Latinos have long tradition of service in U.S. military

By: GARY WARTH - Staff Writer | Saturday, May 26, 2007 10:22 PM PDT ∞

Joe Marquez of Oceanside, a World War II Veteran and a Navy Cross recipient.
JAMIE SCOTT LYTLE Staff Photographer
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As the nation celebrates Memorial Day, some Latinos say it is time that they, too, are remembered for the sacrifices they made for their country.

"You don't immediately think of Latinos when you talk about World War II," said University of Texas at Austin professor Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, who for the last eight years has headed a Latino and Latina World War II Oral History Project at her school.

Although spotty record-keeping makes actual numbers impossible to know, Rivas-Rodriguez said an estimated 500,000 Latino-Americans served in World War II.

But those Latino troops are all but missing from the most popular World War II films and books, she said. From classic documentaries like "Victory at Sea" to contemporary books like Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation" and Steven Spielberg's film "Saving Private Ryan," Latino names and faces are scarce, if not invisible.

Now comes Ken Burns' epic 14-hour documentary "The War," scheduled to air on PBS in September. Although Rivas-Rodriguez said her project has captured 550 video interviews with Latino-American veterans during eight years, her group was not contacted by Burns.

"Our goal is to be integrated," Rivas-Rodriguez said Thursday during a visit to the KPBS studio in San Diego, where clips of "The War" were shown. They were part of a community forum addressing the controversy that began when she and others, including retired San Diego State University professor Gus Chavez, began calling for a revision of the documentary to include footage of Latinos.

Burns originally was reluctant to re-edit the project, but since has included Latinos in the documentary. How much footage was used and how it was used is not known yet.

UC San Diego professor Jorge Mariscal of Encinitas did not attend the forum, but said it was important for the film to be revised because contributions by Latinos have been overlooked in the past, and it is time to reverse the oversight for the sake of accuracy.

Like Rivas-Rodriguez, he said he sees a more inclusive documentary as valuable to historians and Latino families. He also said that portraying Latinos alongside other Americans in historical events may even help ease some tension within today's diverse population, Mariscal said.

"In the current climate, the culture seems to recognize all Latinos as foreigners because there's so many new arrivals ---- but so many of us are second, third or fourth generations, and our grandfathers and fathers have served in all the U.S. wars since the Civil War on," he said.

Two who fought

With a history deeply rooted in both Latino culture and the military, San Diego County is home to generations of Latinos who have served in the armed forces. In Oceanside, Joe Balderrama Park is named for a Latino soldier who died in Germany during World War II. Throughout the nation, 13 Latinos in World War II earned Medals of Honor, including 11 Mexican-Americans and two Puerto Ricans.

In Escondido, the Valdez family has had three men serve from two generations.

Blair Valdez served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1970 to 1980, and his late brother, Vincent, served in the National Guard.

Their father, Mike Valdez, came home from World War II with two Purple Hearts.

Valdez already had served in the Marines during the 1930s when he was called back to the Corps as a gunnery sergeant after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. He then was sent to fight on Bougainville, a South Pacific island the Japanese took in 1942. Allied forces liberated it after a 22-month campaign that began with a beach invasion in November 1943.

While on Bougainville, Valdez said, he lost two close friends; he would learn not to get too close to anyone after that. And he received word that his wife had died of an illness back home, where he had two young children.

After Bougainville, Valdez was sent to Tarawa, where more than 1,000 Marines were killed and another 2,200 wounded.

"It was pretty rough," he recalled. "That was really rough. I saw a lot of fighting. It was hard to imagine the stuff we went through."

Valdez next went to Iwo Jima, where 6,800 Americans and 20,700 Japanese were killed. While on the island, he was hit in the leg by shrapnel, still embedded in his flesh in 109 pieces.

"I thought my leg was blown off," he said. "They took me in and they said, 'We're going to have to take it off.' I said, 'No you're not.' I objected, and they put it together."

After two months of recovery, Valdez was sent to Okinawa, where Allied troops landed in March 1945.

"That's where their last stand was," he said of the Japanese awaiting them. "It was kill or be killed. They put up a hell of a fight."

Japan's depleted forces were down to small-caliber firearms by then. Valdez was struck in the hip with what he thinks was a .25 caliber bullet that left a cut but not a serious wound. The war ended while he was recovering in a Hawaiian hospital, and Valdez stayed in the Marines until 1948.

Navy Cross recipient

Oceanside resident Joe Marquez earned a Navy Cross, the second-highest medal issued by the Navy, for his valor in saving injured troops on the island of Peleliu, a small western Pacific coral island, while he was injured.

