{"id":1268,"date":"2017-07-11T03:02:58","date_gmt":"2017-07-11T03:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ushistory2os\/chapter\/primary-source-george-m-garcia-vietnam-veteran-oral-interview-19692012\/"},"modified":"2017-07-11T03:02:58","modified_gmt":"2017-07-11T03:02:58","slug":"primary-source-george-m-garcia-vietnam-veteran-oral-interview-19692012","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/rangercollege-ushistory2os\/chapter\/primary-source-george-m-garcia-vietnam-veteran-oral-interview-19692012\/","title":{"raw":"Primary Source: George M. Garcia, Vietnam Veteran, Oral Interview (1969\/2012)","rendered":"Primary Source: George M. Garcia, Vietnam Veteran, Oral Interview (1969\/2012)"},"content":{"raw":"In 2012, George Garcia sat down to be interviewed about his experiences as a corporal in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Alternating between English and Spanish, Garcia told of early life in Brownsville, Texas, his time as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam, and his experience coming home from the war.<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\n\u201c When I first arrived, I arrived in Da Nang. And I\u2019ll never forgot because I was only 18 years young. I was \u2014 you know, I was freshly out of high school. And at that time \u2014 I have to tell you this so you can have a picture of it because it wasn\u2019t just cut and dry. Like I told you, coming from the [Rio Grande] Valley, especially for me that I had never been exposed to anything like this \u2026\n\n\u2026 in our particular company, which was Company F, you know, we were always in mission. \u2026 And from that day forward \u2014 I arrived there January 3rd of 1969. And from that point until the day I left, we were always on a mission. Always. We all had different missions. \u2026\n\n\u2026\n\nI don\u2019t know if I should or not, but I can share with you the second month in February, I think I was still 18 maybe going on 19. It was pretty close on my 19th year. We have what we call \u2014 you know what \u2014 you know what it means friendly fire?\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nYes.\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nOkay. We were \u2014 again, we were in a mission. We had received a report to seek and destroy and our jets had \u2014 they were ahead of us. They had destroyed this area. Supposedly there were enemies there and they went ahead and destroy \u2014 and it was up for us to seek and destroy \u2014 to see and make sure there was no enemy left. So \u2014 anyway, supposedly the jets had already cleared the area. And so we continued to march. And usually our battalion commander does the calling and the clearing to stop the cease firing. Well, what happened that particular afternoon, our battalion failed to tell one of the pilots to cease fire and that \u2014 that pilot came back and they dropped bombs on us.\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nOh, no.\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nIt was the most \u2014 you know, the most horrible day of my life. I was \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 I was either turning just 19 there or I had just turned 19. I don\u2019t recall because it\u2019s \u2014 that happened in 1969 in February. And it was horrible. I mean, I remember \u2014 I mean, all the dust flying. It was \u2014 there was sand in that area and you could see all the sand flying all over the place. And you could hear the screaming and the yelling. And \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 our first platoon got wiped out.\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nHow big \u2014 how many men?\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nWe must have lost approximately about 30, 35. And I looked up because I could hear \u2014 and then there was a whistling sound. I kept hearing something like a whistling sound. And I didn\u2019t know at the time that it was \u2014 it was what we call a shrapnel from the bomb. And it hit me right here. It burned me. It cut me right here, but at the time I didn\u2019t pay attention. I just took it off, you know, but it was \u2014 it was strange because it was coming in real \u2014 you could hear woo woo woo and coming real fast. And then I didn\u2019t think too much about it until afterwards, but the strange thing about it, it didn\u2019t penetrate it.\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nSo it just hit you in your neck area?\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nYeah, right here.\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nBut it didn\u2019t break the skin?\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nIt did, but it didn\u2019t go all the way in. That\u2019s what\u2019s so strange. And, you know, it just like hit me and it stopped right there. It \u2014 you know, it cut me and burned me, but I took it off. But I couldn\u2019t understand \u2014 at the time I didn\u2019t think about it because I was concerned about the men.\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nSure.\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nIt was not until after when I found out about it that it was so strange it didn\u2019t get \u2014 it didn\u2019t go all the way because it was coming fast. So, anyway, I got up and I kept moving forward, you know. And I had a hard time seeing because there was a lot of dust and the sand and all that. And so when I saw the \u2014 you know, when I saw all those men that were killed, it was just horrible. And they were, you know, without their limbs and their eyes and at that moment, you know, I \u2014 at that moment I \u2014 I wanted to lose \u2014 it was \u2014 I had to make a quick decision. Either I would \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 I was about to lose my mind or take it all, you know. And so it was a moment of seconds I decided to take all the pain, what I was seeing inside of me. It\u2019s there in front of me. So I just told myself, I\u2019ll just take everything that I\u2019m seeing. So that\u2019s how I was able to keep my sanity. And I \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 I was real young and that was the first trauma that I \u2014 that I faced.\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nHow did you survive it?\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nThat\u2019s how I survived it.\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nLuck?\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nNo.\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nI mean the bombing.\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nThere\u2019s no luck.\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nThe bombing.\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nThere\u2019s no \u2014 there\u2019s no luck, because \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 there\u2019s no luck in war at all. I don\u2019t believe there\u2019s luck, you know. Just God\u2019s grace and those men that were \u2014 those men that we lost, I understand it now \u2014 I didn\u2019t understand then \u2014 because I even pleaded with God during my time that I was there \u2014 somewhere down the road I did \u2014 I yelled out to God because \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 I was losing a lot of my friends and I asked God to take me, not to take them. But coming back to February, as I was able to keep my insanity from that \u2014 from that day, that\u2019s how I survived the war, because it was such a horrible war, Vietnam, that \u2014 that\u2019s how I was able to save my sanity. And then we had to \u2014 then we have to bag the bodies. We had bodies we wouldn\u2019t \u2014 we couldn\u2019t even find because they were so well destroyed, I mean. And to this day I haven\u2019t forgotten. That\u2019s why they were going to award me a Purple Heart because of my \u2014 when I got hit. And I couldn\u2019t accept it. I told them I would not accept because I felt that my wound was nothing compared to what I had seen. I didn\u2019t feel worthy of it. So I declined that \u2014 I declined that \u2014 that Purple Heart. I just felt very unworthy, even today. I always felt that I made the right decision and the right \u2014 to this very day.\n\nJulia M. Hernandez:<\/strong>\n\nRight.\n\nGeorge M. Garcia:<\/strong>\n\nYeah.\n\n[Source: Interview with George M. Garcia (October 6, 2012). Available online via the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress (https:\/\/memory.loc.gov\/diglib\/vhp\/story\/loc.natlib.afc2001001.88006\/<\/a>).]\n\n\u00a0","rendered":"

