RAUL MENDOZA

SAN ANTONIO, TX

NOVEMBER 13,2003

ROSA MENDOZA

Palo Alto College

History 1302 - Fall 2003

INTRODUCTION

Raul Mendoza, my father, was born in Laredo, Texas on January 9, 1949. He was born to Julian Mendoza and to Zaragoza Mendoza (Esparza). He attended school up until his seventh grade year, and decided it was more important to get a job and help out his family by working in the fields. At the age of 13 he moved to Indiana and was a farm-hand, picking tomatoes, pickles, peas, etc. He would go back to Texas in the cold seasons. He joined the Army when he was 18, and attended basic training at Fort Bliss, El Paso. After basic training he went to Airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia. Then he was assigned to the 82nd brigade in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He finally got his orders to go to Vietnam in late 1968, the year people say combat was at its heaviest. He fought at the famous battle at what is now called Hamburger Hill. After returning from the war he returned to Dallas, Texas and worked as a leadman at Over Head Door Co. He worked there for about five years then moved to Enis, Texas in 1975. He worked as a supervisor at Marilyn Belts and Bags, there he met his future wife, Janie Torres. He married her on May 14, 1977 in Enis. After she gave birth to twin boys, they moved to San Antonio, Texas. In San Antonio he worked at K.O Steel Casting Co. for the next 25 years. Between those many years he had a daughter and another boy, and joined the Army Reserves at Camp Bullis. After 25 years working at the steel plant, K.O filed for Chapter 7 and he found himself without a job. Now he is still serving his country by joining the Texas Guard. His hobbies include spending time with his wife and children, attending the local flea market religiously, faithfully still looking for a job. I would like to focus his interview on his time in military and Vietnam War.

TRANSCRIPTION

How did you earn a living before joining the military?
Worked in the farms picking cotton, tomatoes, pickles things like that.

At what age did you join the military?
Just turned 18.

Why did you choose the Army?
I had no preference, I was wild, I knew I wasn't gonna straighten my life so I joined the Army.

Did you volunteer or were you drafted?
I volunteered.

Did you agree with the draft?
To me it didn't matter cause I volunteered so... you have to live in this country sooner or later you have to pay a price.

Were there many Hispanics in the military with you?
Yes.

You and other minorities, did you believe it was a white man's war?
I believe it was a politician's war.

What made you join the paratroopers?
(smiling) They guaranteed me two weeks to go home on leave.

What was the highest rank you received in the military.
Sergeant.

Did you have any disagreements with the war, personally?
Pesonally, I think it could have been won anytime they wanted to. Like I said it was all about politics, they didn't give us enough equipment or authority to take over that country.

What made you join the 173d Airborne Brigade?
I was originally assigned to the 82d, but when I got to Vietnam I got assigned to the 173d.

Talk about the 173D Airborne Brigade. What did you do?
At that time when I was in Vietnam we went up hills, fought at Hamburger Hill, we ambushed, we got hit, we responded there was really nothing to do than to kill or be killed.

When you were in Vietnam did you feel you were fighting for your country?
When you're in the fighting, it's not your country your fighting for, you're fighting to survive.

What years were you in Vietnam?
From 1968- late 1969.

Do you believe those were the years that the most combat was taking place?
Yes, I caught a little bit of the Tet Offensive.

What year did you return home?
Home? It was late 1969.

How did people react to you coming back from the war?
It was like they were ashamed, made us feel like we should be ashamed that we were at Vietnam. When I got out of the airport an old lady told me how did I feel killing women and children. I mean it was something that there was no parades, no nothing. Nothing was acknowledged about the Vietnam war. Not like it is now. Like the anti-war protest to me I can care less. They had their opinion, that's why this country is free.

How did your life change after the war? Adjusting to civilian life?
It was hard cause most of us came home to a broken family, me myself, I lost my first wife because of the Vietnam War. It's hard to adjust from killing people or being in a war state of mind to coming back to a civilian life. It took a while to adjust, I guess you can never adjust.

