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MEXICAN AMERICANS DEFENDING
AMERICA
By Jennifer Vo and John P.
Schmal
Recently I found myself involved in an
interesting conversation about Ken Burn's upcoming 14-hour documentary
on World War II, "The War." While talking to an acquaintance
about the topic, I mentioned my disappointment that Mr. Burns had not
taken the time to pay tribute to the Latino contribution in World War
II, suggesting that Mr. Burns should have read "Hispanic Military
Heroes" by Virgil Hernandez. Or better yet, if he had read the
Department of Defense's 1990 publication, "Hispanics in America's
Defense," he would have learned about the numerous contributions
of America's Latino citizens to the U.S. through many wars.
To my surprise, the gentleman I was talking to said, "What's the
big deal? What did the Latinos do during World War II?" My new
friend was talking to the wrong person. My name is Jennifer Vo and I
am Mexican American and two of my family members were killed in action
during World War II. This discussion and similar discussions taking
place across the country had made me realize that many Americans
across this nation see Latinos - and Mexican Americans in particular -
as relative newcomers to this country and as lacking the patriotism of
other American ethnic groups.
One need only look at my family to know that this is not true. My
family's service on American soil started in 1781 and has continued to
the present day. I am an eleventh-generation Californian, and several
years ago, John Schmal and I embarked on a research expedition to
explore my family's military service to this country. We came across
one amazing discovery after another, all of them essentially
confirming the oral tradition handed down from one generation to
another.
From the very start, my family was involved in the military service.
Four of the soldiers taking part in the Expedition of 1781 to
establish the Pueblo of Los Angeles in California were my ancestors,
including my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather,
Juan Matias Olivas, an Indian from the city of Rosario in the
present-day Mexican state of Sinaloa.
From my earliest memories, my family has always expressed its pride in
its military tradition of protecting American soil. When my mother,
Sarah Melendez Basulto Evans, was just a teenager, she went to her
grandfather's funeral in Oxnard, California. After the church service,
the family drove to the Santa Clara Cemetery in Oxnard for the burial
service. Recounting that day four decades ago, Mom told me, "Once
the graveside service had ended, my Uncle Simon [Melendez] took me for
a long walk, pointing out the various tombstones for many of our
ancestors. I was amazed that he could recount so many stories and
names from our family history."
Sarah also explained to me that "because Uncle Simon was a Korean
War veteran and had lost an uncle and a cousin in World War II, our
family took great pride in its long military tradition extending back
to our earliest California ancestor, Juan Matias Olivas." One
generation after another had joined the military to defend the only
land that we could call home. And, although Mexican Americans in
California have been treated as newcomers and strangers in our own
homeland, our resolve to defend this state and this country has never
wavered.
From the first moment Juan Matias Olivas entered California -- and for
the better part of eleven generations -- my family has played a role
in the defense of California and since 1848, the United States. And,
in some cases, members of my family had to make the ultimate sacrifice
to safeguard the security of our country. Over a period of
two-and-a-quarter centuries, the flags, the causes, and the surnames
have changed, but my family's legacy of military service to California
has endured.
My most distant ancestor, Juan Matias Olivas, was born two and a half
centuries ago near Rosario in what is today known as the state of
Sinaloa (in the Republic of Mexico). On August 6, 1780, Juan Matias
enlisted for ten years as a soldado de cuera (leather-jacket soldier)
attached to the Military District of Monterrey of northern Mexico.
Joining Spain's frontier army offered Juan and his family an
opportunity that would not have been available to Indians who lived in
the Rosario area. If he had stayed in Rosario, Juan Matias Olivas
would have been destined to a life as a poor and lowly Indian laborer,
subject to the whims of his hacienda jefe and to a society that
classified him within the lower rungs of a racist caste system.
