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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 401 - 450 of 649

Topic

Subject	Collection	Story	Interviewed by
Gloria Flores Moraga	World War II	By Raquel C. Garza Gloria Flores Moraga defied many social norms in her lifetime: She moved out on her own while single, attended college when most women were expected to stay home and even worked as a disc jockey at the first all-Spanish... Read More	Violeta Dominguez
Pete Moraga	World War II	By Yvonne Lim Growing up in the segregated town of Tempe, Ariz., during the late 1930s, Peter "Pete" Moraga recalls feeling nervous about public speaking. Despite those early fears, Moraga, a World War II Navy veteran who served in... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Benito Morales	World War II	By Kaz Edwards Benito Morales sits perfectly still on his couch, adjusting only his hands, which lie neatly folded in his lap. Arranged next to him are various pieces of memorabilia from World War II, including a Bronze Star he received for... Read More	William Luna
Jesus Humberto Morales	World War II	By Lindsay Fitzpatrick Jesus Humberto Morales survived 11 months unharmed in the jungles of New Guinea. It wasn’t until after that, in the Philippines, when he got hurt. Shrapnel hit Morales and his partner as they were reloading a... Read More	Maro Robbins
Julius Moreno	World War II	By Jocelyn Ehnstrom As a young kid, Julius Moreno enjoyed playing baseball, tending to his family’s farm animals at their home in San Antonio and singing in his neighborhood band called “The Holly Boys.” But the first priority of... Read More	Anna Flores Peña
Abraham Eleuterio Moreno	World War II	By Yolanda C. Urrabazo While living in Mexico in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution, Abraham Moreno developed a strong value of hard work at a young age. His good work ethic was soon implemented when he arrived in the United... Read More	Yolanda Urrabazo
Leopold Rodriguez Moreno	World War II	By Kelly Tarleton The thought of failure has never deterred Leopold Rodriguez Moreno from his goals. Moreno says he was the first Mexican American to be sent to West Virginia as an inspector for the Southern Pacific Railroad Co.... Read More	Mr. Paul Rodriguez Zepeda
Antonio F. Moreno	World War II	By Frank Trejo When Antonio F. Moreno stormed ashore Iwo Jima as a U.S. Marine medical corpsman, a familiar odor greeted him. Moreno, who grew on Texas' Gulf Coast, knew there was no mistaking the smell that wafted up to him as he... Read More	Erika Martinez
Jose Ruben Moreno	World War II	By Celina Moreno Jose Ruben Moreno attributes his success in life to a journey on the "line of least resistance." But enduring economic hardship and performing dangerous wartime duties as a counterintelligence spy in Panama proved anything... Read More	Celina Moreno
Willie L. Moreno	World War II	By Sara Delarosa When Willie Luna Moreno entered the Armed Forces in April of 1943, he was only 19. Moreno began basic training at Camp Robinson in Arkansas, and later in Massachusetts and Maryland. Afterward, he went to England,... Read More	Erika Martinez De Rizo
Concepción Garcia Moron	World War II	By Yolande Yip A self-described “simple country boy” who served in World War II’s European Theater alongside other men from humble backgrounds, Concepción Garcia Morón said a lack of self-awareness led to a friendly-fire death one February... Read More	David Silva
Guerrero Nahúm Calleja Mosso	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
Raymond Muñiz	World War II	By Amanda Roberson When Raymond Muñiz came home to Corpus Christi, Texas, after serving his country in World War II, he expected to see greater equality for Mexican Americans: more Latinos in city positions such as mayor, for example. ... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Jesus Esparza Muñoz	World War II	By David Pearl, Cal State Fullerton Jesus "Jess" Esparza Muñoz emerged from a fragmented and impoverished family to live a version of the American Dream,... Read More	Henry Mendoza
Arthur Muñoz	World War II	By Brenda Menchaca “There are no barriers unless you make them yourself,” said Arthur Muñoz, who enlisted in the Marine Corps two weeks after Pearl Harbor. While working as a Western Union messenger in Corpus Christi, Texas, he’d... Read More	Kris Edward Rodriguez
Daniel L. Munoz	World War II	By Allison Baxter Dan Muñoz, Sr. grew up in the small community of San Fernando, Calif., a town that was segregated by race. At that time, he couldn’t even go to the white part of town after dark to go to a movie house without the fear of... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Betty Muñoz Medina	World War II	By Brian Goodman During World War II, commissioned military officers would receive deployment orders by telegram, often believing they’d been called up for duty by their senator. Little did they know that the assignments were... Read More	Olga M. Briseno