At 18, he joined the Navy in 1943. Soon, he was attached to the First Marine Division, which he joined on Peleliu, where he was wounded by a hand grenade after a month on the island.

"It seemed like every day there were wounded in our company," he said.

Because he had been newly transferred to the island, Marquez said he didn't know the men he was with very well, which made it a little more bearable when someone was killed or wounded.

"I think that's what kept my sanity up," he said.

One night, sometime between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., a hand grenade was thrown where he and other men had bunked down.

'It was a little hairy there for a while," he said. "There were eight of us wounded. I couldn't walk, so I had to crawl around and take care of those people."

The most seriously wounded man was a friend, and Marquez tried to give him plasma, but it was too dark. After calling for a flare to be shot over them, Marquez had just enough light to work on him. His friend died the next day after being evacuated, but the other men with him survived, and Marquez was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism.

After recuperating for three months, Marquez was assigned to a ship and sent to Okinawa.

"That was kind of scary, but luckily we didn't have any kamikazes coming to our ship," he said. "But every time we had an air raid, your heart starts pumping a little faster."

Homecoming

Returning from the war, Marquez said he did not experience the discrimination many other Latinos felt at the time. Growing up in the small mining town of Tonopah, Nev., Marquez had been the captain of his high school basketball team and student body president, and said he didn't feel the discrimination.

"No one treated us any different," he said. "I didn't find any animosity toward Latinos. I seemed to fit in with everybody."

Valdez had a different experience.

"Escondido was a very small town, and they were very prejudiced to us," he said about the city his family moved to in 1920. "They discriminated quite a bit."

The discrimination faced by Valdez and other minorities in the post-war era exposed a national hypocrisy: Minorities valiantly fought for the same nation that often treated them like second-class citizens.

For Valdez and his two brothers, however, personal feelings about how they were treated at home came second to their own patriotic feelings for their country. While some local Latino families moved to Mexico when the United States entered the war in 1941, Valdez said he and his brothers wanted to fight for their country as American citizens.

"We stayed," he said. "We figured it was our duty. We lived in this country all this time, so when they called, we went."

Post-war snubs

It's been said that the lives of every person on Earth today were somehow affected by World War II. In some ways, the end of the war also helped spark a new civil rights movement in the United States.

"A lot of these veterans came back and said, 'Look, we just fought this war for democracy, but we're treated as second-class citizens,' " Mariscal said.

"Some of them would walk into restaurants in their full uniforms, and they would be denied services," Rivas-Rodriguez said.

For many Latinos, the post-war snubs were the last straw. Landmark civil rights cases for Latinos began soon after World War II. Among those were the Mendez v. Westminster case in 1946 in Los Angeles, where a court ruled it was unconstitutional to segregate Mexican-American students.

In Texas, then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson intervened to allow the burial of a Latino World War II veteran in a city cemetery.

As a result of such discrimination, the GI Forum was formed in Texas to support rights of Latino veterans, Mariscal said. The nationwide organization still exists to fight for Latino rights.

"They came back and made amazing contributions to our country, both during the war and after the war," Rivas-Rodriguez said about Latino veterans.

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at (760) 740-5410 or gwarth@nctimes.com.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

American wrote on May 26, 2007 11:56 PM:That's right, Latino, just like Filipino American, Italian American, Vietnamese Ammerican, Indian American, African American... have served and continue to serve and die for this country.

James wrote on May 27, 2007 7:25 AM:Stop this silly whining. Nobody is excluding anyone. When you do projects like these you never contact everyone. Give me a break people and stoping trying to play the victim.

Osider wrote on May 27, 2007 9:06 AM:James-obviously, you are not a veteran but, you reep the benefits of the chosen whom have sacrificed there lives so you can be free! Nobodies whining here pal, American is just pointing out that Latino or Mexicans whom most people like you think they are illegals but, in fact true AMERICAN!

MVet wrote on May 27, 2007 10:21 AM:We always referred to Latinos as Americans, or at the very least Caucasians. Stories like this one are incredibly divisive. Why do they insist on being different? We are not talking about Mexico or a different race here; we are talking about Americans. And if you really get down to it, Mexico was a neutral country during WW2, and they were passive allies at best

To American wrote on May 27, 2007 10:23 AM:You just said "Latino". You do mean Latino American Right?

To Osider wrote on May 27, 2007 10:39 AM:I am a Veteran. And I am also of Hispanic descent. Veterans come in all ethnicities, whether they are naturally born citizens, legal immigrant, or naturalized. For any ethnic group to feel left out is contrary to what we as veterans serve for. We should not be serving as Latinos, African-Americans or any other ethnic name. We are first and foremost Americans. American's point is that all types of Americans have served and continue to serve our country. James is just saying that we shouldn't be adding anything to the front of "American". All ethnic groups of Americans provided great contributions toward the freedom of our country. That contribution is more important as a whole than trying to separate the contributions of single ethnic groups.

