Paul Vargas

San Antonio,Texas

April 2004

Monica Hernandez

Palo Alto College

History 1302 - Spring 2004

INTRODUCTION

Paul Vargas was born June 29, 1948. He was born in Seguin, Texas to Cleopas and Consuelo Vargas. Paul was the middle child of nine siblings. He had three sisters and six brothers, himself included. Paul attended Juan Seguin Middle School and later went on to finish his education at Seguin High School. Paul held many jobs while he lived in Seguin. He worked at the Colonial House Cafe as a bus boy for about a year. He also held jobs at other restaurants and was a sweeper for a barbershop. He held these jobs for a short time because when he turned 19 he moved out of Seguin to enter the service. He wasn't married when he went into the service, but back in Seguin he had a crush on this young girl from around his neighborhood. When Paul first entered the service, he got stationed at Fort Polk in Louisianna where he did his basic training for about 16 weeks. He was then transferred to Fort Clayton, Panama Canal were he was stayed for eight months. During his time in the service, he recieved military honors such as the Campaign Medal, Combat Medic Badge, Vietnam Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. During his time in the military he got affected by a chemical called Agent Orange which was used to kill grass. This chemical caused him to become 80 percent disabled. This war took place between 1968 and the early 1970's. Over 58,000 soldiers got killed in Vietnam. After his retirement from the military, Paul Vargas was employed in the Civil Service where he was on active duty for nine years.

TRANSCRIPTION

When did you enter the Service?
I entered into the service right out of High School. I was the only child from my family that got drafted.

How old were you when you entered the service?
When I entered the service, I was about 19 years old.

Where you married before you joined the service?
No I wasn't married.

Where did you get stationed at after joining the military?
After I got recruited into the military, the first location I got stationed was at Fort Polk, Louisiana where I took basic training. My training lasted for about 16 weeks. After my completion in basic training I got drafted to Fork Clayton, Panama Canal. I was stationed there for eight months.

After your recruitment into the service, what was going on with the war?
War got worst, there was some heavy fighting.

Did the war take any affect on your family before and after you joined?
Yes my family was affected because when I got drafted my mother had become very depressed. She went through an emotional stage because I was going to have to move so far away. As for my siblings, they were also sad. My whole family was sad because they knew what I was going to be involved with.

How long did you serve in the war?
I served in the war for a year.

Do you have any fond memories of your experiences that you always look back upon?
I lost so many of my best friends, it was hard for me to accept such tragic loss. I also remembered being so scared when we where under attack I mean literally I trembled in fear.

After your retirement from the service what did you do?
After I retired from the military that's when I found my wife and you know what she was the one I had a crush on back in Seguin. She must have waited for me. We were married in no time after knowing her for about two months. We had three children together, two girls and one boy. After my children were born, I decided to go to St. Philips College were I majored in liberal arts after two years. During this time I was listed for active duties and stayed on active duty for nine years. During my time in active duty I was able to visit Bankok Island and Hanaru Hawaii in Wake Islands. After completing my college I recieved the calling to enter into the ministry. So I attended a seminary in Los Angeles, California for two years. That is were I became a licensed minister, then a pastor. I evangelized at diferent churches. I was Pastor for a church in Georgetown for about one and a half years, then got transferred to Houston where I ministered for six years. I also attended a church in Pearlyn, Texas for three months. Served in Houston for nine years and then came here to San Antonio, Texas in 1999 and have been here till the present where I am Pastor at Gethsemane Church.

What's your opinion towards the way veterans are being treated today. Do you feel that all veterans are being treated respectfully?
I don't believe veterans get treated respectfully because Vietnam did not recieve recognition and attention from the public after Vietnam as other war heroes have. And also because our benefits and privileges have been taken away.

Rev. Paul Vargas taken April19,2004 at Temple Bethel

ANALYSIS

I learned a lot after doing this interview with my Pastor. It's pretty interesting to learn about one's past and what they went through. Through this interview I was able to learn more about the Cold War that I hadn't learned before, and I found it very interesting. Being able to go back to that time frame was like actually reliving what my Pastor went through. History is so important because you can learn so much about the past and how it has affected the way we live today. Doing this interview helped me to realize the importance of studying the past and although I've learned history, it has inspired me to want to learn more by talking to others.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

SEGUIN TEXAS. Maps of Seguin, Texas. Source: Mapquest.

Fort polk. Article of Fort Polk, Louisianna. Source: Army Forts and camps

Fort Clayton, Panama Canal.Picture of Fort Clayton, Panama Canal. Source: Early days of Fort Clayton Canal

Los Angeles, California.Map of Los Angeles, California. Source: Mapquest

Return to Oral History Projects