Jesus Chargualaf

Jesse Chargualaf called himself a simple man, but he was extraordinary. On August 2, 1942, in a cave near Dandan on the American island of Guam amid World War II, he was born to Rosa Crisostomo San Nicolas Chargualaf and Jose San Nicolas Chargualaf while his mother was hiding from the occupying Japanese forces. 

Nearly all the island boys were given nicknames, and Jesse’s was Kadu, meaning joker in the Chamorro language, likely because he entertained the many children and lifted their spirits during stressful times. He loved all children and was their protector.

Jesse began what would become a thirty-year US Army career in 1962 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he first encountered both outright racism and the more subtle discrimination that marred those times. Raised with an indomitable force of will, he spent most of his first two years in the Army at hard labor because he, of brown skin, refused to apologize for buying a sandwich in a whites-only establishment. 

Jesse’s determination and his rare physical conditioning made him a good fit for the nation’s first Green Beret unit, the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), just a few years after it was formed. There he thrived in the war room among similarly dedicated soldiers. Everyone in the unit had a language specialty, and nobody had yet passed the Greek course, so Jesse was sent. This man from the South Pacific thus became a fluent Greek linguist. 

Jesse’s running stamina was remarkable, and his rigorous, lengthy route later became affectionately known as the Brown Man’s Mile among the 7th Special Forces (Airborne) troops who proudly trained under him at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, now Fort Liberty. Long into his career, Jesse was completing his regulation two-mile run in nine minutes flat while also training for ultra-distance 100-kilometer races. He was a master parachutist, “master blaster”, who stopped counting his jumps after racing past several hundred. His self-discipline and high-dan black belt in karate earned respect from all.

While stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, Jesse volunteered at a center for troubled youth in Boston. He took some of the young men to the center himself, setting their lives on a productive path after they had inadvisedly attempted to mug him! Jesse didn’t avoid dangerous areas; he sought them and improved them. 

 Jesse exemplified the Green Beret motto, De Oppresso Liber, “To Free the Oppressed.” His work as an on-the-ground intelligence professional took him into many parts of the world, seventeen countries by one count, some among the most perilous. During the Vietnam War, after completing an intensive course in Vietnamese, he entered the jungle alone, rolling out of the cargo hold of a fast-moving aircraft onto a hot LZ, a landing zone known to be covered by Viet Cong. There in the delta he served as a primary contact between the villagers and the U.S. forces, forging cooperation and their protection while avoiding ambush. 

Despite his recurrent proximity to the worst the world had to offer, Jesse perfected a spirit of kindness and empathy. He bravely acknowledged risks, trained to mitigate them, and analyzed the paths to a better outcome with an astuteness derived from his love of his fellow man. Due to the nature of his military service, we will never know the extent of Jesse’s contributions to our country, but we do know he served capably, honorably, ever diligently, and with pride.

In addition to Jesse’s serious study of history, he retained the playful nature of his childhood, enjoying chess, swimming, fishing, family card games, and games of tag with his grandchildren who never lacked treats from their beloved Olipop. 

Jesse was the hardest worker most people have ever known. His military career was followed by another thirty-one years as the property manager at Cat Mountain Villas in Austin where he rarely took a day off and never saw a tree he wouldn’t climb. He grew both vegetables and friendships at the Deep Eddy Community Garden for more than two decades.

Some would say that Jesse died on July 15, 2024, but those who love him know that this strong, compassionate man will live permanently in our hearts and will, through his past examples, skillfully and gently guide our futures. The upcoming website, SGMJesseChargualaf.com, is being built with stories from Jesse’s exceptional life.

Jesse was predeceased by his parents; his sisters Elizabeth Butler and Josefina Cruz; brothers David and Peter; brothers-in-law Jose Balajadia, Robert F. Szabad, Frankie Meno, and Duane Dannecker; cousin Maria Crisostomo Spencer and her husband, Leigh; and sisters-in-law Victoria Star Varner and Norma Afaisen Chargualaf. 

Lovingly remembering and sorely missing Jesse are his wife Gay; daughter Nicole (husband Tom McCarty); son Jay; grandchildren Elizabeth and James McCarty; sister Rosario Szabad; brother Joe (Lolita); David’s wife Chun; sister Maria Bunn (Wes); sister Doring Reynolds (Bill); brother Daniel (Josephine); Peter’s wife Alvina; brother Raymond; sister Lucy Meno; brother Anthony (Lorraine); brother John (Anna); brother-in-law Dr. Dickson Varner (Dr. Tricia Varner); brother-in-law Dr. Kenny Sheppard; and a multitude of nieces and nephews who admired and loved him dearly.