Vietnam Veteranos: Chicanos Recall the War

By Lea Ybarra

Book Overview

One of the most decorated groups that served in the Vietnam War, Chicanos fought and died in numbers well out of proportion to their percentage of the United States' population. Yet despite this, their wartime experiences have never received much attention in either popular media or scholarly studies. To spotlight and preserve some of their stories, this book presents substantial interviews with Chicano Vietnam veterans and their families that explore the men's experiences in combat, the war's effects on the Chicano community, and the veterans' postwar lives.

Lea Ybarra groups the interviews topically to bring out different aspects of the Chicano vets' experiences. In addition to discussing their involvement in and views on the Vietnam War, the veterans also reflect on their place in American society, American foreign policy, and the value of war. Veterans from several states and different socioeconomic classes give the book a broad-based perspective, which Ybarra frames with sociological material on the war and its impact on Chicanos.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0292702442
• ISBN13: 9780292702448
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: University of Texas Press
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

A powerful gathering of veterans' voices

Most of "Vietnam Veteranos: Chicanos Recall the War," by Lea Ybarra, consists of personal testimonies of veterans. In the preface it is noted that the book is drawn from "interviews with Chicano Vietnam veterans from all branches of the service and from many backgrounds and geographic areas." The author further notes that the service dates of the veterans in the book range from 1965 to 1972. The interviewees represent many different jobs, including helicopter gunner, airborne infantryman, radio equipment operator, infantry company commander, medical corpsman, machine gunner, and forward observer. The book also features a foreword by Edward James Olmos. The main text is divided into three main sections: an introductory section, a second section containing the veterans' oral histories, and a concluding section entitled "Overview of Issues Discussed by the Veterans." The second section (pages 13 to 206) is the largest; the oral testimonies are grouped under the following thematic headings: "Idealism, Patriotism, and Politics"; "A Matter of Conscience," which focuses on the experiences of conscientious objectors; "Psychological and Medical Issues in the Aftermath of Vietnam"; and "The Impact of War on Family." The testimonies raise many significant issues: concerns over Agent Orange, the impact of the antiwar movement, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the danger of "friendly fire," the depiction of the war in motion pictures, and more. A number of veterans note the irony that as Chicanos they physically resembled the Vietnamese. Also addressed is the vilification many veterans experienced upon their return home, and in particular their being labeled as "baby killers." A number of the veterans discuss atrocities committed in wartime, and there are accounts of grisly violence and horrific injuries. One testimony offers fascinating details about the process by which one is recognized as a conscientious objector. There is also a very moving testimony by a mother who lost her 22-year old son in the war, and a joint interview with a veteran and his wife. Another standout testimony creates a vivid portrait of the demanding role of a wartime casualty reporter. The veterans offer many different attitudes towards the war and their experiences, ranging from "I'd do it all over again" to "It was a waste of time"; one veteran simply, and eloquently, states, "I survived. I made it." This powerful and thought-provoking book is a valuable addition to Vietnam War studies.