'A pain that doesn't go away'
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When Dora Torres saw the shoes, she knew her son lay dead on the gurney. She nodded to the coroner.
Just weeks before, Torres hand-picked the shoes as a gift. The mother mailed them to El Salvador. She had no idea her teenage son would wear the shoes during a surprise trek to reunite with her in New York City.
Six years later, the image of those shoes, the memory of her son and the pain of his death draw Torres to a Victoria County dirt road. She is the only family member of anyone who died who returns each year to the makeshift memorial to honor the tragedy on its anniversary.
While much is said of the 19 illegal immigrants who died in a sweltering tractor-trailer in May 2003, little is known about the loved ones they left behind. Torres' story begins with civil war and continues with her fight to make sense of a child's death.
Torres, 47, lives today in Houston and works at a shampoo factory. She was born in San Alejo, La Union, El Salvador. She gave birth to her first child, Anna, when she turned 20.
At about that same time, the Salvadoran civil war erupted. During the next 12 years, 75,000 people died and the already shaky economy worsened. By the early 1990s, Torres was a struggling single mother of three.
"She left El Salvador to survive, to give her children a better life," said Marta Olvera, a Houston-based philanthropist who befriended Torres after the Salvadoran's son died. "Most of the people left their children with the grandparents and came over."
While Torres toiled in a New York sewing factory, her three children yearned to be with her. Anna Torres, the oldest, followed first in her mother's footsteps. She entered the United States illegally at age 24.
Jose Mauricio Torres, 15, was the family's youngest child. He loved to sing, dance and listen to the radio. He was a bit of a homebody. He grew up knowing his mother by her voice on the end of a long-distance phone call. When his father died, he sought to reunite with his remaining parent and sister.
Torres didn't know her son risked the trip to Mexico and then to Texas. When news reports about the tragedy surfaced, a strange feeling overtook her. She called her home country, and her mother told her the news: The dead found in Victoria were moved by authorities to Houston.
"She came to Houston to identify her son, and she saw the shoes," Olvera, 55, said. "She was devastated. In the beginning, she was very, very bad. There was nothing that could comfort her. We never understand why it happened. Why? It's six years already, but it's a pain that doesn't go away."
Torres stood again in May on Fleming Prairie Road, the now infamous road where police found the trailer. She stared at the crosses, the water bottles and placards left to remember those who died during the worst botched smuggling attempt in U.S. history.
"He was a very good boy," she said. "He was a brave boy. I always remember him."
Two years ago, the boy's grandmother, Maria Angela Torres, visited the makeshift memorial for the first time. She wore a green dress, sandals and gold-colored jewelry. She tried to console her daughter.
While Torres copes better today than she did in the beginning, Olvera said the mother still cries.
"It's a little bit different. She has three grandchildren. Now, she focuses on them," Olvera said. "They take her away from the pain. Still, she doesn't understand why."
Anna Torres, the oldest, has two children. She gave birth to a son in Houston just weeks ago. The family's youngest son, a 21-year-old, immigrated illegally after his brother died.
"We will never forget Mauricio," Anna Torres said. She bowed her head and cried. "He was the best of brothers."
Olvera works to ensure this and other tragedies are not forgotten. Every year since May 2003, she and others organize a service, which is led by a priest and held at the Victoria memorial site.
"We will do it every year as long as I live, yes, God help me. I'm very tired that this happened," Olvera said. "I don't want anyone to forget the tragedy."
Jose Mauricio Torres died from the unbearable heat, which reached 170 degrees inside the airtight trailer. He died gasping for air, clawing in agony. This realization must remain an unrelenting nightmare for his Houston mother.
She stood where first responders found her son dead. She motioned to his portrait, which was hand-drawn and leaning against keepsakes planted in the ditch. Her face grimaced.
"As long as I'm alive, I'll be coming here," she said.
Story told from interviews with Dora Torres in 2007 and 2009, and from visits with the mother's friends.
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oh my how I go on and on ...
I am reminded each paycheck what the price of my citizenship is to me. I am reminded that there are millions who pay nothing and get more from American then I ever will simply because I am one of the few who does have a job, at least for now.
I see stories of those who abuse our country's laws and demand I respect them and must give them more, while my American friends are denied services because they are Americans who have given their lives and dedication to this county.
I am not asking for much, just EQUALITY and compassion for those who work hard for this nation despite it being stripped from us by our politicians.
We are so much in debt that I can not see it ever ending. We owe foreign countries like China so much, that in reality we belong to them not ourselves.
We sit passively at our desks, work benches, as we are being drained of our national identity. We send our children to war in a country that would love to kill us all because we are non believers in their myth. We get no gratitude, no consideration, not kindness in return. We are just demanded more and more.
