A civilian worker at Pearl Harbor who survived the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, he was supposed to have been on the water when the attack happened.
"The day before the attack, his appendix burst, so he was in the hospital," said Elsa Orozco, one of Alcazar's daughters.
Following his stint in the military — he helped engineer radio systems on Pacific islands during World War II — Alcazar returned home and briefly worked as a deputy for the Bexar County sheriff's office before starting a career as a nuclear engineer at Kelly Air Force Base.
Despite being so near a history-changing event, he rarely spoke about Pearl Harbor.
Alcazar regularly cooked foods from around the world, and also grew many of his ingredients, from grapes, figs, peaches and avocados to herbs.
"He loved to cook for people," Orozco said. "If we needed cheering up, he'd make our favorite dish and tell us we'd feel better after we ate it."
Having spent time in other parts of the world, Alcazar knew recipes from many cultures, Orozco said.
"He cooked everything," she said. "He'd prepare Italian food, Chinese food, Spanish food. He even made a Filipino dish — we ate food from all over the world."
While Alcazar's cooking repertoire was diverse, his favorite meal got back to the basics.
"His thing was steak and potatoes, whether it was french fries or a baked potato. It was awesome," she said. "My mother, after a while, still baked, but he owned the kitchen."
A civilian worker at Pearl Harbor who survived the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, he was supposed to have been on the water when the attack happened.
"The day before the attack, his appendix burst, so he was in the hospital," said Elsa Orozco, one of Alcazar's daughters.
Following his stint in the military — he helped engineer radio systems on Pacific islands during World War II — Alcazar returned home and briefly worked as a deputy for the Bexar County sheriff's office before starting a career as a nuclear engineer at Kelly Air Force Base.
Despite being so near a history-changing event, he rarely spoke about Pearl Harbor.
Alcazar regularly cooked foods from around the world, and also grew many of his ingredients, from grapes, figs, peaches and avocados to herbs.
"He loved to cook for people," Orozco said. "If we needed cheering up, he'd make our favorite dish and tell us we'd feel better after we ate it."
Having spent time in other parts of the world, Alcazar knew recipes from many cultures, Orozco said.
"He cooked everything," she said. "He'd prepare Italian food, Chinese food, Spanish food. He even made a Filipino dish — we ate food from all over the world."
While Alcazar's cooking repertoire was diverse, his favorite meal got back to the basics.
"His thing was steak and potatoes, whether it was french fries or a baked potato. It was awesome," she said. "My mother, after a while, still baked, but he owned the kitchen."
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