Emilio Muñoz Membrila	World War II	By Valerie Jayne As a young boy growing up in Clifton, Ariz., Emilio Muñoz Membrila played war games with his friends, inventing different maneuvers and strategies. Later, during World War II, he’d be engaged in historic battles in the... Read More	Violeta Domniguez
Mary Martinez Olvera Murillo	World War II	By Ana Cristina Acosta For most Americans, walking down the street, entering a restaurant through the front door or going to the grocery store is routine. But for Mary Murillo, 75, who grew up at a time when Mexican Americans suffered... Read More	Ana Acosta
Willie Garcia Murillo	World War II	Willie Murillo was the third of five brothers who served in World War II. Older brother David joined the Air Force; Gonzalo joined the Army; Mike and Mario, the two younger brothers, served in the Navy and Merchant Marines, respectively... Read More	Lynn Maguire-Walker
Manuel Najera	World War II	By Leigh Cole Manuel Najera certainly made his presence known in the service during World War II, flying 35 missions in Europe before coming home. "If I would have died, it would have ended my family," Najera said. But he took... Read More	Juan Marinez
Jesse D Nava	World War II	By Kristina Radke Before World War II, Jesse Nava led a simple life in California, swimming in the Los Angeles River and gaining a strong work ethic from his immigrant father. But since the war, that carefree life has been elusive. ... Read More
Wilfred Navarro	World War II, Political & Civic Engagement	By Brittany Wilson After getting discharged from the Navy in 1948, Wilfred Navarro, Jr. returned to his hometown of Houston. He finished high school and decided he’d like to be a police officer. But first, he and other Latino veterans would... Read More	Mr. Paul Rodriguez Zepeda
Eliseo Navarro	World War II	By Tammi Grais Eliseo Navarro and his three brothers found a positive experience, overcame the hardships and returned home safely. Born in 1925 in Asherton, Texas, a small town 100 miles southeast of San Antonio, Navarro suffered... Read More
Jose R. Navarro	World War II	By Guillermo X. Garcia José Navarro, a 20-year-old farm boy with a limited education from segregated South Texas schools, went to war in 1942 to better himself. By the time of his discharge, due to injury as a member of the U.S.... Read More	Veronica Franco
Octavio Negrón	World War II	By Juan De La Cruz En route to Africa on a ship with more than 5,000 soldiers, Octavio Negrón knew he needed to leave home, even if it meant going off to fight. Negrón had enlisted in the Army at the age of 18, an act he... Read More	Carlos I. Hernandez
Arnif G. Nerio	World War II	By Caren Panzer Arnif G. Nerio felt his life was really coming together in the fall of 1942. While so many were still out of work, he’d just landed a job at General Motors in Saginaw, Mich. Just three months earlier, he’d married... Read More	Jeffery K. Watanabe
Joe Nevarez	World War II	By Melanie Sewell A pioneer in his field at a time when jobs were scarce, Joe Reyes Nevarez was one of the first Mexican Americans to work for The Los Angeles Times as a reporter. "I used to tell the managing editor, 'Why don't... Read More	Steven Rosales
Ismael Nevarez	World War II	By Paul Brown Ismael Nevarez was headed west across the Pacific Ocean aboard a troopship in early August of 1945. Countless other United States Navy vessels surrounded him as far as the eye could see, and they were all headed in the same... Read More	Paul Brown
Edmundo Nieto	World War II	By Chelsea Franklin Through his service during World War II, Edmundo Nieto learned about the hardships and horrors of war but also experienced different cultures, met a wide array of people, and participated in once-in-a-lifetime... Read More	Liliana Rodriguez
Albert Nieto	World War II	By Angel Flores From a cardboard box, Albert Nieto rummages through old newspapers, postcards and other keepsakes that bring back memories from his days of service in the Army. One of the artifacts he pulls from the box is a sightseeing... Read More	Ben Olguin
Virginia G. Nunez	World War II	By Jennifer Lindgren These are some things Virgina Gallardo Nuñez remembers about growing up in South Texas during World War II: curling her hair with the string ties from coffee bags instead of bobby pins because metal was rationed;... Read More	Jennifer Lindgren
Jesus Ochoa	World War II	By Raquel C. Garza As a child, Jesus Ochoa once spent the 16th of September, a Mexican holiday celebrating independence from Spain, at home with his family. When he returned to school the next day, his teacher admonished him, saying missing... Read More	Rene Zambrano
Anthony Olivas $Anthony\Tony\"Olivas just before he shipped out in 1943."$	World War II	By Mayella Gonzalez Tony Olivas' mother always told him and his brothers during World War II not to volunteer for the Army -- to wait until they were drafted. "Don't volunteer. Let them come after you," Olivas recalls his mother... Read More	Rea Ann Trotter