But, as a soldier serving in the Spanish military, Juan Matias Olivas
earned new privileges. In 1781, Juan Matias and his small family took
part in the expedition that would establish the small pueblo of Los
Angeles. After the founding of the Santa Barbara Presidio in 1782,
Juan Matias Olivas was stationed with his family at the presidio until
his retirement in 1798 at the age of forty years.
Juan Matias Olivas' son, Jose Pablo Olivas, witnessed his father's
eighteen-year service in the military and stepped into his shoes as a
soldier around the same time that his father retired. Many years
later, Jose Pablo's son, Jose Delores Olivas, would also follow in the
footsteps of his father as a soldier, but his allegiance would be to
Mexico, not Spain. During this time, the Mexican people had revolted
against Spain's rule, and after twelve years, independence was
achieved. California would thus become part of Mexico.
Three generations of Olivas men would serve as soldiers at the Santa
Barbara Presidio and, like his father and grandfather before him, Jose
Dolores married and raised a family. Between 1830 and 1850, Dolores
and his wife became the parents of twelve children, including my
great-great-great-great-grandmother, Maria Antonia Olivas (who was
born in 1834). During this twenty-year period, Dolores retired, and
California became a part of the United States, as a result of the
Mexican-American War, which ended on January 13, 1847 with the signing
of the Treaty of Cahuenga. A year later, the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848, ending all hostilities between
the two nations and granting American citizenship to my Olivas
ancestors. The tightly-knit Olivas clan - composed of five families -
continued to live in the Santa Barbara area.
The American Civil War (1861-1865) divided the American people into
two camps and resulted in more casualties than any other war in
American history. Many of the hostilities in this war took place in
the eastern half of North America, especially in the Southern states.
For the most part, California - which was a Union state - seemed
removed from most of the battlefields and action that was taking
place. However, as early as 1862, California State Senator Romualdo
Pacheco, having observed his fellow native Californians in action,
came to recognize them as skilled horsemen who could easily be
transformed into units of exceptional cavalrymen. Pacheco was anxious
to prove that Californians could prove their patriotism even though
many of them were born in the state when it was under Mexican rule. As
a Union loyalist, Pacheco proposed the formation of a regiment of
"native cavalry," which would stand ready to protect the
Union's western boundaries.
As the war between the states raged in 1862, Brigadier-General Wright
of the Union Army followed up Pacheco's idea and recommended utilizing
the "extraordinary horsemanship" that came so naturally to
native Californians. In December, he wrote to the War Department in
Washington, requesting "authority to raise four companies of
native cavalry." It was believed that these skilled horsemen
would be able to serve in both California and Arizona and guard those
regions from Confederate incursions. On January 20, 1863, the War
Department authorized General Wright to proceed with this task. In the
course of the next year-and-a-half, the U.S. Government organized four
companies of Mexican-American Californians into the First California
Native Cavalry Battalion [Source: Richard H. Orton, "Records of
California Men in the War of the Rebellion" (Sacramento: State of
California, 1890), pp. 304-306; Sacramento Union, January 28, 1863.]
At this time, the family of my ancestor, Maria Antonia Olivas, lived
in the Santa Barbara area. When recruitment began, two of Maria
Antonia's brothers, Jose Victoriano Olivas and Felipe Olivas, joined
Company C of the First Battalion of the California Native Cavalry. In
addition, two of their first cousins, Antonio and Pablo Olivas, also
joined Company C, while another cousin Blas Olivas joined Company D.
By the end of July 1864, all five Olivas cousins were in uniform and
ready for action. However, for the first half-year of their service,
they were put to work on a massive irrigation project, marched in
parades and patrolled the California waterfront in the Los Angeles
area.
But, in 1865, the Native Cavalry was called upon to perform more
important tasks and spent August of 1865 to early 1866 on the Arizona
frontier in a series of Indian campaigns. Jose Pablo Olivas,
unfortunately, had died of consumption on December 26, 1864, but my
two uncles and their two Olivas cousins were mustered out on April 2,
1866 and returned to civilian life as proud veterans.
