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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 501 - 550 of 649

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Subject	Collection	Story	Interviewed by
Cruz M. Rodriguez	World War II	By Marjon Rostami One day Cruz Rodriguez was picking corn and tomatoes on a farm outside of Chicago; the next day, the undocumented Mexican immigrant was preparing to go to war. "They [the U.S. Army] didn't care if you were legal or... Read More	William Luna
Anastacio Tavarez Rodriguez	World War II	By Rebecca Fontenot Anastacio Rodriguez spent four weeks in Cheyenne, Wyo., training with the Army for World War II, but he didn’t need to be taught how to roll with the punches. Rodriguez had been taking hardship in stride since he was a... Read More	Pedro Reynoso
Julia Rodriguez Aguillon	World War II	By Yolanda Urrabazo Julia Rodriguez Aguillon first knew tragedy when she was 10 years old, when her father passed away due to cirrhosis of the liver. Later, as an adult, she’d feel a deeper sorrow when she had a stillborn baby and, much... Read More	Yolanda Urrabazo
Virgilio G. Roel	World War II	By Stacy Nelson Post-World War II brought what Virgilio G. Roel termed "The Golden Era" for Mexican Americans. "With the GI Bill, for the first time in the history of our country, and our ethnic experience, Mexican Americans had... Read More	Stacy Nelson
Antonio Rojo	World War II	By Bryce Pohlmeyer A trip to Alaska can be conjured from the comfort of a faded brown recliner and the churning of boat propellers almost can be heard from an Alpine, Texas, living room. Those memories are cherished by Antonio Rojo... Read More	Liliana Rodriguez
Alberto Lara Rojo	World War II	Alberto Lara Rojo heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor the day after it happened. “We didn’t know about it; we lived on the wrong side of town,” recalled the Mexican-American Navy veteran. On that Monday, the Sunday attack on the... Read More	Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Edward Romero	World War II	By Elizabeth Egeland Private First Class Edward Romero listened as his platoon was briefed on its next mission. He’d already fought with the Marines in the Marshall Islands and Saipan, but was about to embark on an even more dangerous... Read More	Joe Olague
Tizoc Romero $Tizoc Romero in the Navy in 1943, in San Diego. The name\Tizoc\"was of an Aztec emperor before Montezuma."$	World War II	By Dennis Robbins Although he faced criticism from minorities for fighting in the war, Tizoc Romero, a veteran of World War II, feels his involvement in the war opened the doors to a lifetime of achievement. During the 1930s, or... Read More	Rene Zambrano
Jose Elisandro Rosales	World War II	By Meredith Margrave Jose Rosales’ family may not be from this country, but Rosales has always been an American. Growing up in Campbellton, Texas, nearly an hour away from San Antonio, Texas, Rosales was one of eight children in his... Read More	Markel Rojas
Felipe T. Roybal	World War II	By Mary Mejia Felipe T. Roybal decided in June 1940 to help out his family financially and unwittingly began a military career that spanned more than 30 years. Roybal's parents, Vicente and Isidra Roybal, were among the founding... Read More	Raquel C. Garza
John Rubalcava	World War II	By Alexandra Ritchie Frigid nights out in the snow. Soldiers huddled together for warmth, exposed to the elements and at the mercy of German firepower. Mangled bodies of half-dead soldiers screaming, "Medic, medic!" into the dark. For more... Read More	Rene Zambrano
Rodolfo Saenz	World War II	By Lynn Maguire Through the experiences of being a sharecropper, sailor, father, and landowner, Rodolfo "Rudolph" Saenz has learned the most about education, even though he never passed the sixth grade. Saenz, along with his parents... Read More
Enrique Leon Saenz	World War II	By Jaime Stockwell The sun squinted through the leaves, leaving subtle shadows on the cracked concrete sidewalk. There he stood, with a bag slung over his shoulder and a quarter in his pocket, defiant and determined. Success would be hard... Read More	Jamie Stockwell
Herman Saiz	World War II	By Heather Cuthbertson In 1944, Herman Saiz wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life. He’d always tried to help his family, but without a father and clear path to follow, he enlisted to fight in the South Pacific during World War II.... Read More	M. David Gray
Hermenejildo Salas	World War II	By Shaun L. Swegman Hermi Salas was an 18-year-old private in the Marine Corps when he boarded the ship that took him from his homeland and into the war. It was Dec. 6, 1943, almost two years to the day from the attack on Pearl Harbor... Read More	Chris Riley
Jose M. Salas	World War II	By Cheryl Smith Kemp On July 25, 1944, with 160 hours of B-24 Liberator tail-gunner training under his belt, but no combat-flying experience, Jose M. Salas was picked to fill in with a crew for a flight from a United States base near... Read More	Robert Rivas
