LATINO PATRIOTS IN KOREAN & VIETNAM WAR.
Korean War: During the Korean Conflict, Latino patriots were called up again for duty and served with distinction and honor (1950-1953). They were in U.S. Army and Marine Corps combat units, the Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force, as the previous generation had done in WWII. Among these Latino patriots were Mexican-Americans from the barrios of Los Angeles, San Antonio, Laredo, Phoenix, and Chicago.
They saw action in Korea fighting bravely to defend their country. During the Korean War, eight Latino patriots received the Medal of Honor for their heroism, and of these, two surv received the Medal of Honor posthumously. An all-Latino combat unit that served with distinction during the Korean War was the Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment.
This unit was initially constituted as the Puerto Rico Regiment of Volunteer Infantry. There were two battalions, one at San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR) and the other at Henry Barracks, PR. When this unit arrived at Pusan, Korea on September 20, 1950, they saw heavy combat and long service. Over the next three years, they participated in nine major campaigns earning a Presidential Unit Citation, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, and two Republic of Korea Unit Citations. Members of the 65th Infantry Regiment were awarded four Distinguished Service Crosses and 124 Silver Star medals.
These patriots were also credited with capturing 2,086 enemy soldiers and killing an additional 5,905 of the enemy. The 65th Infantry Regiment endured heavy ground fighting in Korea and was exposed to some of the most mountainous terrain in the world. Some of the fiercest battles also took place during the winter months in Korea, which can be extremely cold with heavy snow and ice. During the Korean War, Latino patriots also participated in the war in other branches of the U.S. Armed Services. The Korean War was also the first U.S. engagement in which jet aircraft were used on a large scale in wartime.
While the Korean War was winding down, the Chinese Communist forces introduced the Russian built MiG-15 jet fighter and the U.S. Air Force responded with the F-86 "Sabre." Of the 839 MiG-15s shot down during the war, the F-86 Sabres destroyed about 800 of the North Korean planes. In contrast, only 58 F-86s were shot down by the MiG-15s.
There were many air-to-air engagements that became common throughout the war. Some of these encounters would reach altitudes of 40,000 feet. From these engagements, the jet ace, the new generation of fighter pilot was born. One heroic jet ace was Captain Manuel J. Fernandez, Jr. who was assigned to the 334th Squadron, 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. From September 1952 to May 1953, he flew 125 combat missions in the F-86 Sabre. On most of these missions, his job was to seek and destroy Communist MiG-15s in the air.
His first air combat victory occurred on October 4, 1952. When he completed his fifth victory, he was designated an "ace" and finished the Korean War with 14½ confirmed air victories. This feat placed him 60th among the top U.S. Air Force aces in WW I, WWII, and, the Korean War combined. After the Korean War ended, he set a new world record while flying an F-100C, "Super Sabre," attaining an average speed of 666.661mph in September 1956.
He retired from military service with the rank of Colonel. Latino patriots served proudly throughout the Korean War and many, especially the 65th Infantry Regiment, were honored for their valor and bravery. This was a time in which the U.S. experienced increased prosperity. However, simultaneously, Latinos' socio-economic status declined. Many Latinos were still treated as second-class citizens despite their patriotic war records. Despite this adversity, they continued to fight and die for their country.
Latino patriots received nine Congressional Medal of Honor awards for their participation in the Korean War. Vietnam War: Hispanics patriots went into action again during the Vietnam War and fought bravely for their country (1961-1973). Many Hispanic patriots were the first ones in and the last ones out during the Vietnam War.
Hispanic patriots were sent to Vietnam to participate in Special Forces advisory units instructing the South Vietnamese on methods to strengthen their military defenses against Communist aggressors. Before World War II, the entire region of Indochina had been under French colonial rule. During World War II, Japan had occupied the region and later from 1945-1950, France struggled to reestablish its authority and control over Vietnam. By May 1950, the U.S. had started to send military and economic aid to the French.
The French Army was engaged in a military conflict against nationalist and communist forces that had earlier provided armed resistance to the Japanese but were now fighting against the return of the French. In 1954, after four years of fighting, the French army were defeated by the communist Viet Minh at the battle of Dien Bien Phu.
