wash industry. d. October 14, 1991, South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. Siblings: Brothers Manuel (Jim) Jimenez; Daniel Jimenez, Joe Jimenez, John Jimenez, Luis Jimenez, and sister Delores Jimenez Gleaton.Source: Roy Jimenez, Michael Angelo (né Miguel Angel) Jimenez, 1917-1991, Open Salon, June 17, 2010 [No longer posted] Family history from Michael A. Jimenez to Mona Jimenez and Roy Jimenez and from documents in Jimenez Family Papers in Tamiment Library and Wagner Labor Archives, New York University, TAM.838,.Code A Photographs: Mike Jimenez IB Carnet Photograph, Militia photograph, and WW II.
