Vet hopes to return home

SAN DIEGO — Since learning he had been pardoned by California Gov. Jerry Brown on Saturday, Hector Barajas-Varela, a deported U.S. Army veteran now living in Mexico, has more hope that one day he will be able to re-enter the country he considers home.

Mr. Brown’s pardon for Mr. Barajas-Varela and two others — the first time a governor has taken such action for deported veterans — does not guarantee they will be allowed to come back to the U.S. But the pardons may help them in their appeals to federal immigration authorities.

The worldwide community of deported veterans reportedly includes at least 239 people in 34 countries.