Background
Dewey Peter Guerra, Jr., was born on April 20, 1927, in Oakland, California. After high school, he entered the military and
was posted to Duke Field, Florida, and then Camp Beale, California, as a member of the United States Army Air Force. After
the service, Guerra attended college at San Francisco City College and San Francisco State College where he excelled as a
fullback and defensive end. He married Bonnie D. O'Brien in October 1949 in Alameda, California. Guerra then pursued a career
as both a football coach and physical education teacher. During his tenure at Folsom High School of Folsom, California, and
Cordova High School of Rancho Cordova, California, Guerra's teams became regional and state powers, utilizing the revolutionary
"wishbone" offense. Folsom was the best team in Northern California in 1962 while Cordova – through the 1970s – compiled a
106-7-1 record, earning it the fearsome title of the "Big Red Machine." Guerra's 1975 team was the first in Northern California
to finish No. 1 in the country. He went on to coach the America River College football team from 1976 to 1984. Guerra died
on August 23, 2012, and it interned at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, California.