There is no more to give. We are jobless, homeless, hopeless and soon we will have no country to call our own.
July 26, 2009 at 8:26 p.m.How many Americans would go into Mexico & taunt the Federales? In my travels to Laredo, I witness on every visit from my balcony, illegals walking across the river onto our soil to simply taunt our Border Patrol agents. I believe we should treat them the same way we would be treated if we did the same thing in Mexico.
July 26, 2009 at 8:21 p.m.Press one for Espanol, press two for English.........
What's next? Press three for, take your pick any other language.
No its press 200 for English...we have to be last.
July 26, 2009 at 7:14 p.m.that guy is now delivering drugs with Limes and pesticides as a hiding place.
July 26, 2009 at 6:40 p.m.I joined the US Air Force during the Viet nam war. I offered my services to help aliens in Viet Nam to win their freedom from communism. Over 53 K Americans died for that failed attempt to give those who were oppressed a better life.
We now have a population of them in Texas who helped us. We now buy products from Viet Nam and help their economy. We take vacations in Viet Nam. Some of our war dead are still missing somewhere there.
I am a proud American Citizen and vet.
How has Ms illegal helped our country?
She takes from us and demands more.
THANK you!
July 26, 2009 at 6:26 p.m.if those people wanted to come to American so bad why did they not fight with Stephen Austin, Davey Crockett, the Goliad 400, and the others that fought Santa Anna? So they could be Americans the hard way? by fighting for their freedom and not just taking over with sob stories.
Where were they when we were fighting for America? I don't see them putting memorial flowers at their graves! i don't see them crying about the loss of Americans for our freedoms they are taking from US.
July 26, 2009 at 6:18 p.m.Funny thing is....none of the authors of of these editorials know a thing about illegals and their compassion for them is rooted in greed no less corrupt than the smugglers.
The driver of the truck transporting knew nothing of the lives of the people he was tansporting like cattle; just as the authors of their eulogy knows nothing of their humanity and th lives they live. Both seek to profit from their passing, only through differnet means.
July 26, 2009 at 6:05 p.m.There is going to be a new tax deduction added to your paycheck. It was passed into law by the 6 + billion non American Congress newly elected by our resident illegal aliens.
This tax is added to cover the cost of all miserable lives of all the people on the planet that feel Americans owe them a happy life.
It is not an option for Americans. It will be a .99 tax on every dollar we earn. a penny for us .99 for them.
It has been approved by this newly elected world poor congress and trumps all elected governments by American citizens.
This provides free everything for the world. And a free trip to the US. They get to pick any house they want in the Us occupied or not.
This offer is for only non-American tax payers.
This is what the American dream is all about.
July 26, 2009 at 5:54 p.m.Tipsy, you say you see "so much hate" all I see is love for America, respect for its laws and that we have to enforce existing immigration laws to cure our problem, that's all. if we continue with out of control immigration, we all know history repeats itself and we are in for an ethnic war.
July 26, 2009 at 5:44 p.m.looks like the big eraser is back.. Don't piss of the guardian angel of the illegals.
July 26, 2009 at 5:35 p.m.Back in the day bringing in illegals and protecting them would be considered treason.
Now its just another day in Freeloader America.
Give me a sob story and I will give you whatever you want. bla bla bla..
pass the hanky.. and give me your money.
July 26, 2009 at 5:25 p.m.Why so much hate? These folks are human. I just don't understand it. Gabe, great story.
July 26, 2009 at 5:05 p.m.put this number on all your e-mails and send to everyone you know.
1-800-829-0433
report them and deport them now.
July 26, 2009 at 4:53 p.m.yall write that IRS phone # before it gets deleted, one thing I know is that most all the press is pro-illegal immigration. I live nearer to Austin and yall ought to hear what is going on there, 2 talk show hosts got suspended for using a word for illegals that starts with W and ends in S, I dont want to use it cause I will get deleted. the radio station is getting an earful, Americans have had enough, you can push and push and push us and when we push back, they aint gonna like it.
July 26, 2009 at 4:38 p.m.1-800-829-0433 should be on every business door, on every hospital door, on every SS card. on every tax form.
EVERYWHERE.
Why were they not rounded up during this photo shoot? We know what they look like where they live.. so lets get rid of them.
July 26, 2009 at 4:36 p.m.The real tragedy is that millions of them are here and living off the American Tax payer...No one is crying for us!
Go home freeloaders... Stop steeling from Americans.
July 26, 2009 at 4:32 p.m.I dont know if yall aware, but the IRS (yes the IRS) has a pho.# to report employers of illegals and you can even file for a reward. 1-800-829-0433. REPORT AND DEPORT !! there are also other methods to do so, I dont live in Victoria but drove thru it last week, yall look like a 3rd world country in some parts of town.
