Más Bakersfield

Veteranos remember

By Luz Peña — MÁS Staff

Now they’re fathers, grandfathers and even great-grandfathers.
But at one time, they were Private Francisco Reyes and Private Henry Acosta.
The two men served in the Army during World War II in their early 20s. Their two faces were among the 16.1 million armed forces personnel who served during the years 1941 to 1945.
Unlike their nearly 300,000 fellow soldiers, they came back home alive. They got married, started a family and worked regular jobs.
According to the 2002 Census, they’re among 475,000 World War II veterans who live in California. Since most of these veteranos are currently in their 80s, that number is rapidly dwindling.
However, for these two soldiers the memories haven’t wrinkled or grayed with time like their faces and hair, but are as bright and vivid as if the war was ayer.
To mark Veterans Day, MÁS sat down with Reyes and Acosta to talk about their wartime experiences, familia, to share their wisdom with a new generation of servicemen and servicewomen, and their thoughts on the war in Iraq.



HENRY ACOSTA
Age: 88
Hometown: East Los Angeles but moved to Bakersfield more than five years ago.
Age when enlisted in the Army: 23
Tour of duty: 8 months
Family: A wife, Kay, 78; six children; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Medals: several, including two Purple Hearts and two for Good Conduct.
A military family: Two of Henry’s brothers served in World War II. Rudy, his baby brother, died at the age of 21 in World War II.

Q: Why did you enlist in the Army?
A: “I wanted to join the Navy because my baby brother had died, but they said I was too old. However, I wasn’t too old for the Army. At the time, I had a lot of anger over my brother’s death. I was angry with God.”

Q: How did your brother die?
A: “He was 17 when he enlisted to be in the Navy. My mother signed for him because that’s what he wanted to do. He survived Pearl Harbor, so we were happy. He told us he would be home for Christmas. He never made it home. They never really said exactly how he died, but in the letter, it said, ‘He was patrolling the island when he was found dead.’ My mother took it really hard because she signed for him to go, but that’s what he wanted to do.”

Q: What do you remember about the war?
A: “I remember a lot of guns and bombs going off. There were men dying all around me. Believe me, war is hell. It’s hell on earth. That’s when I found God.”

Q: When and how did you find God?
A: “A bazooka went off and hit my leg and killed some of my men. Then I went to Johnny, he was my fellow soldier. He asked me for water. I gave him some of my water, which we weren’t supposed to do because water was very limited. Johnny was burnt badly. I gave him water, but he said he was still thirsty and I hadn’t given him water. I looked at him and noticed he had a hole under his chin, so the water wasn’t getting to him. Then something told me to move out of the way. That’s when another bomb exploded. Johnny was blown in half and I got hit the second time. All I could do was scream and cry, ‘God, please help me.’”
 
Q: You were injured twice. How badly were you hurt and how long was the recovery?
A: “Both of my legs were hurt really bad. I had hardly any skin on them. They had to do skin graphs on them. I was in the hospital six months over there and six months here in the U.S. The hospitals were unsafe over there because they had to watch for snipers and bombs trying to take us out. They had a few Filipino soldiers watch me because I was in a cast from the waist down. They had to make sure when there was a sniper threat, they dragged me down so I wouldn’t get hit. After the skin graphs, I had to learn how to walk again. The VA hospital has been very good to me.”

Q: What are your thoughts on Iraq. Any advice to the soldiers over there?
A: “It’s hard to fight a war like Iraq. We’re fighting in their back yard and we’re dealing with people who don’t care what happens — if they live or die. That’s why so many of our men are getting killed over there. It’s really bad. The soldiers must keep their faith in God. Don’t lose sight of God because he’s everywhere.”

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FRANCISCO REYES
Age: 85
Hometown: Del Río, Texas, but moved to Bakersfield in 1946 from Earlimart, Calif.
Age when drafted into the Army: 21
Tour of duty: 3 years and 19 days
Family: A wife, Antonia, 78; five children; 17 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.
Medals: Many, including two Purple Hearts and two Good Conduct Medals.
A military family: Two of Francisco’s brothers were in the military; his son, Joel, was in the Army; and grandson, Joel R. Morales, 30, is currently serving in Iraq. 

Q: What do you remember about your experiences in World War II?
A: “I was drafted after training in Del Río, Texas and moving around to different forts. First we landed in Bombay, India, then we went to Japan. I was in charge of clearing the area and making pathways — bridges — after they were bombed. We had to be careful of stray bombs or any lingering enemy soldiers, but our fellow soldiers watched over us very carefully.”

Q: You have two Purple Hearts. How did you get them?
A: “Like I said, I was in charge of clearing the way where combat had been. However, there were bombs left behind — along with Japanese soldiers. I was hit in my right leg twice, so I got two for it. It could have been worse, I could have not made it.”

Q: When someone thinks of a World War II veteran, they think of bravery. Were you ever scared?
A: “Oh yes, when you see the guns going off and people dying all around you. You see your friends not making it, and you realize you are in war. You appreciate each day you’re not hurt and alive.”

Q: How did you feel when word reached you that the war had ended?
A: “It was a great sense of relief. They started sending us home, but some of us had to stay behind to watch the enemy. I was one of them. I stood there in the rice lakes, it was really wet and swampy. We were always wet. I had to watch over everything to make sure there wasn’t anyone trying to attack us. Once a month, they would send us food and clothes by parachute.”

Q: What did you do when you got back home?
A: “I picked cotton and potatoes in Earlimart where I met my wife (laughs).”

Q: If you had to go back, would you do it again?
A: I was drafted so it was like it was my turn to go. However, if I had to do it again I would. It was an experience. I learned a lot and I got to see the world.”

Q: What is your advice to those who want to join the armed forces?
A: “Like I told my son and grandson, don’t sign up too quickly, especially now when we’re at war. Be sure this is something that you really want to do, and if it is then do it. War is war and there’s a chance you won’t make it home.’”