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World War II

Stories with interview subjects from our World War II collection. Browse all stories to see subjects across all Voces collections.

Displaying 1 - 50 of 649

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Subject	Collection	Story	Interviewed by
Charley Gonzales Kidder	World War II	By Natasha Verma “Two years, 11 months and 21 days,” World War II veteran Charley Gonzales Kidder said with a smile. “That’s exactly how long I served.” At 18 years of age, Gonzales Kidder was proud and honored that his country gave... Read More	Liliana Rodriguez
Ernestine Mojica Kidder	World War II	By Haley Dawson Ernestine Mojica Kidder vividly recalls one of her earliest memories as a young child in Taylor, Texas. Her father lifted her into his arms and pointed to a schoolhouse in the distance. “That’s where you’re going to school... Read More	Taylor Peterson
John Soltero	World War II	By Katherine Salinas His hand mimicked the path of a B-17, recalling the spry 22-year-old that John Soltero had been all those years ago when he was dropping bombs onto Berlin. A confident smile was radiant beneath his shaded glasses and “... Read More	Liliana Rodriguez
Carmen B. Salaiz Esqueda Abalos	World War II	By Kenneth Cantu Back when Rosie the Riveter was proclaiming to women all across the U.S., “We Can Do It!” Carmen (Salaiz) Esqueda Abalos proved it. Her husband, Mike, having enlisted in the Navy, Abalos joined the war effort by... Read More	Brenda Sendejo
Apolonia Muñoz Abarca	World War II	By Darcie Stevens As news of the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor came over the radio on Dec. 7, 1941, a 20-year-old Polly Muñoz Abarca started dreaming of places worlds away from her dorm room in Corpus Christi, Texas. None of the... Read More	Erica Martinez
Salomon Trevino Abrego	World War II	By Justin Lefkowski Salomon Abrego was at the Battle of the Bulge, where he and his fellow soldiers suffered through one of the coldest winters to hit the area in more than 20 years. As a medic, Abrego watched helplessly as the cold... Read More	Juan De la Cruz
Hector Acedo	World War II	By Melanie Kudzia Hector Acedo was 19 and World War II had been in full swing for three years when an older friend who’d already been drafted said: "Let's join the Navy." Acedo’s response: "Sure, well let's go." After... Read More	Claudia Provencio
Anthony Acevedo	World War II	By Cathy Sze It was 50 degrees below zero, one of the coldest winters Germany had seen in 50 years. A blanket of snow several feet high covered the ground. Wearing only combat uniforms designed for warfare in the tropics, a group of... Read More	Eluid Martinez
Rudy Acosta	World War II	By Frank Trejo Growing up in Southern California, Rudy Acosta was like countless of other young boys. He escaped each week to the movies and watched the likes of Errol Flynn and John Wayne triumph over the bad guys. Little did... Read More	Louis Sahagun
Jessie Acuña	World War II	By Paul Brown A trip across the Atlantic on the luxury ship the Queen Mary would seem like a dream come true for anyone, especially a teenager from a small West Texas town. But for Jessie Acuña, it was a trip into the unknown. The trek... Read More	Paul Brown
Jose Eriberto Adame	World War II	By Lindsay Blau Jose "Joe" Eriberto Adame saw combat in one of the most defining events of World War II -- the Battle of Normandy. But one of his most vivid memories is at the genesis of America's involvement in the conflict -- the day the... Read More	Christina Perkins
Frank Aguerrebere	World War II	By Kimberly Tran, California State University, Fullerton Although he never talked much about his wartime experiences, Frank Aguerrebere parachuted into the Normandy Invasion and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, two of the bloodiest and... Read More	Vicki Torres
Nicanor Aguilar	World War II	By Claudia Farias Nicanor Aguilar is something of a renaissance man, both as a musician and, at an age when most people would be slowing down, an athlete. But Aguilar’s proudest accomplishment involves his efforts to end... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Valentin Aguilar	World War II	By Dartinya Harris Valentín Aguilar says he feels proud that he served during World War II. Born in Laredo, Texas, Aguilar only received a second grade education. He made a living picking vegetables on a community farm. Aguilar's eyes... Read More	Peter Mendoza
Salvador V. Aguilar	World War II	By Joel Weickgenant Salvador Aguilar remembers lonesome nights aboard the cargo ship he served on during World War II. On many nights, he and fellow sailors and troops were forced to lie in the dark, ordered not make any sounds. It was... Read More	Joel Weickgenant
Tony Aguilera	World War II	By Yasemin Florey Even though Tony Aguilera's childhood in an East Los Angeles barrio was once marked by poverty, he remembers it fondly. "We were a very happy family," he said of his Mexico-born parents and 13 siblings. "We played... Read More	Milton Carrero Galarza
