I was able to do a work around. Pulled the crank, and bottom bracket without touching the guard , the disc was removed easily enough. Yes the front of the guard was held on with the drive side bottom bracket cup/ring and could not get good leverage with the wrench I had.
Getting the chain back on required some dexterity, but all good in the end.
Cotter pin removal was a piece of cake with the C-clamp method. Worked like a charm.
This won't be a full restoration., It is for a friend's daughter who is taking it with her to school. So better to leave it rough looking to not make it a prime target for thieves. Just want to make sure it is mechanically sound

Thanks for the input