Mac Ortega Salazar	World War II	By Christina Rucker Born Feb. 28, 1925, World War II veteran Mac Salazar grew up the youngest of 13 children in Kansas City, Kan.. He calls himself and his siblings "Depression babies," but says they lived well, always having enough... Read More	Ascensión Hernandez
Maria Sally Salazar	World War II	By Therese Glenn When Maria Sally Salazar illegally enlisted into the Army, she dreamed of traveling the world. She didn’t imagine, however, that her service would lead to six months in the hospital recovering from multiple illnesses and... Read More	Nicole Cruz
Epifanio Salazar	World War II	By Nilka Campos Growing up during the Great Depression was difficult for Epifanio Salazar and his family. Like most others during the era, Salazar was unable to find work. “We couldn’t make a living, so we would take whatever we could... Read More	Francisco Cortes
Peter Salcedo	World War II	By Diana Lee As a child in southern California, Pete Salcedo hid in embarrassment during lunch to eat homemade tacos. "At that time you didn't have all these Mexican restaurants," Salcedo said. He thinks their growing popularity... Read More	Rene Zambrano
Robert Salcído	World War II	By J. Myers Vasquez Robert Salcído recalls vividly his time behind enemy lines. The winter of 1944 saw him and his Army reconnaissance unit temporarily encamped in German-held territory. Wandering off by himself, Salcído came across a bomb... Read More	Joe Myers Vasquez
Juan Bravo Saldaña	World War II	The Other Soldiers Little-remembered treaty sent 300,000 sons of Mexico to the United States during WWII; their weapons were their labor-hardy bodies By Violeta Dominguez The battlefield wasn’t the only place where... Read More	Violeta Dominguez
George Salmerón	World War II	By Rajesh Reddy George Salmerón grew up hearing how his father was forced to serve in the Mexican Army at age 13 in the early 1900s. "[My father] saw a bunch of soldiers coming around with a little drum, single-file. All of a sudden... Read More
Carlos Guerra Samarron	World War II	By Cliff Despres Three weeks after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Charles "Carlos" Guerra Samarron, of San Antonio, Texas, joined the fight and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, beginning a four-year stint in the military and... Read More	Rene Zambrano
Bob Sanchez	World War II	By Marcel Rodriguez At age 17, Bob Sanchez volunteered for the U.S. Navy after two close friends were killed in combat. It was 1945, and his choice to enlist would set his life in a bold new direction. From Naval intelligence, to the... Read More
Eddie Sanchez	World War II	By Vicki Lamar Eddie Sanchez was 17 years old when he saw the reality of war in Utine, Italy, in 1945. Horrified, he left camp without permission -- absent without leave, or AWOL. That act changed his life, as punishment was kitchen patrol... Read More	Vicki Lamar
Raymond Sanchez	World War II	By Rhonda Miller World War II veteran Raymond Sanchez went bird hunting once with a Navy buddy in South Texas. The two friends, both Latinos, decided to stop for a beer at a little tavern on Highway 72 between Kennedy and Three Rivers.... Read More
Sator Sierra Sanchez	World War II	By Angela Bonilla The 66th bombing mission that Sator “Sandy” Sanchez flew during World War II turned out to be his last. On March 15, 1945, just days before his 24th birthday, Sgt. Sanchez's B-17 was shot down over an oil refinery... Read More
Juan Medina Sanchez	World War II	Tribute provided by Grace Charles; daughter of Mr. Sanchez's cousin, Voces subject Joe Guajardo Juan Sanchez, an Army soldier, rarely talked about his experiences during World War II. Now, dementia clouds some of the decorated World War II... Read More
Jose S. Sanchez	World War II	By Jeff Jurica Jose Sanchez spent his life working hard in America's trenches. After serving in the Army during World War II, he returned home to start a plumbing business. "All white people ... out of 500 soldiers I was the only... Read More	Adolfo Dominguez
Martin C. Sanchez	World War II	By David Muto Martin Sanchez was told after he returned from the war that he’d be welcome anywhere if he wore his military uniform out of the house. Sanchez laughs while recalling this advice. “We don’t serve no Mexicans... Read More	Alcario Alvarado
Gilbert Paul Sanchez	World War II	By Cara Henis Gilbert Sanchez not only survived the Pacific typhoon of 1944 that capsized three U.S. Navy destroyers and killed 790 people, he also witnessed the largest aircraft carrier skirmish in the Pacific during the Battle of the... Read More	Beverly Sanchez-Padilla
Noé Sandoval	World War II	By Amy K. Williams Down in a foxhole in the midst of World War II Germany, Noé Sandoval, Jr. looked up to see a soldier standing at 6 feet 4 inches staring down at him saying, “Get the hell out of there. This is my foxhole. Go dig your own... Read More	Julio C. Ovando