[Note: More detailed information on the First Native Battalion can be
accessed at: http://www.militarymuseum.org/1stNatCavCV.html]
Maria Antonia Olivas and her siblings married and raised their
families in the Ventura and Oxnard areas. Several generations came and
went, while America enjoyed a period of significant peace, interrupted
only by the Spanish-American War of 1898 and World War I (1917-1918).
Maria Antonia's great-granddaughter, Isabel Ortega, grew up with her
siblings in Saticoy and endured the Great Depression. This period was
a difficult time for my family as it was for most American families.
But the beginning of World War II was an ominous event for all
Americans. For three years, the United States had avoided involvement
in this war, which pitted the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy and Japan)
against a multitude of other nations, including Great Britain, the
Soviet Union, and China.
On December 7, 1941, everything changed. The surprise attack on the
American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii would bring America
into this struggle against tyranny. And when Uncle Sam called for
recruits, his call was answered. By the end of the war in September
1945, sixteen million men and women had worn the uniform of America's
armed forces. It is believed that as many as 750,000 of these soldiers
may have been Latinos, consisting of Mexican-Americans, Cubans, Puerto
Ricans and persons of other national origins.
The State of California - the traditional home to a significant number
of Mexican Americans - played an important role in World War II.
Eighteen California National Guard Divisions were sent overseas, and
thousands of men enlisted or were drafted. According to the United
States War Department, California - containing 5.15% of the population
of the United States - contributed 5.53% of the total number who
entered the Army. Of these men and women from California who went to
war, 3.09% failed to return home, representing 5.54% of the American
casualties
In 1942, my great-uncle Luciano P. Ortega - the brother of my
great-grandmother Isabel Ortega- joined the armed forces. Luciano was
attached to the 34th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division,
which would fight on the front lines in the war against Japan in
several crucial campaigns. The 24th Infantry Division was among the
first to see combat in World War II and among the last to stop
fighting. After a period of intensive training, the Division took part
in Operation Reckless (the landings at Hollandia in Netherlands New
Guinea) in early 1944. Later in the year, Uncle Luciano's unit would
take part in the campaign to liberate the Japanese from Leyte in the
Philippine Islands.
On October 20, 1944, Uncle Luciano and the 24th Division landed on Red
Beach and Leyte and advanced steadily to Breakneck Ridge by November
12, 1944. The Japanese resistance was tremendous and, on November 19,
Uncle Luciano was killed in action. He was buried in the Manila
American Cemetery in the capital city. My great-great-grandmother,
Theodora Tapia Ortega, never reconciled herself to her son's death and
refused to accept it. Instead, she continued to believe that he was
missing in action and would someday return home to Saticoy.
The eighth generation of my family saw four men go to war, one into
action in World War II and three into the Korean War. Late in World
War II, Chello O. Ortega, the nephew of Luciano Ortega, went to war.
He was the second Ortega to go to the Army from Saticoy and - like his
uncle - was sent to the Pacific Theater. Cousin Chello belonged to the
383rd Infantry, which was attached to the famous 96th Infantry, better
known as the Deadeyes.
The campaign to wrest control of Okinawa from the Japanese lasted from
April 1 to June 14, 1945. It was a long and bloody campaign. My cousin
Chello took part in the 383rd Infantry's attack on Conical Hill and
helped to defeat a Japanese counterattack on May 13th. However, Chello
was killed in action the following day and a day later, on May 15th,
the Deadeyes secured Conical Hill.
According to the military report, my Cousin's body was not identified
until June 19th, five weeks later, and not until July did my family
and the Saticoy community find out that Chello had been killed in
action. Two months later, Japan would surrender and peace would
finally come to America after three years and nine months of war.
As World War II drew to an end, the three Melendez brothers - sons of
Refugio Melendez and Isabel Ortega and brothers to my grandmother Dora
- were teenagers. Raymond (Raymundo) Ortega Melendez had been born in
1929 and yearned to join the military. In 1945, at the age of 17 -
with his parents' permission - Ray entered the American armed forces.
