Rudy De La Cruz

San Antonio, Texas

April 10-11 2006

Maria Palacios

Palo Alto College

History 1302 - Spring 2006

INTRODUCTION

Rudy De La Cruz was born in San Antonio, Texas on September 16, 1947 to Dionicio and Guadalupe De La Cruz. The De La Cruz family also consisted of two boys and a girl. Rudy and his family grew up in the south side, where he graduated from Harlendale High School. After high school Rudy decided to join the Marines. He was in the Marines for four years. His occupation in the Marines was being a radio operator. While in the Marines he got to see different parts of the world. He was stationed in California, Vietnam, and Hawaii. One of his scariest memories of being in the Marines was during the Vietnam War for 13 months. After Rudy had done his time in the service he got out and got a job at a furniture warehouse for cabinets, then got a job at Kelly AFB. Now he is currently working for the Post Office as a mail distributor. Rudy is married to Isabel Longoria. They have two children, Johnny, 22, and Alma, 20. The family is Catholic. You could catch Rudy playing his favorite sport, softball, which he plays on occasion. In relation to Rudy De La Cruz, he is the father of my best friend and he is more than happy to share his past in the Vietnam War with me.

TRANSCRIPTION

Why did you decided to enlist in the Marines?
It was my dream ever since I was a little kid. I was not going to give up until I got where I wanted.

How was the boot camp session for the Marines like?
Really tough. We hardly got any rest, and they were always yelling in our faces. I always felt like saying something to them, but I knew it was against the rules, and I would suffer consequences.

Did you have a clue to what to expect at Vietnam?
No, it was all a surprise for me.

Did you think that you were ready for the Vietnam War?
No, who is ready for war at all.

How long were you at the Vietnam War?
Thirteen months. During those 13 months it felt like my life was going by real slow. They were real tough times that I will never forget.

Do you remember your first day in Vietnam?
Yes, when we first got there we went to a big barn and waited to see where they were going to send us, in what units. I was really disappointed when I found out that I wasn’t going to be in the same unit as some of my good friends.

Did you think that there was any point for you fighting in the war?
Yes, to help stop communism.

What was a typical day in Vietnam?
We would go on patrols, or operations.

What was your main mission while being in Vietnam?
I was a radio operator, communicated between our company and the Battalion.

What are your memories of the war?
Losing friends and seeing other people hurt. Especially when I saw my best friend die in front of my eyes. That hurt the most.

Did you have any spare time? If so what did you do?
The little spare time that we had we wrote letters or just rested.

Do you have any medical conditions due to the Vietnam War?
Yes, I have post traumatic stress disorder.

How did your family members react to you being in the Marines?
They didn’t really understand, I don’t think they knew what it was at that time, though they did support me in all I did.

What was the number one thing that you missed most from home?
My family of course, they meant the world to me.

Who was the person who motivated you the most?
It was my father, he always motivated me and supported me for all the choices that I made.

Do you think that joining the Marines made you accomplish a lot?
Yes, It was a very challenging experience for me, but I am glad I joined. I think it has been one of the best accomplishments I have ever made.

Do you still talk to any of your Marine partners?
A couple, its always good to drop a line to those who know what you went through.

Where were you stationed?
I was stationed in California, Vietnam, and Hawaii.

Were you wounded in Vietnam?
Yes I was wounded in Vietnam. I was wounded in my back and in my leg and in my fingers.

ANALYSIS

From this interview I have learned many things about the Vietnam War that Rudy De La Cruz participated in. Especially the differences beteween the Vietnam War and the current war in Iraq. Many things have changed within the military since then. Especially being a Marine. During the Vietnam War Rudy went through many though times that he gladly shared with me. Rudy was camera shy and wanted to keep it nice but short. I do believe that oral history is a great way of learning. It gives people knowledge about what happend in the past. Interviewing someone that went through the war is a better experience than reading about it. Though his thoughts were a little fuzzy, he still got to tell me some of his experiences. I want to thank Rudy De La Cruz for letting me interview him. It was a great way for me to get to know him better.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Vietnam War Timeline,. Copyright © 1999 The History Place™ All Rights Reserved "The history place, The vietnam war. Comprhensive timelines with quotes and analysis" http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/

post traumatic stress disorder. © 1998-2006 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research "Overview of Post traumatic stress disorder" http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/DS00246

Marine Corp. Marine Corp "Official Marine Corps Website" http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/frontpagenews

Vietnam Map. Vietnam "Map of Vietnam" http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mapshells/south_east_asia/vietnam/vietnam.htm

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