Jenaro Herrera, Loreto, 29 April 1946
Teniente Manuel Gordon Magne sat at his battered typewriter, taking his notes and attempting to put them into some semblance of order. His command, Unidad Militar de Asentamiento Rural No.1, had arrived in the region early last November, and had deployed downriver from Requena into the virgin forests. Named for the first lawyer in Loreto, the village of Jenaro Herrera was Magne’s own creation, and he was justifiably proud of it. At the moment it was little more than a few tin-roofed shacks laid out on the bluffs above the River Ucayali, but it was growing – Magne’s detachment had seen to that.
Subteniente Carlos Alberto Seguin, his medical officer, had by far the busiest schedule – the dispensary attracted patients from miles around, and his input on matters of sanitation and water supply were invaluable. As busy as the medical staff might be the contribution of Sargento primero Ricardo Salazar Bondy, and his team of construction workers was vital – from laying out the rudiments of streets and roads, to overseeing construction of public buildings, to creating a landing stage at the river’s edge – these tasks took nearly half the detachment’s strength and provided employment to a number of residents.
Técnico de primera Oscar la Torre Carrasco, a school-teacher originally from Cajamarca, had begun the long task of providing instruction to the children of the district – a task he shared with Father Alvaro Diaz Mego, a Franciscan who had labored long among the indigenous people yet was respected by the immigrant population, whose numbers increased month-by-month.
All this was progress that Magne could include in his report; so was the increase in commerce, for two traders had come upriver from Iquitos to market manufactured goods and barter for rubber, fish, or timber. But far more was needed – Magne identified many requirements – a motor pirogue to improve communications, more construction materials, books, medical supplies, and, of course, money with which to hire local labor.
Time would tell if any of his requests would be fulfilled.