Hispanic American Veterans Share Their Experiences in Vietnam

In recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month, this video highlights the wartime experiences of three Hispanic Americans. Retired Army Major Laura Holguin Pariseau, a Hispanic American, served in Vietnam as an enlisted intelligence specialist from 1969-1972. Retired Marine Colonel Joaquin C. Gracida, was born in Mexico City, enlisted in the Marines as a radio technician, and became a naturalized citizen so that he could attend college with a Marine Corps scholarship  before two tours in Vietnam; one as a Platoon Leader, XO, and Commander of K Co. 3/5 Marines, and later as an Advisor. Retired Navy Commander Everett Alvarez Jr., the grandson of immigrants from Mexico, was the first American pilot to be downed in Vietnam when his A-4 Skyhawk was shot down in the immediate aftermath of the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident. Alvarez spent more than 8 years as a prisoner of war (POW).