Gilberto Ornelas	World War II	By Ismael Martinez Gilberto Ornelas saw the aftermath of one of the most important yet horrific inventions of the 20th Century. His experience almost killed him but granted him many opportunities. Ornelas was born in Globe, Ariz., on... Read More	Liliana Velázquez
William R. Ornelas	World War II	By Juliana A Torres William R. Ornelas grew up in a family of seven brothers and two sisters in Brownwood, Texas. They worked in the fields picking cotton, corn and wheat. Like the rest of the country, the Ornelases were hit hard... Read More	Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez
Aurora Estrada Orozco	World War II	By Desirée Mata Aurora Estrada Orozco was only about 4 years old when she came to the United States due to the unrest in Mexico. Her father, Lorenzo Estrada, worked as a bookkeeper at an American gold, silver and coal mining company in... Read More	Desirée Mata
Carlota Ayala Ortega	Political & Civic Engagement, World War II	By Angela Walker Dr. Carlota Ayala-Ortega sits proudly by as husband Guadalupe Ortega recalls his memories from World War II. Guadalupe recalls the time the owner of a museum learned of his many medals earned in combat, and told... Read More	Gloria Monita
Guadalupe F. Ortega	World War II	By Gillian Lawlor Guadalupe Ortega remembers having to put a dead Japanese soldier into a foxhole with him to escape detection by enemy forces -- just one incident in his harrowing World War II military career. Even before he received... Read More	Gloria Monita
Abel Flores Ortega	World War II	By Joanne R. Sánchez When Abel Ortega was growing up, his family used to call him "the big thinker." "I was thinking of ways to reach the Far East," he said. He had seen magazine pictures of the Chinese and the Japanese. Later, he sat in a... Read More	Drs. Joanne Rao & Mario Sanchez
Leo Ortega	World War II	By Jessica Propst Pride runs through Leo Ortega’s veins. It was placed there by his mother, Rose Valdes Ortega, as a small boy in the 1930s amidst the backdrop of the Great Depression. Ortega watched her work day and night in Raton, N.M.,... Read More	Delia Esparza
Pedro Ortiz	World War II	From a humble beginning on the west side of San Antonio, Pedro Ortiz’s life roles included those of migrant worker, soldier, husband, father, civil service worker and, ultimately, accomplished woodworker, gardener and folk artist. Pedro Ortiz was... Read More	Vinicio Sinta
Richard Ortiz	World War II	By Julie Flowers Richard Ortiz was a senior at San Antonio Technical Vocational School in 1941 when he heard a fellow classmate discussing plans to go to college. At that moment, Ortiz realized that pursuing a higher education was an option... Read More	Antonio Gilb
Elena V. Ortiz	World War II	By Matt Norris San Antonio, Texas, resident Elena Ortiz has a deep family history rooted in the Canary Islands, Spain, Mexico and San Antonio. Her family fought at the Alamo, in the Battle of New Orleans and World War II. Ortiz was... Read More	Cheryl Smith
Jessie Ortiz	World War II	By Cindy Carcamo From a young age, Jessie Ortiz learned his Mexican American heritage would be an obstacle in a world dominated by what he calls the "white man's law." He would experience prejudice and discrimination -- even when he fought... Read More	Cindy Carcamo
Henry Oyama	Political & Civic Engagement, World War II	By Lauren Harrity, California State University, Fullerton After growing up in a Spanish-speaking Japanese-American family in Tucson, Arizona, Henry "Hank" Oyama went on to be a tireless supporter of bilingual education for American... Read More	Taylor Peterson
Amos Pacheco	World War II	By Eunmi Christina Lee One September night in 1942, Amos Pacheco and Gloria Robles both happened to be at Bergs Mill Platform, a San Antonio, Texas, dancehall with a music box and bar. “I was dancing with this other girl and she said... Read More	Pacheco Pacheco
Ernesto Padilla	World War II	By Matt Harlan The life of Ernesto Padilla is one marked with opportunities masked by tragedy. Padilla’s childhood was spent with his large family in Puerto de Luna, N.M. The town, nestled on the Pecos River, was a community... Read More	Brian Lucero
Fernando I. Pagan	World War II	By Juan De La Cruz Fernando Pagan was a jack of all trades during his childhood in Puerto Rico. At the age of 12, Pagan shined shoes every Sunday in Carolina, Puerto Rico; on Saturdays, he sold clothes for a wage of $2 and... Read More	Doralis Perez-Soto
Maria Cristina Parra	World War II	By Adrienne Lee Maria Cristina [Pozos] Parra knows few details about World War II outside the stories her husband, Ambrosio Parra, chose to tell her, and a wound on his foot that left him in pain for the rest of his life. As she put it: “... Read More	Elvia O. Perez