Marine Veteran wrote on May 27, 2007 11:34 AM:So what is next?? Military membership consists of a multitude of Ethnic backgrounds. Is there to be a movement to recognize ALL?? I am amazed at those who seek their 15 minutes of fame. Why aren't we content with the fact that we served OUR country in its time of need. Get a life!! USMC retired

VNvet wrote on May 27, 2007 12:34 PM:Whining? Playing the victim? What are you talking about? This is an active struggle to kick Ken Burns, PBS, and every other major writer and historian in the rear every time they try to erase a large group of people from the historical record. We didn't separate single ethnic groups. Ken Burns did when he left some out (not only Latinos but Native Americans as well). To the Marine vet who is amazed we are "seeking 15 minutes of fame"--are you kidding me? We want at least 150 years of fame for our elders who served in WWII. Same as for everybody else. Just don't try to pretend we weren't there. And by the way. We're talking about Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans here but just so the other MVet who posted learns some history--Mexico was hardly a neutral country. It sent an airforce squadron to support US forces in the Phillipines in 1945. Look up Squadron 201, "The Aztec Eagles," and learn something.

Put racism away! wrote on May 27, 2007 12:38 PM: If we are to free ourselves of racial bigotry and such, we must stop even mentioning race at all. People like the professor mentioned above just keep the racial prejudice ball rolling. To my way of thinking not mentioning race at all is progress along the lines of freedom from prejudice.

MVet wrote on May 27, 2007 1:54 PM:Escuadrón Aéreo de Pelea 201 (201st Fighter Squadron) was composed of more than 300 volunteers – 36 experienced pilots and the rest ground crewmen. The ground crewmen were electricians, mechanics, and radiomen. Their formation was prompted by the attack by German submarines against Mexican oil tankers that were providing fuel and materials to the Allies. These attacks eventually caused the Mexican government to declare war on Germany. Some interesting notes : Combat Missions 96 , Offensive sorties 785 , Planes Lost in Combat 1 , Pilots Lost in Combat 1 , and Pilots Lost in Accidents 4 (Crash-landing 1 and Fuel exhaustion 3). I wonder why no movie studio ever made a movie about this, as there has been a movie been made about just about everything else that happened during WW2. I know maybe it is Racism.

MVet wrote on May 27, 2007 2:08 PM:Mexico was pulled into WWII and had little choice but to turn to the U.S. for help. Mexico responded by sending a squadron of fighter pilots to train and fly missions with the Americans. It was an unpopular move down south, where the nation's psyche retained a deep-rooted distrust of los Americanos dating back a century to when Mexico lost one-third of its land to the United States. After the war, the pilots of Escuadron 201 were welcomed home as heroes, but Mexico returned to its semi-isolation. During the decades that followed, as America's WWII veterans became its Greatest Generation, the men of Escuadron 201 became Mexico's Forgotten Warriors.

Skip wrote on May 27, 2007 2:22 PM:You don't like it, tough. If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read it in English, thank a Veteran!

Jess wrote on May 27, 2007 3:07 PM:Geeze! Everyone take a breather. I think the misperception that Hispanics are being left out is becuase they weren't segregated like Blacks were. They were part of the regular forces like most ethnic groups. Yes, I am certain depending on geopgraphy, that there were incidents of discrimination after the war, hence the Civil Rights Movement. As far as Ken Burns and other historians, they write their books, article or documentaries from one focal point or another. There is no way you can make a video that is all inclusive. If he is going to do that he may as well interview every human being on the planet that was alive at the time to make certain no one is left out. Everyone was affected and everyone contributed, even the enemy.

Frank wrote on May 27, 2007 3:32 PM:To NM and others: To set the record a bit "straighter", Mexico and a few other Latin American nations declared war on the Axis as well, but the Roosevelt Administration was fearful that war between Nazi nations (such as Argentina and Chile)and anti-nazi countries would break out on that continent. The U.S tried to keep things quiet there. Yes, Mexico did involve in the last days in the Pacific via the air squadron that you mentioned BUT it was supplied, trained and paid entirely by U.S taxpayers. Mexico and Colombia in particular had an ulterior motive their involvment: they wanted the modern arms and training that would come with joining our side. Don't paint them as heroic allies! The only significant Latin American contributor was Brazil whose infantry division fought in some terrible battles in Italy and whose navy and air forces helped clear the South Atlantic. If we are going to debate about the home nations of our immigrant populace then lets not forget that Ireland sat out the war (though they assisted Britain surrepticiously) and of course those descended from the Axis countries. It must have been tough for first and second generation Americans to kill their own cousins, quite literally.