Josephine Trujillo Aguilera	World War II	By Emily Berman Josephine Aguilera sits and contemplates her life during the Second World War. She explained how her experience growing up was different from her two daughters’ because she never got the chance to finish school. She... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Manuel Joseph Aguirre	World War II	By Angela Macias Manuel Aguirre’s small stature prevented him from joining the Marines, but it didn’t keep him from doing his part in the war effort. After hearing President Franklin D. Roosevelt tell the nation the Japanese had... Read More	Angela Macias
Andrew Aguirre	World War II	By Kathryn Tomasovic Andrew Aguirre's youth was overwhelmed with battlefield events that continue to haunt him to this day. Aguirre was born in Vinton, Texas, on Jan. 4, 1925, and moved to San Diego three years later. ... Read More	Rene Zambrano
Mike Aguirre	World War II	By Aryn Sedler SAN MARCOS, Texas -- When Mike Aguirre graduated from Brackenridge High School in San Antonio in 1939, many opportunities and doors were closed to Mexican Americans. "One of my friends got a job at the Five and Dime... Read More	Aryn Sedler
Gloria Araguz Alaniz	World War II	By Yvonne Lim Gloria Araguz Alaniz began her role as the family caregiver when her mother passed away, leaving 15-year-old Alaniz to care for her... Read More	Yvonne Lim
Rodolfo Alaniz	World War II, Korean Conflict	By Rajesh Reddy In the spring of 1945, 16-year-old Rodolfo “Rudy” Alaniz's older brother Ricardo, a rifleman with the 8th Infantry Division, was killed in Germany, an event that would alter young Alaniz’s life. "I presented my brother... Read More	Rajesh Reddy
Carmen Irizarry Albelo	World War II	By Sylvia Mendoza When Carmen Albelo sailed from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the United States in 1939, she envisioned a land of opportunity and freedom, not war, discrimination and loneliness. "When I came here I thought I was... Read More	Helen Aguirre Ferre
Higinio Albelo	World War II	By Luisito Caleon The choppy seas north of Scotland were dark. A dense fog enveloped the Navy ship loaded with ammunition destined for Normandy, the site of the beginning of the end of World War II. The ship, on its way to... Read More	Adrian Baschuk
Joseph Alcoser	World War II	By Eric Garza The Great Depression. World War II. The civil rights movement. Joseph Alcoser lived through these milestones in American history. Yet, he never truly felt that he was part of the country that he fought to defend. ... Read More	Rene Zambrano
Moses Aleman	World War II, Korean Conflict	By Cheryl Smith Kemp When Moses “Moe” Alemán’s parents emigrated from Mexico to Austin, Texas, as children, the horse... Read More	Lynn Maguire-Walker
Juan Ramon Alires	World War II	By Xochitl Salazar Juan Ramon Alires was already the father of two children, with another baby on the way, when he went to war as part of the 11th Armored Division. Alires was drafted into the Army and assigned to the 11th Armored... Read More	Irene Consuelo Chavez
Braulio Alonso	World War II	By Cheryl Smith Kemp Of the many memories Braulio Alonso has of World War II, none stick out more than those tied to the liberation of Italy’s capital. After Allied forces flooded Rome on June 4, 1945, some members of the 328th... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Raymond Phile Alvarado	World War II	By Mary Margaret Tobin It was Nov. 26, 1943, and Pvt. Raymond Alvarado played poker with his buddies on the HMT Rohna as it sailed along the coast of Algeria. The soldiers were relaxed. They chatted about their wives and girlfriends back... Read More	Taylor Peterson
Benjamin Alvarado	World War II	By Kathryn Wilson A pile of manure saved the life of Benjamin Alvarado during World War II in 1944. A private in Gen. George S. Patton's Third Army, he served in the 317th Infantry Regiment of the 80th Infantry Division. Alvarado... Read More	Nicole Cruz
Homero Alvarado	World War II	By Kristen Clark Homero Alvarado is a true American hero. Born March 12, 1925, in Vera Cruz, Mexico, Alvarado and his 11 siblings, nine of whom are still living, were raised in a bilingual household by his Italian mother and Mexican... Read More	William Luna
Albert Jose Angel	World War II	By Israel Saenz After joining the Army during World War II, New Mexico native Albert Angel began fretting he’d spend the entire war fixing airplanes stateside, so he found his supervisor and confronted him: "You're wasting your time... Read More	Norman L. Martinez
Philip Antuna	World War II	By Cheyenne Cozzalio Brothers Ralph and Philip Antuna can joke now about the food they had to eat while stationed in Europe in 1944. But underneath the laughter is a note of relief they made it out of Europe alive after fighting in the... Read More	William Luna
