Hispanic Military Heroes

Virgil Fernandez was born in Port La Vaca, Texas in 1951. He and his family then moved to San Antonio when he was in high school. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1969, he joined the U.S. Navy and served aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Saratoga until 1971. He then enrolled in San Antonio College and received an associate's degree in Radio Broadcasting in 1973. Virgil then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin and earned a bachelor's degree in government in 1975. Following college, Virgil worked as a news reporter and photographer/editor for radio and TV stations in Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Dallas. In 1985 he decided to return to San Antonio and in 1987 began working for the Texas Employment Commission as an Interviewer. Being a disabled veteran himself, he was selected to be a Disabled Veteran's Outreach counselor. Virgil specialized in job placement and also taught job search workshops for three years. Virgil's interest in veteran's issues remained after leaving the Commission in 1996, and he published his first book, The Complete Veterans' Benefits Manual, in 2000. He then returned to the University of Texas and completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Relations in 2001. Virgil then went to work for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as an Information Specialist, specializing in media relations and web and text publishing. However, his interest in Hispanic issues, history, and veterans remained throughout the years. He finally decided to combine them and began researching articles relating to Hispanics and the roles they have played in the U.S. military. Several years later, the result was this book, Hispanic Military Heroes. Book jacket.

Maggie Rivas-Rodríguez 's edited volume Mexican Americans & World War II brought pivotal stories from the shadows, contributing to the growing acknowledgment of Mexican American patriotism as a meaningful force within the Greatest Generation. In this latest anthology, Rivas-Rodríguez and historian Emilio Zamora team up with scholars from various disciplines to add new insights. Beyond the Latino World War II Hero focuses on home-front issues and government relations, delving into new arenas of research and incorporating stirring oral histories. These recollections highlight realities such as post-traumatic stress disorder and its effects on veterans' families, as well as Mexican American women of this era, whose fighting spirit inspired their daughters to participate in Chicana/o activism of the 1960s and 1970s. Other topics include the importance of radio as a powerful medium during the war and postwar periods, the participation of Mexican nationals in World War II, and intergovernmental negotiations involving Mexico and Puerto Rico. Addressing the complexity of the Latino war experience, such as the tandem between the frontline and the disruption of the agricultural migrant stream on the home front, the authors and contributors unite diverse perspectives to harness the rich resources of an invaluable oral history.

Many North Americans are unaware of the history and politics of Latin America, and Latin American Heroes goes a long way to redress this lack of knowledge. These profiles of twenty-three history makers offer a unique view of Latin America through the eyes of men and women who devoted their lives to their countries, and to the freedom of their people. Here are fascinating mini-biographies of such influential and important subjects as Dona Marina (La Malinche), a former slave, born in 1505, who became an invaluable translator for Cortes; Toussaint L'Ouverture, who led Haitians to rebel against their French masters in the first major slave revolt in the new world, Jose Marti, the journalist, revolutionary, poet, orator, and charismatic leader of the fight to free Cuba from Spanish domination, and the modern martyr Bishop Romero, who, as an outspoken Catholic clergyman opposed to the abuses of the rightist regime in El Salvador, was murdered for his beliefs. You'll also learn about Brazil's Emperors Pedro I and Pedro II, the Women of the Mexican Revolution, Argentina's Juan and Eva Peron, Mexico's Emiliano Zapata, Venezuela's Simon Bolivar, and Cuba's Che Guevara. A straightforward and thoroughly researched biographical reference that amplifies some of the most significant voices in Latin America, past and present, Latin American Heroes is a long-overdue tribute to the people whose fearless struggle for self-determination changed history.