Santos Sandoval	World War II	By Melissa Sellers Clad in a stiffly starched khaki dress shirt and pants that tent over his thin frame, Santos Sandoval calmly recalls his experiences in the South Pacific Theater during World War II. Now retired in Los Angeles, the... Read More	Sandra Murillo
Rose P. Sandoval	World War II	By Gabrielle Muñoz When Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, Rose Sandoval was nearly 5,500 miles away in Torres, Colo., where she grew up on her family’s cattle ranch. But like countless others, Sandoval experienced the war in the... Read More	Julio Trujillo
Hector Santa Anna	World War II	By Scott Allison Say the name "Santa Anna" to most American military historians -- and just about any Texan -- and it's linked to the Mexican general who opposed the Texas Revolution and conquered the Alamo. So it’s somewhat ironic... Read More	Lorena Ruley
Antonia Santana	World War II	By Cindy Tapia, California State University, Fullerton When you think about heroes, people that left everything they had to fight a war, you usually think about strong, buff men. But women also have served in the military along side of... Read More	Manuel Aviles-Santiago
Joaquin Amorós Santiago	World War II	By Jenny Achilles Fighting alongside his fellow Puerto Ricans in the 65th Infantry Regiment during World War II, Joaquin Amorós Santiago left a heritage that touches the lives of all children and grandchildren of those of the “Greatest... Read More
Ben Santillan	World War II	By Nicole Chisum The turmoil of World War II was difficult for everyone who endured it, but perhaps even more so for people who felt left out of mainstream society. People like Ben Santillan. Santillan was born on Feb. 13,... Read More	Mary Gonzales
Richard Savala	World War II	By Ismael Martinez Richard Savala and his family worked hard to live the American dream. Savala's parents moved to the United States from Mexico to provide a better life for their family. And Savala did enjoy a better life:... Read More	Anabelle Garay
August R. Segura	World War II	By Unity Peterson Even though August R. Segura spent World War II stationed in Laredo, Texas, working on aircraft, he says he came away from the experience a skilled mechanic and "a better man." Segura was born Feb. 11, 1922, in San... Read More	Unity Peterson
Pablo Segura	World War II	By Brandi Grissom Only one street led into and out of the poor barrio in El Paso, Texas, where Pablo Segura grew up during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Segura was determined to follow that street out of the barrio, and believed... Read More	Mr. Paul Rodriguez Zepeda
Frank Segura	World War II	By Cheryl Smith Kemp "I have a letter from my Secretary of War that's saying that I'm a hero," said World War II veteran Frank Segura of an Oct. 31, 1945, statement... Read More	Brenda Sendejo
Henry Segura	World War II	By Michael Broker Henry Segura grew up during the Great Depression in the area known as the West Bottoms of Kansas City, Kan., in a family of 10 children to parents who were Mexican immigrants. His father worked for the... Read More	Thomas Padilla
Elvira Sena	World War II	By Allison Mokry While many Latinos served their country and fought for survival overseas, Elvira Sena had her own struggle during World War II: helping her family pull through tough economic times while trying to finish her schooling.... Read More	Adriana Lujan
Jose Valentine Sena	World War II	By Brent Wistrom Jose Sena remembers how his best friends suckered him into enlisting in the U.S. Army at the start of World War II. As a 17-year-old, Sena was hanging around with his twin brother and some of his friends one day when... Read More	Brian Daugherty
Luis Sena	World War II	By Jason McDaniel Luis Sena was only 6 years old on Black Thursday, the day the stock market crashed and sent the American economy spiraling into the Great Depression. His father had died four years earlier, in 1925, leaving Luis' mother,... Read More	Violeta Dominguez
Ignacio Servín	World War II	By Miranda Bollinger When Ignacio Servín volunteered during World War II for a mission so dangerous his commander wouldn’t even assign it to someone, he wasn’t even frightened. He wanted to do it. "I just kept thinking, 'If I die, it... Read More	Brenda Sendejo
Flora Alicia Shank	World War II	By Maggie Sirakos To Flora Alicia Shank, the war seemed like what we see in the movies today – a medley of sacrifice, tragedy, celebration, shock, heroes and fright. Shank was a teenager in El Paso, Texas, when World War II broke out... Read More	Vanessa R. Torres
Juana Mani Sierra	World War II	By Lindsay Fitzpatrick Almost 100 years after her parents immigrated from Zacatecas, Juana Maria Mani Moreno Sierra considers her Mexican heritage a gift. “God gave me my mom and my dad and their Spanish. It is so beautiful to... Read More	Brenda Sendejo