MVet wrote on May 27, 2007 5:32 PM:The total time of the Mexican Air Force involvement in the Philippines during WW2 was just 3 months (Active Duty June 4, 1945 to August 26, 1945. Like I said earlier they were no great allies of the U.S. Just like the last poster stated, their involvement was paid for and supported by American taxpayers. I will admit it is an interesting story although.

Richard wrote on May 27, 2007 7:00 PM:The new group You Don't Speak for Me! formed when Col. Al Rodriguez became fed up watching media coverage of the mass protests of April. "Their leaders were saying it was a march for immigrant rights and a Latino/Hispanic movement," says Rodriguez. "I thought to myself, 'Hey, those are illegal aliens, not immigrants!'" Col. Rodriguez began speaking out to others saying, "I'm of Hispanic ancestry and those people are acting like they speak for me. Well, you don't speak for me!" Col. Rodriguez began asking others to help him reach more people who felt the same way and You Don't Speak for Me! formed from this loose coalition of individuals. It is a group of concerned Americans of Hispanic/Latino heritage, some first or second generation, others recent legal immigrants, who believe illegal immigration harms America and a guest worker amnesty will do the same. Google : " You Don't Speak for Me! " or " Col. Al Rodriguez "

Skip wrote on May 27, 2007 7:19 PM:I found quite a few WebPages giving statistics about Medal Of Honor Recipients, but none of them broke it down by race, creed or color. Instead they did it this way : For WW2 the numbers were as follows : TOTAL 464 , ARMY 324 , NAVY 57 , MARINES 82 , AIR FORCE 0 , COAST GUARD 1 , POSTHUMOUS 266 .

Skip wrote on May 27, 2007 7:31 PM:Of the 464 Medal of Honor's awarded during WW2, 13 were awarded to Latinos. That equals a little more then 2% of the total. Considering the "Latino" involvement in WW2 was quite low, they are not getting any special recognition as a race, but the same equal recognition as an American. If there was discrimination in the U.S. during this wartime period, I am sorry, but I was not alive back then. I am not responsible for the actions of people in the past. I am presently “active duty”, and I can honestly say that at least a third of my command is made up of Hispanics, but I just think of them as Americans.

Tex_2585 wrote on May 27, 2007 7:39 PM:My wife who is 58 now is of Hispanic Blood we have 8 grand kids now. Her relatives fought in WW2 they did not jump a fence I understand what these men are saying… she is all American and proud of her family. She is also fed up with illegals trespassing- and the crime that they bring and the laws that they break. Thank you Mike Valdez and Thank you Joe Marquez For making our life better

Valley Center wrote on May 28, 2007 8:30 AM:How many of you that are making comments were in the Escondido area in the 1920's - 1940's to experience what the Hispanic life was like back then?

Roque R. wrote on May 29, 2007 8:27 AM:If Ken Burns would have looked up the names of the M.O.H. recepients, he would have seen names of "Americans of Mexican descent", there. And he should have included some of them. Comment above are from the Pacific Theater, but what about the European Theater. There were M.O.H. winners there also. I am 85 yrs old and was with the 34th Inf. Divn. No. Africa and Italy and I recv. a couple of medals but my PRIZED one is the C.I.B. and to this day I were it proudly. I am an "American of MEXICAN descent". Ken Burns please get your DOCUMENTRY straight.

Chico wrote on May 29, 2007 5:43 PM:i am 81 years old and a WWII Vet. Served as an Infantry GI, Europe. Let me tell you guys...I was placed in a squad made up of all polacks from Michigan, best thing that ever happen to me. All could speak and write Polish. One guy from the platoon, said, how did a Mexican landed in the Polack squad. Best bunch of guys to serve with. GOD BLESS AMERICA! Duartski

And? wrote on May 31, 2007 7:19 AM:I am Irish American. Where's my article? I think people who want to imigrate to the US should have to do 4 years in our military!! Also, while I am at it, yall check out Austrailia's imigration laws. We should follow in there footsteps.

Elena wrote on May 31, 2007 1:32 PM:My Grandpa served proudly and honorably in WWII in the Army Air Corps. His last name was Gutierrez. Yes, he experienced racism growing up in New Mexico and Colorado, but he always said he felt "American" for the first time in the service. I don't think he would have wanted documentarians to dwell on Latinos/Hispanics or any other race, but as a college-educated person, I admit I am interested in hearing all war stories and perspectives, especially from my ethnic heritage. Does that make me a racist?

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