Named One of the 24 Best History Books of All Time by Book Riot The Inspiring True Story of a Segregated Unit Whose Exploits Underscore the Forgotten Latino Contribution to the Allied Victory in World War II As a child, Dave Gutierrez hung on every word his father recalled about his cousin Ramon, "El Sancudo" (the mosquito), and his service in World War II, where he earned a Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, and escaped from the Germans twice. Later, Dave decided to find out more about his father's cousin, and in the course of his research he discovered that Ramon Gutierrez was a member of Company E, 141st Infantry, a part of the 36th "Texas" Division that was comprised entirely of Mexican Americans--the only such unit in the entire U.S. Army. The division landed at Salerno, Italy, in 1943, among first American soldiers to set foot in Europe. In the ensuing months, Company E and the rest of the 36th would battle their way up the mountainous Italian peninsula against some of Nazi Germany's best troops. In addition to the merciless rain, mud, and jagged peaks, swift cold rivers crisscrossed the region, including the Rapido, where Company E would face its greatest challenge. In an infamous episode, the 36th Division was ordered to cross the Rapido despite reports that the opposite bank was heavily defended. In the ensuing debacle, the division was ripped apart, and Company E sustained appalling casualties. The company rebounded and made the storied landings at Anzio and ultimately invaded southern France for a final push into Germany. The men of Company E distinguished themselves as rugged fighters capable of warring amid the rubble of destroyed villages and in the devastated countryside. Based on extensive archival research and veteran and family accounts, Patriots from the Barrio: The Story of Company E, 141st Infantry: The Only All Mexican American Army Unit in World War II brings to life the soldiers whose service should never have gone unrecognized for so long. With its memorable personalities, stories of hope and immigration, and riveting battle scenes, this beautifully written book is a testament to the shared beliefs of all who have fought for the ideals of the American flag.

This historical study examines how Mexican American experiences during WWII galvanized the community’s struggle for civil rights. World War II marked a turning point for Mexican Americans that fundamentally changed their relationship to US society at large. The experiences of fighting alongside white Americans in the military, as well as working in factory jobs for wages equal to those of Anglo workers, made Mexican Americans less willing to tolerate the second-class citizenship that had been their lot before the war. Having proven their loyalty and “Americanness” during World War II, Mexican Americans began to demand the civil rights they deserved. In this book, Richard Griswold del Castillo and Richard Steele investigate how the wartime experiences of Mexican Americans helped forge their civil rights consciousness and how the US government responded. The authors demonstrate, for example, that the US government “discovered” Mexican Americans during World War II and began addressing some of their problems as a way of ensuring their willingness to support the war effort. The book concludes with a selection of key essays and historical documents from the World War II period that provide a first-person perspective of Mexican American civil rights struggles.

Jeanne Fogle Lyons--a historian, professor, and certified tour guide in Washington--and Elan Penn, the gifted photographer who created the superb From Sea to Shining Sea, combine their talents to create a breathtaking and fascinating homage to America's capital city. Lavish images of fabled monuments, world-famous museums, distinguished universities, and lush parks--all accompanied by fascinating background information--pay tribute to the beauty and history of Washington, D.C. From government buildings such as the Capitol, White House, and Supreme Court to outdoor statues of Ulysses S. Grant, Mary Leo Bethune, and Mahatma Gandhi, this unique visual tour captures the city's riches as never before. Visit Mount Vernon, George Washington's splendid home and plantation; the awe-inspiring Lincoln Memorial; the Arlington National Cemetery, where the eternal flame burns over John F. Kennedy's grave; and the Smithsonian, which protects the glories of our past. Watch government at work at the Federal Triangle Department Buildings, see the lovely sculpture garden at the National Gallery, and feel the magnificence of sacred structures such as St. John's of Lafayette Square. Every photo, from Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln lost his life, to Maya Lin's heartbreaking Vietnam Memorial, is inspirational.

This title takes a calendrical approach to illuminating the history of Latinos and life in the United States and adds more value than a simple "this day in history" through primary source excerpts and resources for further research. Latino/a history has been relatively slow in gaining recognition despite the population's rich and varied history. Engaging and informative, Latino History Day by Day: A Reference Guide to Events will help address that oversight. Much more than just a "this-day-in-history" list, the guide describes important events in Latino/a history, augmenting many entries with a brief excerpt from a primary document. All entries include two annotated books and websites as key resources for follow up. The day-to-day reference is organized by the 365 days of the year with each day drawing from events that span several hundred years of Latino/a history, from Mexican Americans to Puerto Ricans to Cuban Americans. With this guide in hand, teachers will be able to more easily incorporate Latino/a history into their classes. Students will find the book an easy-to-use guide to the Latino/a past and an ideal starting place for research.