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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 151 - 200 of 649

Topic

Subject	Collection	Story	Interviewed by
Ramiro G. Cortez	World War II	By Camri Hinkie On August 6, 1944, United States Air Force gunner Ramiro Cortez was about to board a plane bound for Berlin, Germany, which would have been his sixth mission, had he gone through with it. Cortez wasn’t originally... Read More	Jessica El-Khoury
Herman R. Cortez	World War II	By Emily Priest On June 6, 1944, Herman R. Cortez and his fellow soldiers scurried down side ladders onto landing crafts alongside a U.S. military ship as it dropped anchor on the coast of France, placing the men as close to shore as... Read More	Mr. Paul Rodriguez Zepeda
Santiago Brito Craver	World War II	By Alyssa Armentrout As U.S. Army medic Santiago Craver drove his ambulance up to the pick-up site in Northern Africa, one of the wounded men glanced up at him from below. He had a familiar face. "It was one of my friends who... Read More	Robert Rivas
Delfina Josepha Lujan Cuellar	World War II	By Amanda Crawford Delfina Lujan Cuellar grew up in Albuquerque, N.M., at a time when girls were expected to become mothers and wives. Like many Mexican American girls of her generation, she wasn’t allowed to attend school after the eighth... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Jose Cuellar	World War II	By Peggy Hanley Jose "Joe" Cuellar volunteered to be a scout in the South Pacific during World War II because scouts were considered leaders by his fellow soldiers. At the tender age of 18, Cuellar was convinced he wanted to be a leader,... Read More	Jennifer Sanchez
Fred Davalos	World War II	By Clint Hale Dealing with the harsh realities of World War II was tempered by experiences that Fred Davalos encountered in his youth. He’s more at ease relating the difficulties of his childhood than his experiences during the war, when he... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Alfonso Lopez Davila	World War II	After being struck by shrapnel on a German battlefield on Nov. 27, 1944, 20-year-old Alfonso L. Davila, of Corpus Christi, Texas, was dragged to a big foxhole where he lay next to dead soldiers for five hours. “It was the first time I ever... Read More
Luis Reyes Davila	World War II	By Liliana Velazquez Lying on the deck of the USS Tripoli on a quiet night on the Pacific Ocean, Luis Reyes Davila felt at peace in a time of war. During this brief respite from battle, with the soothing waves splashing against the aircraft... Read More	Liliana Velázquez
Joseph Davila	World War II	By Prisilla Totiyapungprasert Corporal Joseph Davila had a choice during his military occupation in the Southern Philippines: He could stay with the other soldiers to hold up enemy advancement toward American military headquarters, or he... Read More	Drs. Joanne Rao & Mario Sanchez
Manuel De Jesus Lozano	World War II	By Angela Bonilla From a very young age, World War II veteran Manuel De Jesus Lozano was on the move. After a childhood marked by struggle, his work ethic propelled him to a long and successful career in the Air Force. He finally... Read More	Nikki Cruz
Roberto De la Cruz	World War II	By Cheryl Smith Kemp When military recruiters showed up at the local Post Office in early August of 1942, Roberto De la Cruz saw it as a ticket out of the Rio Grande Valley, an escape from a lonely laborious life in South Texas. So... Read More	Raquel C. Garza
Alfred A. De La Cruz	World War II	By Donnie Hogan Alfred Antonio De La Cruz made $2 per week working as a radio technician, while the military paid $17 per month, so joining the Army was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down. De La Cruz says he has always had a... Read More	Kris Edward Rodriguez
Miguel de la Peña	World War II	By Shelby Downs Miguel de la Peña’s first injury in World War II landed him in the infirmary for two days. His second injury landed him his wife of 58 years. After first suffering a concussion at Normandy, de la Peña was wounded by... Read More	Rajesh Reddy
Rubiana De la Peña	World War II	By SHELBY DOWNS Miguel de la Peña's first injury in World War II landed him in the infirmary for two days. His second injury landed him his wife of 58 years. After first suffering a concussion at Normandy in July, Mr. de la Peña was... Read More	Rajesh Reddy
Teodoro De la Rosa	World War II	By Anna Wong Evident in his service to the United States, Teodoro De La Rosa is a man who’s proud and loyal to his country. De La Rosa was born in the humble surroundings of Pharr, Texas. His father, Gregorio De La Rosa, was a... Read More	Joe Myers Vasquez
Peter De Leon	World War II	By Antonio Gilb Peter De Leon considered himself lucky after returning home to Chicago after serving in World War II. At least 10 of his neighborhood friends came back in body bags. The closest De Leon came to dying was a kamikaze... Read More	Antonio Gilb
