José Jiménez was born on March 20, 1946, in
Mexico City,
Mexico. He attended Benito Juárez School and José María Morelos School in
Morelia,
Michoacán. He graduated from Red Rock Elementary School,
Red Rock, Arizona, in June 1964, and from Santa Cruz Valley Union High School,
Eloy, Arizona, in June 1968. Enlisting in the
Marine Corps Reserve at
Phoenix, Arizona on June 7, 1968, Jiménez was discharged to enlist in the regular Marine Corps, August 12, 1968. He completed
recruit training with the 1st Recruit Training Battalion at
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, in October 1968. He was promoted to private first class on October 1, 1968. Transferred to the
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, he underwent individual combat training with Company G, 1st Battalion, 2nd
Infantry Training Regiment and with the Rifle Training Company of the 2nd Infantry Training Regiment, completing the latter in December 1968. Jimenez's mother, Basillia Jimenez, was employed by the Mexican government, working in Arizona. On September 6, 1969, she had Jimenez's remains buried in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. His mother died and was buried in Glendale Memorial Park Cemetery. With donations from various organizations his sister, who is his next of kin, was able to recover his remains and have them sent to Arizona. On January 17, 2017, LCpl Jimenez was re-interred and buried next to his mother, in
Glendale Memorial Park Cemetery in
Glendale, Arizona ==Medal of Honor==