Vietnam War Narratives
PALO ALTO COLLEGE
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

VETERANS

Eddie M. Escamilla was born on June 25, 1950 in San Antonio, Texas He was sent to Fort Bliss in El Paso for Basic Training, then moved on to Advanced Infantry Training in Fort Worth, Texas. He fought in Vietnam for one year- from March 10, 1969 - March 10, 1970. I don't think anybody liked being in Vietnam to tell you the truth. I personally disliked the hot weather and the monsoon weather, especially the big mosquitoes. Going around in circles in Vietnam. Clearing one area and having to clear that area time and time again. To me, Vietnam was not like World War Two or Korea to where you had a line from this point back was secured; in Vietnam we just kept going around in circles. You really didn't have any friendly lines... maybe that's what we should of had, secure one area keep it secure and keep going forward.
(Interviewer: Jennifer M. Escamilla, Palo Alto College Student, Fall 2002)


Simon C. Ledezma Simon C. Ledezma was born in San Antonio, Texas, January 5, 1948. When he was nineteen and just out of high school, Ledezma's father took him to sign up for the draft. He was a sargeant for the 1st Air Calvary Unit 5th Division in the Vietnam War. There was this guy-we were on a hill- and there was a helicopter coming down and he couldn't land cause it was slanted and the blades were turning and he ran right into them. It cut the top of his head. The top of his helmet off and the top of his brain. He died right there. Just thinking about it I remember, but most of the time I don't think about it.
(Interviewer: Nikki Ledezma, Palo Alto College Student, Fall 2002)


Bruce Charles Morales
Bruce Charles Morales was born November 11,1949 in San Antonio Texas. At the age of eighteen he joined the Army. He was sent to Fort Bliss, El Paso for his basic training and joined the special forces to become a green beret. He later served in Vietnam. My Father was in World War Two; my oldest brother was also in the Vietnam War. He was one of the first tunnel rats in the United States Army. He went in the hole with just a gun and a flashlight and took them out. He came back alive . Then I went to Vietnam that's really why I went I guess cause that was my motive to go and find my brother but I didn't see him and I just stayed out there. My other brother when I was over there he went in, but he didn't go to Vietnam he went to Germany because the war was just about over already, he went in the seventies.
(Interviewer: Erika Pacheco, Palo Alto College Student, Spring 2003)

 

Guadalupe Olguin in 1963
Guadalupe Olguin was born on December 24, 1945. He joined the 82nd Airborne, where he was trained to be a paratrooper. He was shipped to Panama for jungle training then in 1964 and then to Vietnam. I was a demolition man and my job was to blow up bridges, anything to stop the convoys from coming from North Vietnam. They would go through Laos and Cambodia. Our job was to find where the stashes were and blow up the ammo dumps, blow up the bridges and anything else we came in contact with that they saw fit that needed to be blowed up.
(Interviewer: Roselva Olguin, Palo Alto College Student, Spring 2003)

CIVILIANS

Nancy holding her two children, Scott and Melanie Hennis; 1967
Nancy Hennis (nee Pallo) was born in Kansas City, Missouri on April 3, 1941. She married Richard Hennis who was in the Air Force as a master sergeant in 1960. He served in Vietnam on-and-off for four years. I was a young woman and had children and plenty to do, so, I don't think I really dwelled on it (the war). I just don't think I ever came to grips with what is all of this demonstrations about. No I don't like the war either, I don't like people getting killed. I mean I was afraid my husband would get killed. I dreaded maybe an Air Force or military man walking up the sidewalk some day with that telegram. I got nervous when I didn't get tapes from my husband. We didn't write letters we exchanged tapes, tape recorders. And I loved him very much and so you know I had a lot to lose in that war...
(Interviewer: Tasha Stanley, Palo Alto College Student, Spring 2003)
Jose Ybarra
Jose Ybarra was born on November 26, 1948 in San Antonio, Texas. He was the youngest of eleven children. During my senior year, one of my history teachers, Mr. Fray brought in a former student of his into one of our classes. That student explained to us that he had just come back from Vietnam and he was telling the class what was going on in Vietnam. And the clear message to all of us was- you guys out there wake up, learn what is going on around the world cause you may be going tomorrow or the day after, so understand what’s going on. Needless to say all of us were in shock we had no idea what was going on, and I think on that day we all got a little older.
(Interviewer: Jennifer Leigh Martinez, Palo Alto College Student, Spring 2003)
Other Oral Histories

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