James Arthur De Leon	World War II	By Angela Macias With an older brother John already serving in the Army in Europe, James DeLeon was adamant about going to serve his country during World War II. "My parents were against me joining, but I thought I... Read More	Theresa De Leon Weeks
Odilon De Leon	World War II	By Jonathan Damrich Odilon De Leon wore his Purple Heart in the middle of his cap, right below the spot where it read “Okinawa 1945.” “I’m proud and happy that I served my country,” De Leon said, “even though I was disabled at the... Read More	Raquel C. Garza
Alejandro De los Santos	World War II	By Denise Chavarri Alejandro De Los Santos of Laredo served overseas during World War II for about 40 months. "I missed home but at the same time I knew I couldn't return," De Los Santos said. "I wrote to my mom very often to let her... Read More	Denise Chávarri
Lita De Los Santos	World War II	By Brooke N. Miller World War II flung Lita De Los Santos’ eight brothers across the world. The front room of the De Los Santos’ home in Eastland County, Texas, was dominated by a map of the world. De Los Santos and her mother, Angelita... Read More	Raquel C. Garza
Jesse de los Santos	World War II	By Cheryl Smith Kemp Number 10 in a brood of 16, Jesse De los Santos was well accustomed to being a mere piece of something much larger than himself by the time he joined the United States Calvary in 1939. Little did he know, however... Read More
Felipe de Ortego y Gasca	World War II	By Nathan Batoon Felipe Ortego was a high school dropout in 1943, but after joining the Marine Corps and serving in the Pacific Theater, he’d awakened a new passion: writing. And that passion would imbue him with a new identity. “The... Read More	Mario Barerra
Elena Tamez De Peña	World War II	By Jaime Margolis When Elena De Peña was growing up, her parents emphasized the importance of a good education. Her father was a mechanic and her mother ran a grocery store in San Benito, Texas; De Peña said they set a good example for her... Read More	Erika Martinez
Gilbert Louis Delgado	World War II	By Andrea Couch Growing up in Santa Fe, N.M., in the '30s and '40s, Gilberto Delgado saw sign language for the first time: It was how one of his friends communicated with her deaf grandmother. Later, that childhood exposure would lead... Read More	Andres Romero
Santos Deliz	World War II	By Chris Nay Santos Deliz and a few other men from his unit crept into the abandoned house in Germany, seeking refuge and respite from battle. After a quiet night, Deliz awoke with a shock. "It was too dark; we couldn't see...when I... Read More	Lucy Guevara
Joseph John Diaz	World War II	By Barbara Gibbon Despite being in an infantry unit that saw some of the most fighting during World War II, Joseph Diaz takes it all in stride. His memory hasn't faded over the years, and neither have the realities of fighting a war. ... Read More	William Luna
Leno Flores Díaz	World War II	By Kathy Adams As an immigrant from Juarez, Mexico, living in East Los Angeles in the ’20s and ’30s, Leno Flores Díaz remembers going to school in hand-me-downs and feeling ostracized when the teachers anglicized his name. “They had... Read More	Raquel C. Garza
Benigno Nevarez Diaz	World War II	By Veronica Olvera Amid the horror of war in the European Theater, Benigno Diaz found himself in awe of the deadly efficiency of enemy forces, struck by "how accurate the German aviators were," he said. Diaz served as a scout during... Read More	Cheryl Browntein-Santiago
Moses F. Diaz	World War II, Korean Conflict	By Trina Berberet He may have been only 16 at the time, but Moses Diaz decided to enlist in the U.S. Navy because, as he recalled: “I didn’t want to miss out on the war.” It was 1945, near the end of the World War II, and Diaz... Read More
Luis Alfonso Diaz de León	World War II	By Julia Bulhon “War is horrible, but it helps you grow,” said Navy veteran Luis Diaz de León, of witnessing conflict’s brutality first hand. As if that weren’t enough, Diaz de León has also withstood racism, earned a master’s degree... Read More	Raquel C. Garza
Alfred Dimas	World War II	By Christopher Trout Alfred Dimas has spent his life in pursuit of adventure. This pursuit took him across the United States to find work wherever he could during the Depression, and in 1942 it took him into the U.S. Army as a volunteer.... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Beatrice Esudero Dimas	World War II	By Jonathan Alexander A church gathering, a pink dress and a comment to a friend 60 years ago set in motion the story of Beatrice Dimas. The party provided the scene, her dress caught young Alfred Dimas' eye, and his words said it all: she... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Pete Dimas	World War II	By Shelley Hiam Memories of childhood and his mother's mouth-watering cooking remain fresh on Pete Dimas' mind. Sopapillas, chili with carne sauce and delicious beans are some of the foods he remembers. "Mother was an excellent cook.... Read More	Norma Gallegoz