Ralph Antuna	World War II	By Cheyenne Cozzalio Brothers Ralph and Philip Antuna can joke now about the food they had to eat while stationed in Europe in 1944. But underneath the laughter is a note of relief they made it out of Europe alive after fighting in the... Read More	William Luna
Jose Aragon	World War II	By Laura Lopez, California State University, Fullerton Few people can claim to have been a veteran of three military branches. And few can recall images of war as vividly as Jose Aragon did when, at the age of 84, he recounted his... Read More	Joseph Padilla
Joe A. Arambula	World War II	By Michael Taylor According to Joe Arambula, a veteran of some World War II's most intense battles in the European Theater, there is such a thing as being too careful in war. Seeing men killed for being too cautious made Arambula decide he'... Read More	Michael Taylor
Benerito Seferino Archuleta	World War II	By Heather Hilliard The six months Bennie Archuleta spent in battle in Europe during World War II changed his life forever. As a 17-year-old teenager, he had rarely traveled outside of the American Southwest. But as a soldier in the... Read More	Brian Daugherty
Eva Maria Rains Archuleta	World War II	By Rachel Finney Born in her grandmother's home in 1926, in the small agricultural town of Las Tusas in northern New Mexico, Eva Maria Archuleta lived a life of modest means, like most during the World War II era. With no electricity... Read More	Adrianna Lujan
Frank Arellano	World War II	By Veronica Sainz In the early morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941, 22-year-old Frank Arellano had just gone down for breakfast at Schoffield Barracks, on the Hawiian Island of Oahu, when he heard the sound of machine guns firing. He... Read More	Rea Ann Trotter
Ubaldo Arizmendi	World War II	By Gin Kai Ubalbo C. Arizmendi is grateful to have seen the world, but regrets having seen it at a time when it was trying to destroy itself. Born in the South Texas town of Brownsville, Arizmendi was 8 when his mother died. Although... Read More	Andrea Shearer
Jesus Leyva Armendaríz	World War II	By Ellie K. Fehd Jesus Leyva Armendaríz went from the depths of poverty during his Depression-era childhood in El Paso, Texas, to unimagined heights as a member of the famed "Blue Devils" of World War II. Armendaríz served as a medic... Read More	Mariel Garza
Albert Armendariz	World War II	By Shannon Owens Albert Armendariz has practiced law in Texas for over 50 years. The 81-year-old WWII veteran spends many weekends driving to represent his immigrant clients in West Texas who are trapped in the legal system. "It's... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Tom Armendariz	World War II	By Casey Zertuche For 72-year-old Thomas Armendariz, it was difficult to conjure up memories of World War II, though he does recall being assigned to a unit that included many Mexican Americans. "I wasn't a volunteer. I was drafted... Read More	William Luna
Ceprian Armijo	World War II	By Silky Shah Ceprian Armijo started working on nearby farms with his father in his hometown of Avondale, Colorado when he was at about 8 years old. Little did he know that nearly ten years later he would be going off to fight in World War... Read More	Rea Ann Trotter
Andres Arredondo	World War II	By Valerie Venegas Andres Arredondo dealt with adversity throughout his life. He overcome the death of his father at an early age and endured the torture of being a prisoner of war during World War II. Yet, through it all, he has managed to... Read More	Juan De la Cruz
Raul P. Arreola	World War II	Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Cirilo Primo Arteaga	World War II	By Erin Brady Cirilo Primo Arteaga's parents came to the U.S. in 1918, fleeing the violence that followed the Mexican Revolution. His parents instilled in him a deep sense of patriotism for their adopted country. He also learned an... Read More
Joseph Marion Autobee	World War II	By Joseph Money Joe Autobee, of Publo, Colorado, grew accustomed to the taste of whiskey during his WWII service. As an Air Corps gunner pilot during World War II, he was given a sandwich and a glass of whiskey at the end of every raid... Read More	Rea Ann Trotter
Imogene Davis Avalos	World War II	By Karin Brulliard When Imogene "Jean" Davis first laid eyes on Alfred Avalos in September of 1942, she didn’t notice he was more than a decade her senior, and that his skin was several shades darker than hers. She saw only that he was... Read More	Karin Brulliard
Arnulfo D. Azios	World War II	By Ann Harbour As the tower bells at the University of Texas at Austin rang "You're in the Army Now," Arnulfo “A.D.” Azios and fellow members of what was called the Enlisted Reserve Corps were called to duty. Judge Azios proudly recalls... Read More	Mr. Paul Rodriguez Zepeda

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