Hispanic Veterans in Service

Whatever their individual backgrounds before they came to serve their country, the Hispanic veterans in these collections all found opportunities without impediments by donning the uniforms of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Some, like Joseph Medina, came from a family with a rich military background; others, like Eva Jacques or Raymond Ayon, were students enticed with the notion that their country needed them. None expressed that even a hint of prejudice marked their experiences, a remarkable testimony to the democratic ideal of military service.

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    personal narrative
    Raymond L. Ayon Collection Airman First Class, Air Force, Korean War, 1950-1953 - Japan; Korea.
    • Contributor: Schneider, Dorothy M. - U.S. House of Representatives/David Dreier - Ayon, Raymond L. - Dreier, David
    • Date: 1948
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    Arthur T. Baltazar Collection Specialist Four, Army, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Pleiku, Vietnam.
    • Contributor: Shorak, B.J. - National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) - Baltazar, Arthur T. - Walker, Cherryl
    • Date: 1967
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    Sam E. Dominguez Collection Sergeant, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - North Africa; European Theater.
  • personal narrative
    Martin Ernesto Fierro Collection E-4, Army, Persian Gulf War, 1991 - North Carolina; Iraq; Kuwait.
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    Ernest E. Gallego Collection Staff Sergeant, Army Air Forces/Corps, World War, 1939-1945 - Italy. Army, Korean War, 1950-1953 - Korea.
    • Contributor: Winkle, John Van - U.S. House of Representatives/David Dreier - Gallego, Ernest E. - Dreier, David
    • Date: 1943
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    Eva Romero Jacques Collection Staff Sergeant, Army Air Forces/Corps, World War, 1939-1945 - Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; Warrensburg, Missouri; New Guinea, Philippines; Pacific Theater.
    • Contributor: Walter, Alexandra - St. Helena Youth Leadership Group - Froeb, Aislinn Boyer - Jacques, Eva Romero
    • Date: 1943
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    Jose Mares Collection Corporal, Army, Korean War, 1950-1953 - Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Lewis, Washington; Korea; China. Army, Vietnam War, 1961-1975.
    • Contributor: Willie, Michael Lloyd - Bowen, Sarah - Wrcb-Tv Channel 3 - Mares, Jose
    • Date: 1949
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    Rodolfo Marquez Collection Master Sergeant, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Philippines; Japan; Korea. Master Sergeant, Army, Korean War, 1950-1953 - Korea.
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    Antonio Ralph Martinez Collection Private First Class, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - France; European Theater. Airman First Class, Air Force, Korean War, 1950-1953 - Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.
    • Contributor: Cargill, Joanne - Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum (Ccvmm) - Martinez, Antonio Ralph
    • Date: 1944
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    Joseph Valentino Medina Collection Colonel, Marine Corps, Peacekeeping forces--Bosnia and Hercegovina - California; Hawaii; Virginia; North Carolina; Okinawa, Japan; Italy; Germany; Bosnia. Marine Corps, Operation Joint Guardian, 1999- - Germany; Kosovo. Brigadier General, Marine Corps, Iraq…
  • personal narrative
    Agnes Helen Patterson Collection Airman First Class, Air Force, Cold War - Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; Donaldson Air Force Base, South Carolina; Larson Air Force Base, Washington.
    • Contributor: Patterson, Agnes Helen - Patricia Henshaw - American Red Cross, Greater Long Beach Chapter - Farrar, Mike
    • Date: 1950
  • personal narrative
    Alfonso Bernard Perez Collection Lieutenant Colonel, Army Air Forces/Corps, World War, 1939-1945 - China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater.
    • Contributor: Leonard, Diane - Perez, Alfonso Bernard - Los Angeles Unified School District - Pacheco, Bryan
    • Date: 1941
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    Manuel Castro Perez Collection Seaman First Class, Navy, World War, 1939-1945 - Pacific Theater.
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    Hector Rafael Ponton Collection Colonel, Army, Cold War - Germany; Washington; Arlington, Virginia; Fort Polk, Louisiana; Nicaragua; Denver, Colorado; Far East; Korea; South America; Middle East. Corporal, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Vietnam.
    • Contributor: Beckenbaugh, Terry L. - Alan Dickerson - Albert Landry, Jr - Beckenbaugh, Lisa L. - Albert Landry, Jr. - McNeese State University - Ponton, Hector Rafael
    • Date: 1952
    • Resource: Interview / Recording - Video - 00:40:11.1
  • personal narrative
    Leroy V. Quintana Collection Specialist Four, Army, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Gordon, Georgia; Fort Benning, Georgia; Vietnam.
    • Contributor: Olson, Roger - San Diego Mesa College, California - Quintana, Leroy V.
    • Date: 1967
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    Alfred V. Rascon Collection Army, Iraq War, 2003-2011 - Iraq. Captain, Army, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Long Khanh Province, Vietnam. Lieutenant Colonel, Army, Afghan War, 2001- - Afghanistan.
  • personal narrative
    Santos Rosas Collection Specialist Four, Army, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Vietnam.
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    Raymond Emilio Torres Collection Hospitalman Third Class, Navy, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Khe Sanh, Vietnam; Hill 861, Vietnam; Phu Bai, Vietnam.
    • Contributor: Tegge, Thomas N. - Sauk Valley Community College-Dixon, IL - Torres, Raymond Emilio
    • Date: 1966
  • personal narrative
    Ramon Viera Collection Private First Class, Army, World War, 1939-1945 - Puerto Rico; Texas. Sergeant First Class, Army, Korean War, 1950-1953 - Korea; Germany.
    • Contributor: Berrios, Julio E. - Viera, Ramon
    • Date: 1945
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    Gary L. Villereal Collection Specialist Five, Army, Vietnam War, 1961-1975 - Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; III Corps, Vietnam; Phouc Vinh, Vietnam; Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam; Fire Support Base Buttons, Vietnam; Special Forces Camp…
    • Contributor: University of Texas - Pan American - Coder, Mary Jane - Villereal, Gary L. - Cavazos, Alonzo
    • Date: 1968