Arturo Dominguez	World War II	By Kelsey Lawrence and Valerie Harris Speaking in a labored but steady voice, Arturo Dominguez recalled with impressive precision the names of towns that his Army unit traveled through in Europe and the exact address --102 Casanova... Read More	Peter Haney
Richard Dominguez	World War II	By Courtney Stoutmire Richard Dominguez counts his "blessings" every day when he remembers his time in World War II. The best part: It was short and sweet. Dominguez was drafted in June of 1943, but he wasn’t sent into combat until... Read More	Steven Rosales
Jeronimo F. Dominguez	World War II	By Caleb Miller As he picked crops in Texas during his youth, Jeronimo Dominguez never imagined that one day he'd be taking shelter in a German foxhole while his comrades died around him. Dominguez, who was born in March 1913 in... Read More	Lynn Maguire-Walker
Ernest Eguia	World War II	By Stephen Stetson Ernest Eguia spent a lifetime on the cutting edge. Rising above the crippling poverty of the Great Depression, Eguia was at the forefront of the Allied Invasion of Normandy during World War II and was also on the... Read More	Claudia Garcia
Leon Eguia	World War II	By Liliana Velázquez Leon Eguia has kept silent for many years, never inclined to share his feelings about World War II with anyone, not even his family. "I saw a lot of things," said Eguia, who opened up during a recent interview. "... Read More	Liliana Velázquez
Ysaac C. Elizalde	World War II	By Ever Figueroa You don’t have to be in combat to be a veteran. During World War II, Ysaac Elizalde provided the troops with the food necessary to give them enough energy to prepare for the horrors of combat. Elizalde would go on to... Read More	David Silva
Davie Elizardo	World War II	By Israel Saenz Davie Elizardo never asked for much. For a woman who grew up without an education, doing field labor throughout the day and watching one of her brothers go off to fight in the Pacific, the wellbeing of her family is all she... Read More	Israel Saenz
Rudy Elizondo	World War II	By Brittany Rodriguez He was only a child when the war began, but Rudy Elizondo supported the United States in his own way. From his time in the Boy Scouts to his service in the United States Navy, Elizondo proved that one could... Read More	Markel Rojas
Raymon A. Elizondo	World War II	By Israel Saenz Growing up in Utah, Raymon Elizondo grew up having to scrap: he struggled to get as much schooling as he could, stood up to those who didn’t welcome Latinos and earned what he could as a railroad hand for Union Pacific... Read More	Israel Saenz
Delmiro Isidro Elizondo	World War II	By Jane Slater and Chris Schulz It was a Sunday in 1941 when Delmiro Isidro Elizondo bought a movie theater ticket. As he did, he learned about the attack on Pearl Harbor. His life would never be the same again. His day, as... Read More	Kevin Klauber
Raul Munoz Escobar	World War II	By David Muto Raul Escobar hesitates while recalling memories of bodies lying on the sands of Iwo Jima. He bows his head before continuing, repositioning a cap reading: “Once a Marine, Always a Marine.” “I used to get so many... Read More	Raquel C. Garza
Concepción Alvarado Escobedo	World War II	By Sandra Freyberg Growing up as the oldest of six girls, Concepción Alvarado Escobedo learned early what it means to take responsibility. Even when she was hardly more than a toddler she helped her mother take care of her younger sisters... Read More	Sandra Freyberg
Angel F. Esparza	World War II	By Bianca Camaño Education was always important in the Esparza home. So from an early age, Angel Esparza expected he and his six siblings would graduate from high school and go on to college. Esparza attributes his high educational... Read More	Robert Rivas
Andrew Esparza	World War II	By Jacob Collazo In the late 1930s, as war intensified in Europe, the United States was coming out of the Depression, but not yet directly involved in the War. In San Diego, a high school student named Andrew C. Esparza was biding... Read More	Rene Zambrano
Noe Espindola	World War II	By Megan Breckenridge Growing up in an artistic family that moved between the United States and Mexico, Noe Espindola was immersed in two cultures and languages. In time, however, he was given the opportunity to serve his native country... Read More	Philip Rodriguez
Manuel Espinoza	World War II	By Xochitl Salazar Manuel Espinoza's father, Concepción, was struck by lightning in 1930 while working on railroad tracks in Colorado. The older Espinoza's death had great repercussions: His young widow, Ventura Mendoza Espinoza, and... Read More	Xochitl Salazar
Mary Espiritu	World War II, Political & Civic Engagement	By Rebecca Millner In more than 40 years of service, Mary Espiritu De Leon received at least 45 awards and honors, recognizing her commitment to San Antonio's Latino community, and especially its women. Her role as a spokeswoman and... Read More	Stephen Casanova