July 26, 2009 at 4:30 p.m.Press one for Espanol, press two for English.........
What's next? Press three for, take your pick any other language.
July 26, 2009 at 4:24 p.m."Two years ago, the boy's grandmother, Maria Angela Torres, visited the makeshift memorial for the first time. She wore a green dress, sandals and gold-colored jewelry. She tried to console her daughter."
--------
Can someone explain HOW her attire was somehow relevant to the rest of the story?
While most of the article was tight, concise and featured good flow, someone along the way should have caught this and removed the totally-unnecessary diversion into clothing choice.
Other than taking up space, it served absolutely no purpose. The imagery in this story was already in place.
July 26, 2009 at 3:36 p.m.watch CNN now and learn now what the Free America costs tax payers.
I think we need to get Mexican or foreign citizenships so we can get access to Free America too.
July 26, 2009 at 1:47 p.m.This article has but one point. It promotes the illegal invasion to our country.
So we here a sad story so we must pander to them and open our heart and doors for them and more and more. The IRS will be all over us for not paying our taxes, but illegal aliens pay nothing!
With less and less Americans working then what? Watch the TV see what the AMERICAN worker is dealing with.
Americans are living in their cars, in tents, are homeless. Many more will be added to this AMERICAN crisis every day.
But we are suppose to allow MS Alien everything free.
If she gets cancer, diabetes and accident, she can just go to any hospital and get free care at with you and I paying for it by force by the government.
She does not have to pay a single AMERICAN PENNY.
I have to pay income taxes,SS, medical deductions, medical insurance payments over $300 a month, a $1,500 out of pocket insurance deductible. Plus any charges my insurance refuses to pay. not to mention living expenses.
She and millions of her fellow aliens pay nothing. Now tell me thats fair.
I am so glad she is a happy alien here in America. The land of the freeloaders.
July 26, 2009 at 1:26 p.m.Hey YOUBET but-out Imagine might not speak for every tax payer but I fell most will agree with him. Keep ripping them Imagine, I am sick of seeing these stories in the VA. Gabe get over it do some stories on the Americans get screwed in this country and our community, Because that's something I would read.
July 26, 2009 at 12:42 p.m.This thread is getting VERY, VERY OLD! I guess the Vicad is running out of news. I said it before: it truly is unfortunate for those who have to go through what they do to make a better life. The point has been made. Now, continually bringing it up, is that going to change anything? I wish it would, but I don't see that happening anytime, soon. If we keep talking about it, is this not exploitation? Not sure.
July 26, 2009 at 12:27 p.m.If we keep talking about 9/11, will that change anything? We're more "on guard"--maybe we should be more "on guard" at the border. Commerce would definitely slow down IF these trucks were checked at each, if not, every other county weigh station, but I'm sure LIVES would be saved! There is a way and the Authorities have the power to make changes. I would rather see my tax money go towards saving lives than the I-69 corridor- or raising some Bureaucrat's salary!
Just my 2 cents!
Imagine you are getting a little over the top need to slow the puppy down.We are as TAX payers all in the same BOAT. Well it mite be sinking but hange in there.
July 26, 2009 at 11:54 a.m.What about the American workers who have lost their jobs, and their homes, their whole communities. are the aliens there to feel sorry for them? Can they just walk in to any hospital can get free care... NO.
Can they get free food... no, can they get free housing.. no... if they were aliens they could.
American citizenship is worthless to Americans. Aliens can get all they want free.. one sad story and the press is at their feet begging for all the freebies they can toss at them.
Aliens whats your secrete to getting a FREE wonderful life here in America. The suffering Americans want to know. They want to be happy too.
July 26, 2009 at 11:40 a.m.I have an elderly friend who could not afford health insurance. She could not go to the doctor and suffered terribly because she could not afford even basic care. If she had to go the hospital she would have lost what little she had because she is an American citizen who is required to have medical insurance to get care. If she was an illegal alien she could have gotten prime top of the line medical care for FREE. but she suffered for years because she was an AMERICAN. who is required to pay for her medical care and the alien free loaders too.
Most of the bankruptcies in the Us is caused by AMERICANS who lost everything because they could not afford medical insurance. But the Poor sad story Aliens can have a baby every year and get all the free medical care they want. Plus free housing, free food, free, everything because they have a sad story to tell.
Poor poor aliens we owe the so much! As long as they are happy thats all that matters. The Americans can die at the hospital door.
July 26, 2009 at 11:17 a.m.and just who is apying for the kids hospital bills? Are the American tax payers waiting outside the hospital delivering their babies in the street because the can't afford to pay their hospital bill. while the illegal aliens are getting it all FREE!
With free baby food, medical, educations just waiting for this one and the 15 others that will follow.
July 26, 2009 at 11:04 a.m.