Thirty-three years after the Vietnam War how do you view war now, with Iraq?
I feel that these wars are made by this government. If we have to view Vietnam versus Kuwait or Iraq, I would say they have it made, but what I see is they come home they come home to parades and people are rejoicing that they came home. Im glad for them because they're our soldiers, but it leaves a hole in us that we went to Vietnam for a whole year or more and we came home and didn't receive nothing till this day. Not even an acknowledgement that there was a war.

Having a son in the military and knowing what war is like, how do you feel about him being in Iraq?
I don't like him being in Iraq, but versus looking at Vietnam and Iraq, Iraq is a walk in the park compared to being a tour in Vietnam. I mean I know what he's going through I've been there, done it and I don't agree with it. I don't think we should even be in those countries they don't want us there. We're back in a Vietnam situation and the government doesn't know how to get out, but in the mean time a lot of lives are being lost.

Do you regret ever joining the military? Or being involved in the Vietnam War?
I don't regret it, it's part of my life there's nothing I can do over. There's some things that I did in Vietnam that I'm not proud of, I looked the other way and till this day has come back to haunt me every day of my life, there's nothing I can do. I'm not ashamed of it.

Do you get flashbacks from the Vietnam War?
Yes, as soon as I got out I was getting flashbacks, now there not as bad but I still wake up with sweats, I still wake up screaming. There's things we did that nobody will ever understand not unless he's been there, done it.

Are you still serving your country now, today?
Technically I am in the Texas Guard still, the government will always be a part of my life. I have kids in it, what can I say I love the government I mean I support it if I'm gonna live in this country I'm gonna fight for this country. Right or wrong it's not my decision it's the politicians that make the decisions we just enforce them.

ANALYSIS

I learned a great deal from doing this interview, for one I had the chance of getting to know my father better and also learning much more about what it was like during Vietnam. In reality people have a big misconception about Vietnam and the "American War" that took place there, peole believed that the U.S. was sticking its nose where it didn't belong. After talking to a man who actually fought in the war and not to people who wrote books when they have no actual experience to write about you learn a lot more that can be expected. I learned after all this time my father isn't an ex-soldier who just joined the Army because he didn't have anything better to do. He joined because he wanted to change his life, and by joining the Army he not only changed his life he's influenced the lives of all four of his children. I definately look upon the topic differently, I see that it was a war that was fought by very brave and patriotic men and women and it is a shame that their well-deserved recognition has never come. They were sent there to stop communism from spreading and people view them as murderers. The benefits of learning about the past through the interview process is that one gets to learn firsthand from the actual people who lived during the wars, Great Depression, Civil Rights movement, all that and more. The drawback is that it is only one person's perspective, it would be nice to get all people's perspective about the past, rich, poor, Mexican, American, African-American, Asian-American, etc. I certainly believe that the interview process is a very effective way to learn about the past and more about your interviewee.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Leuhusen, Peter "The Vietnam War" Last date of revision (10/17/03) "http://www.vietnampix.com/index.html" (10/30/03) This site explains all that is needed to know about the Vietnam War. Talks about everything from background leading up to the war to hippies in the states protesting the war. Also offers detailed pictures from war photographers, soldiers themselves.

Tegtmeier, John "Vietnam War Internet Project" Last date of revision (5/25/03)"http://www.vwip.org/vwiphome.html" (11/7/03) This site was developed by students for students who needed help researching the Vietnam War. It offers additional websites and printed sources to better help you in your research.

Printed Source

Casey, Micheal.etal.The Vietnam Experience "The Army at War".Boston, MA; Boston Publishing Co. 1987 This book explains the Army's involvement in the war in Vietnam. Talks about their combat troops when they arrived when they left Vietnam and all that they did in between.

Blank. Arthur S.,Jr.,M.D.,etal. The Trauma of War.Washington, D.C, American Psychiatric Press Inc., 1985 After any traumatic experience there is some degree of emotional alteration, this book explains how it is effected by war. All the emotional ups and downs caused by war are explained in detail, the cold sweats, the bad dreams, depression, etc. Encourage any veteran or loved one of a veteran who suffers from any of these symptoms to read. This book explains the Army's involvement in the war in Vietnam. Talks about their combat troops when they arrived when they left Vietnam and all that they did in between.

Corvisier, Andre.A Dictionary of Military History.Cambridge, MA;Blackwell Publishers.1985

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