The U.S. created the first Special Forces unit on June 20, 1952. In mid-1957, a U.S. Special Forces unit arrived in the Republic of Vietnam (the southern half of Vietnam was partitioned by the 1954 peace agreement with France). In May 1960, another Special Forces unit was sent to South Vietnam to train the Vietnamese Army, which was now engaged in fighting a guerrilla war initiated by the communist North Vietnamese. In November 1961, Special Forces medical units were sent to South Vietnam to provide assistance to various indigenous tribes. From 1961 to 1965, over 80 Special Forces camps were established as part of the U.S. supported Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) program.
The CIDG program was intended to help South Vietnamese groups to raise paramilitary forces to resist Communist guerrilla activity and defend their villages. Each CIDG camp had a South Vietnamese Special Forces team, a U.S. Special Forces team, and from two to seven companies of indigenous self-defense troops. Some camps also had a unit of Mungs, mountain tribesmen from northern Vietnam, hired by the U.S. Each of the CIDG camps was intended to be a self-contained, fully independent organization capable of resisting Communist forces operating in the region.
The U.S. Special Forces team was there to advise and assist with camp administration, and prepare and train military personnel for eventual turnover of the camp to South Vietnamese authorities. However, it did not take the Vietnamese Communists (Viet Cong) long to realize the actual purpose of the CIDG camps. The fighting intensified as the Viet Cong found defensive weaknesses and attacked several camps.
The defense of the camps became a priority of the Special Forces since many were not fortified. In November 1963, a reinforced battalion of Viet Cong attacked the CIDG camp at Hiep Hoa, Long, which had opened in February 1963. The attack occurred at night and the defenders in the camp were taken completely by surprise as heavy machine gun and mortar fire bombarded the camp. Among the U.S. Special Forces personnel at Hiep Hoa was Sergeant First Class Issac Camacho. All of the camp defenders were pinned down by Viet Cong fire and Sergeant Camacho ran from his sleeping area to a mortar position and began to return fire.
Pressure from the attacking force soon opened the camp's defensive wall and the commanding officer ordered a withdrawal. In the confusion of the battle and in the darkness of the night, Sergeant Camacho became separated from his Special Forces comrades and was captured by the Viet Cong. He remained a prisoner for almost 20 months, until on July 9, 1965, he was able to escape from his isolation and make his way to freedom crossing through miles of Communist controlled areas. For his personal courage and action in defending Hiep Hoa and later escape, he was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star Medals in September 1965.
He was promoted to Master Sergeant and later given a battlefield commission to the rank of Captain. He retired from the Army and moved to El Paso, Texas. Lieutenant Everett Alvarez, Jr. is another Latino patriot who distinguished himself in combat. He was one of the first Latinos to participate in the U.S. aerial campaign against Viet Cong forces. Early on August 4, 1964, he was ordered to sink several North Vietnamese gunboats that had attacked two U.S. destroyers. Unfortunately, he and another Navy pilot were shot down by enemy fire in this engagement. The other pilot died and North Vietnamese communists captured Lt. Alvarez.
He was a prisoner for more than eight years. During this time, his family in the U.S. suffered greatly, but maintained contact with him via the mail service provided by his captors. Lt. Alvarez was able to survive this ordeal by his religious faith and patriotism for his country. The North Vietnamese released Lt. Alvarez in February 1973, after negotiations between the U. S. and the North Vietnamese government. He was among the first group of prisoners to regain his freedom after a peace agreement was negotiated in Paris.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. In March 1973, a city park in Santa Clara, California, was dedicated in his honor. He left the Navy soon thereafter, and later served as the Deputy Director for the U.S. Veterans Administration. He has since written two autobiographical accounts, Chained Eagle and Code of Conduct, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He is currently employed as a private consultant. Master Sergeant (then Staff Sergeant) Roy P. Benavidez, Detachment B-56, 5th. Special Forces Group, Republic of Vietnam was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism on May 2, 1968 at a firefight west of Loc Ninh. Sgt. Benavidez joined a rescue helicopter team to extract members of a 12 man Special Forces reconnaissance team that was overrun by a superior Viet Cong force. Sgt Benavidez sustained a remarkable number of wounds in the course of carrying wounded Special Forces members to the first rescue helicopter, which was subsequently destroyed. He deployed to a second rescue helicopter that he called in to complete the recovery operation.
