[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8917]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING HISPANIC VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LINDA T. SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 16, 2007

  Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I proudly join my 
colleagues today to pay tribute to the contributions of Latinos who 
served in our Armed Forces during World War II. As we were painfully 
reminded by the complete omission of Hispanics from a PBS documentary 
on World War II, the important contributions of Latinos, native born, 
as well as immigrants, are too often overlooked and forgotten.
  From the American Revolution, a victory that established our Nation; 
to the Civil War, a victory that preserved our Nation; to the current 
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hispanics have played an instrumental 
role.
  From Hispanic business owners to day laborers to the growing number 
of Hispanics in executive level positions, Hispanics are ingrained in 
the fabric of our strong Nation. As the largest and fastest growing 
minority in the Unites States, Hispanic participation in all segments 
of society is not only essential but apparent. It should not be 
surprising, then, that Hispanics also serve our nation in one of its 
most patriotic duties--the heroic defense of our country.
  During World War II, Hispanics served in greater proportions than any 
other minority in the U.S. Armed Forces with the number of Hispanics 
serving likely peaking at well over 400,000. Although proper record 
keeping of Hispanics in the armed forces was not kept until after World 
War II, we have a multitude of accounts of Hispanic participation. One 
famous example is Company E of the 141st Regiment of the 36th Texas 
Infantry Division, which was made up entirely of Spanish-speaking 
Americans. For their notable service they were awarded 1,685 Bronze 
Stars, 492 Silver Stars, 31 Distinguished Service Crosses, 12 Legions 
of Merit, and 11 Soldier's Medals.
  One individual example is Staff Sergeant Ysmael R. Villegas. A 
California native, he served in the United States Army during World War 
II. At the Battle of Luzon in the Philippines, he stepped up to lead 
his squad in a counterattack of the enemy and single-handedly cleared 
five installations of heavy machineguns. Upon taking the sixth and 
final area of firing, and at only twenty-one years old, Staff Sergeant 
Villegas was killed in action. For his bravery, President Harry Truman 
posthumously awarded him the Medal of Honor.
  There are countless stories of heroism like Staff Sergeant Villegas'. 
Hispanics disproportionately earned more Medals of Honor in the 20th 
Century than any other major subgroup. From the Civil War to the 
Vietnam War, there have been thirty-nine Hispanic Americans who have 
received the Medal of Honor. Twenty-two of them sacrificed their lives 
in combat in service to the United Stated Navy, Army, and Marines.
  According to the latest Census, there are over 1.1 million living 
Hispanic veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. And this number is 
expanding. Since November 2006, 25,300 Hispanics have been deployed for 
service. According to the Department of Defense, Hispanics have endured 
the most deaths for a minority group in Operation Iraqi Freedom and 
Operation Enduring Freedom. Our country honors their service as well as 
those who have served in the past.
  I encourage all Americans to take the opportunity to recognize and 
continue to learn about the role Hispanics played in World War II and 
throughout our nation's history. It is an integral part of the American 
story. Without these contributions and sacrifices, America would not be 
what it is today.

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