Milpitas People and Places:
Street Name Stories
Speaking of honoring Milpitas veterans, in the recently opened City Hall display of veterans’ memorabilia there is a list of street names in Milpitas that are marked with blue, rather than green, street signs. These blue street signs signify that the person for whom the street was named died while in the US Armed Services. The following streets are marked by these blue signs in the center columns.
Blue Street Signs
Honor Milpitas Vets
- Burdett Way
- Cestaric Dr.
- Donahe Dr.
- Duarte Ct.
- Enriquez Ct.
- Falcato Dr.
- Ferreira Dr.
- Garcia Ct.
- Guerrero Ct.
- Heflin St.
- Horcajo Cir.
- Kizer St.
- Matthews Ct.
- Mattos Dr.
- Pashote Ct.
- Perry St.
- Printy Ave.
- Rivera St.
- Rodrigues Ave.
- Rose Dr.
- Tice Dr.
- Traughber St.
- Torres Ave.
- Vargas Ct.
Veterans Memorial Park
A more complete list can be found at the beautiful little Veterans Memorial Park behind City Hall. Here stone markers with brass plaques show the names of those deceased veterans according to the wars during which they died: World War I, World War II, and Vietnam.
However, not all the Milpitas veterans who died in the Armed Service have streets named after them yet. There is as yet no street named for Harold E. Boetcher, a USMC casualty of the Vietnam war nor for Stephen Dunning (Afghanistan) or Michael Mihalakis or Doonewey White (Iraq). The city is working on accomplishing these goals.
Mattos Drive
Mattos Drive in Milpitas, CA, near Yosemite and Falcato Streets, was named for Manuel Joseph Mattos. The street is marked with a blue sign, indicating that he died while in the United States Armed Services.
Twin Brothers Manuel and Joseph Mattos Born in 1919
Manuel Mattos and his twin brother, Joseph, were born at home in 1919 to parents Manuel and Rose on a small ranch in an area known as Wayne Station in San Jose, CA.He had an older brother, Alfred, a younger brother, Henry, and a younger sister, Edith.
Manuel was drafted into the army in October of 1941 and was sent to Camp Roberts, CA for basic training, and upon completing that training, was sent to Yachats, OR to join the Army Signal Corps.
While off duty, Manuel went swimming in the ocean on June 29, 1942, was caught in an undertow,and lost his life. by drowning. He was buried at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in San Jose. Honored by his city, he is still loved and appreciated by his family.
Extended Mattos Family
There is also a Mattos Avenue in San Jose, about a mile and a half south of Milpitas off Piedmont Road. But this street was named for John Mattos, who had a large apricot ranch in that area and whose sons invented a widely-used apricot cutter.
This San Jose Mattos family is not directly related to the Milpitas Mattos family, but was also descended from people who emigrated in the 19th century from the Azores Islands.