This would mark the beginning of a long military career, with would
take him through the Korean and Vietnam Wars before his retirement in
1969.
The Korean War began in 1950, only five years after the end of World
War II. The participation of Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans in
the Korean War was so significant that the Department of Defense paid
tribute to their contribution, explaining that "they served with
distinction in all of the services. Many Mexican Americans from
barrios in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Laredo, Phoenix, and Chicago saw
fierce action in Korea. Fighting in almost every combat unit in Korea,
they distinguished themselves through courage and bravery as they had
in previous wars."
By the end of the Korean War, all three of my grandmother's brothers,
Raymond, Donald (Danny) and Simon would join the United States Army.
During this war, Uncle Ray served as an airborne paratrooper for many
years. But my Uncle Simon Melendez's experiences in the Korean War are
the stuff that legends are made of.
Born on October 28, 1930, Simon Ortega Melendez was raised in Saticoy
and attended Ventura Junior High School and Ventura City College. When
the Korean War started, Simon joined the 2nd Division of the U.S. Army
and became a machine gunner. It would be Uncle Simon's destiny to take
part in two of the bloodiest battles of the Korean War. The
"Battle of Bloody Ridge" began in August 1951 and continued
up until September 12, 1951. On August 27, Simon was hit in the neck
and legs by mortar shrapnel and in the back by grenade fragments. At
the same time, he was separated from his platoon. For seven days, he
was behind enemy lines and disoriented by torrential rains that made
his weapon inoperable.
The rain did not stop until the sixth day, and on the seventh day he
was able to make his way into the area of the 9th U.S. Regiment. When
asked how he managed to make his way through enemy lines for seven
days, 21-year-old Simon explained that "my extreme faith in God
brought me through." Soon after this, Uncle Simon was able to
have a three-day reunion with his brother Ray near the front lines.
Raymond, who had already been in the service for six years, was a
paratrooper and had been stationed about a 100 miles from Simon's
position. Soon after, Simon was once again in the thick of the
fighting when his unit took part in the "Battle of Heartbreak
Ridge," which lasted from September 13 to October 22, 1951.
The Battles of Bloody Ridge and Heartbreak Ridge were the two
bloodiest battles of the Korean War. By the time he left the service,
Simon had been awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and three
Purple Hearts. He also founded the Mexican-American Korean War
Veterans of Ventura County and became a life member of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars and the American Legion. Simon Melendez, the proud Korean
War veteran, died at the age of 71 on June 15, 2002, surrounded by a
family that adored him. Even to this day, Uncle Simon's memory remains
strong with me and my family, in large part because he had a larger
than life personality that endeared him to everyone.
Uncle Donald Ortega Melendez, who was born in 1936, entered the
service in 1954 at the tail end of the Korean War. Like his brother
Raymond, he initially joined the paratroopers. During his first stint
overseas, Donald was assigned to the 9th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd
Infantry division. He did three separate hitches overseas and was on
service during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Uncle Donald spent 25
years in the military and achieved the rank of First Sergeant before
he retired in 1979.
Uncle Ray, also an airborne paratrooper, served all around the world
at one time or another and achieved the rank of Command Sergeant Major
by the time he retired in 1969. Like Donald, Uncle Ray was a career
military person and does not feel that he is at liberty to discuss his
military service in great detail. Uncle Simon - after his Korean War
service - had been offered a promotion too, but he decided that he was
ready for civilian life.
Even since the Korean War, many members of my family have served in
the American military. Luciano Ortega's daughter, Geraldine, joined
the military for a long period of time. Donald's son, Daniel Melendez,
followed in his father's step and served as a paratrooper from 1970 to
1982. Uncle Simon had two sons who spent a number of years in the
military. When he was twenty years old, my mother's brother, Eusebio
Javier Melendez Basulto followed in our family's military tradition by
enlisting in the U.S. Army. He served in Military Intelligence with
MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) Unit 406 ASA, where he achieved
the rank of Specialist, Fourth Class. Uncle Eusebio's military career
lasted from 1973 to 1985, a total of 12 years, after which he became a
chemist in the civilian world. And, today, my younger sister is making
plans to join the military, carrying on the tradition for yet another
generation.