He was able to save the lives of eight Green Berets despite his wounds and heavy loss of blood. After retrieving the wounded and several classified documents he boarded the helicopter for medical treatment and safe return to his base. On September 15, 2000 the secretary of the Navy, Richard Danzig, announced that the Navy would honor Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez by naming the seventh in the Bob Hope Class of large, medium speed, roll on/roll off sealift (LMSR) ships in his honor. Alfred V. Rascon, Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, distinguished himself on March 16, 1966 while assigned as a medic to the Reconnaissance Platoon, 1st. Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade in Viet Nam. His platoon attempted to aid a sister battalion, that was under intense enemy attack, and was attacked by a larger enemy force.
Though told to move to a safer rear position, he instead ran through a shower of bullets and grenades to help his comrades. He was wounded by shrapnel but continued to tirelessly provide support to the gunnery positions of his unit. Each foray against the enemy added to his already serious wounds.
His Medal of Honor citation captures the essence of his heroism that day: "Specialist Rascon's extraordinary valor in the face of deadly enemy fire, his heroism in rescuing the wounded and his gallantry by repeatedly risking his own life for his fellow soldiers are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army." The story of Captain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace is another example of individual courage in the face of a ruthless enemy. Versace, was born in Hawaii on July 2, 1937. Further investigation into his background indicates that his mother, Theresa Nunez, author of a short story that was the basis for "The Flying Nun," was from Puerto Rico, while his father was Italian-American. He always considered Alexandria, Virginia his home. Versace, a West Point graduate (1959) like his father, served in Korea and later as an officer with the Old Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1962, he volunteered for a tour of duty in Viet Nam as an intelligence advisor helping the South Vietnamese government fight a communist insurgency. He immersed himself in Vietnamese culture and language in the delta town of Camau. He established medical clinics, obtained tin sheeting to replace thatch roofs, and arranged for wheat shipments to feed the Vietnamese family pigs.
He worked on behalf of Vietnamese children and contacted schools in the U.S. to obtain sports equipment for village playgrounds. He volunteered for a second tour of duty intending to subsequently retire from the U.S. Army to enter the Maryknoll Order and work with children in Vietnam. In October 1963, Captain Versace was captured during an operation near the U Minh Forest, a Viet Cong stronghold.
He was wounded in a fierce firefight and then kept in solitary confinement, without medical treatment, for open defiance of his captors. He vehemently opposed attempts at indoctrination by the Viet Cong and was a primary target for their brutality and frustration. He lived by the code of duty, honor and country. His resistance and open defiance deflected punishment from other captives and stiffened their will to resist. Versace made three attempts to escape, his treatment becoming more severe with each failed effort.
He was loudly singing "God Bless America" from his isolation box the last time the other prisoners heard from him. On September 29, 1965, communist Hanoi Radio announced Versace's death in retaliation for communist sympathizers killed by the South Vietnamese. In 1970, Major Nick Rowe, a fellow captive and subsequent escapee, nominated Rocky for an award for valor. The U.S Army awarded him the Silver Star and thus made him the first American soldier who became a prisoner of war to receive a medal, a routine practice among the other armed services for its servicemen and women. In 2000, following a complete review of Captain Versace's heroism, the Army Special Forces Command resubmitted his award recommendation.
Subsequently in January 2001, Secretary of the Army, Luis Caldera approved the Medal of Honor for Captain Versace. The Versace family expects to receive the posthumous award of the Medal of Honor after Congress acts on Senate bill S. 1155, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2002, and the president approves. Section 541 is entitled, "Authority for Award of the Medal of Honor to Humbert R. Versace for Valor During the Vietnam War." The Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, that was inaugurated in late 2001, is located in Alexandria, Virginia. The memorial contains the names of more than 60 Alexandria patriots
soldiers..sailors..airmen.and marines......
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