As Mexican-American citizens of California, my family has carried on a
proud tradition of military service. When our nation has been in need,
my ancestors - from the earliest days in California - answered the
call with a sense of pride and obligation. This sense of duty is a
deeply held tradition to all Mexican-Americans.
For me, this represents a strange irony. As a teenager growing up in
the San Fernando Valley, many of my friends thought that I was Italian
American. Although I have inherited my dark eyes and thick dark hair
from my Mexican ancestors, I am also of German and Anglo-American
descent through my father's side of the family. For this reason, it is
not readily evident to some people that I am Mexican-American. As a
result, I have - on occasion - heard friends and acquaintances express
less than flattering opinions about Mexican immigrants or Mexican
Americans. Such comments and criticisms - although they were
undoubtedly based on ignorance or fear - hurt me and were an affront
to my family's pride and dignity.
When one friend in high school found out that I was Mexican American,
she actually ended our friendship, an act that puzzles me to this day.
For all those people who expressed these hurtful opinions, I can only
say that I hope that they are reading this story. I hope that these
individuals are aware that my family has been fighting (and dying) for
their freedom since the Civil War.
My maternal grandfather, Eusebio Basulto, was born in the Mexican
state of Jalisco and I am very proud of my Jalisco roots. My direct
paternal ancestors were German-Americans who fought for the United
States against Germany in two world wars. And my great-grandfather,
Refugio Melendez, came from Guanajuato. I am proud of these aspects of
my heritage, but nothing is as meaningful to me as the proud military
tradition that my family has inherited over many generations, a
tradition of defending our native soil (California).
John and I paid tribute to my family's military tradition in a
publication, entitled "A Mexican-American Family of California:
In the Service of Three Flags" (Heritage Books, 2003), which is
currently out-of-print, but will be back in circulation in about a
month.
John and I believe that Ken Burn's documentary may very well be a
moving and interesting documentary, but as far as we are concerned,
one element is missing. A tribute to the many ethnic groups that
participated in World War II (including Mexican Americans) would have
recognized the great team effort that saved the world from fascism.
We also think that Mr. Burns should read the story about "Hero
Street, USA" (Silvis, Illinois), a small Mexican-American
community which has sent more than 110 men and women into the
military. Fifty-seven men from Hero Street joined the military during
World War II and Korea, and eight of these men - William Sandoval,
Johnny Munos, Joseph Sandoval, Peter Masias, Tony Pompa, Joseph Gomez
(pictured), Claro Soliz and Frank Sandoval - lost their lives in the
two wars. All eight of these men were Mexican Americans. For more
information, please go to this website: http://www.herostreetusa.org/HeroStMain.htm
In conclusion, we believe that Army Chaplain (Captain) Carlos C.
Huerta of the First Battalion, 79th Field Artillery said it best:
"Hispanics have always met the challenge of serving the nation
with great fervor. In every war, in every battle, on every
battlefield, Hispanics have put their lives on the line to protect
freedom."
Copyright 2007 by Jennifer Vo and John
P. Schmal. All rights under applicable law are hereby reserved.
Jennifer Vo currently works as a library aide
for the Los Angeles Unified School District. She also operates her own
online editorial business, EditForYou.com, which serves the
community's communication needs by providing high quality, reliable
editorial and proofreading services.
Jennifer Vo and John Schmal coauthored
"A Mexican-American Family of California: In the Service of Three
Flags," about a founding family of Los Angeles and its military
service through two centuries (Heritage Books). This book was sold out
but is at the printer and should be available in about a month. The
Heritage website can be accessed at:
http://heritagebooks.com/
Click to WWII
and the Bracero Program
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