In 2012, George Garcia sat down to be interviewed about his experiences as a corporal in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Alternating between English and Spanish, Garcia told of early life in Brownsville, Texas, his time as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam, and his experience coming home from the war.<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201c When I first arrived, I arrived in Da Nang. And I\u2019ll never forgot because I was only 18 years young. I was \u2014 you know, I was freshly out of high school. And at that time \u2014 I have to tell you this so you can have a picture of it because it wasn\u2019t just cut and dry. Like I told you, coming from the [Rio Grande] Valley, especially for me that I had never been exposed to anything like this \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026 in our particular company, which was Company F, you know, we were always in mission. \u2026 And from that day forward \u2014 I arrived there January 3rd of 1969. And from that point until the day I left, we were always on a mission. Always. We all had different missions. \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if I should or not, but I can share with you the second month in February, I think I was still 18 maybe going on 19. It was pretty close on my 19th year. We have what we call \u2014 you know what \u2014 you know what it means friendly fire?<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes.<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Okay. We were \u2014 again, we were in a mission. We had received a report to seek and destroy and our jets had \u2014 they were ahead of us. They had destroyed this area. Supposedly there were enemies there and they went ahead and destroy \u2014 and it was up for us to seek and destroy \u2014 to see and make sure there was no enemy left. So \u2014 anyway, supposedly the jets had already cleared the area. And so we continued to march. And usually our battalion commander does the calling and the clearing to stop the cease firing. Well, what happened that particular afternoon, our battalion failed to tell one of the pilots to cease fire and that \u2014 that pilot came back and they dropped bombs on us.<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh, no.<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was the most \u2014 you know, the most horrible day of my life. I was \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 I was either turning just 19 there or I had just turned 19. I don\u2019t recall because it\u2019s \u2014 that happened in 1969 in February. And it was horrible. I mean, I remember \u2014 I mean, all the dust flying. It was \u2014 there was sand in that area and you could see all the sand flying all over the place. And you could hear the screaming and the yelling. And \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 our first platoon got wiped out.<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

How big \u2014 how many men?<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

We must have lost approximately about 30, 35. And I looked up because I could hear \u2014 and then there was a whistling sound. I kept hearing something like a whistling sound. And I didn\u2019t know at the time that it was \u2014 it was what we call a shrapnel from the bomb. And it hit me right here. It burned me. It cut me right here, but at the time I didn\u2019t pay attention. I just took it off, you know, but it was \u2014 it was strange because it was coming in real \u2014 you could hear woo woo woo and coming real fast. And then I didn\u2019t think too much about it until afterwards, but the strange thing about it, it didn\u2019t penetrate it.<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

So it just hit you in your neck area?<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, right here.<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

But it didn\u2019t break the skin?<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

It did, but it didn\u2019t go all the way in. That\u2019s what\u2019s so strange. And, you know, it just like hit me and it stopped right there. It \u2014 you know, it cut me and burned me, but I took it off. But I couldn\u2019t understand \u2014 at the time I didn\u2019t think about it because I was concerned about the men.<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure.<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was not until after when I found out about it that it was so strange it didn\u2019t get \u2014 it didn\u2019t go all the way because it was coming fast. So, anyway, I got up and I kept moving forward, you know. And I had a hard time seeing because there was a lot of dust and the sand and all that. And so when I saw the \u2014 you know, when I saw all those men that were killed, it was just horrible. And they were, you know, without their limbs and their eyes and at that moment, you know, I \u2014 at that moment I \u2014 I wanted to lose \u2014 it was \u2014 I had to make a quick decision. Either I would \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 I was about to lose my mind or take it all, you know. And so it was a moment of seconds I decided to take all the pain, what I was seeing inside of me. It\u2019s there in front of me. So I just told myself, I\u2019ll just take everything that I\u2019m seeing. So that\u2019s how I was able to keep my sanity. And I \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 I was real young and that was the first trauma that I \u2014 that I faced.<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

How did you survive it?<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s how I survived it.<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Luck?<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

No.<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I mean the bombing.<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no luck.<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The bombing.<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no \u2014 there\u2019s no luck, because \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 there\u2019s no luck in war at all. I don\u2019t believe there\u2019s luck, you know. Just God\u2019s grace and those men that were \u2014 those men that we lost, I understand it now \u2014 I didn\u2019t understand then \u2014 because I even pleaded with God during my time that I was there \u2014 somewhere down the road I did \u2014 I yelled out to God because \u2014 (spoke Spanish) \u2014 I was losing a lot of my friends and I asked God to take me, not to take them. But coming back to February, as I was able to keep my insanity from that \u2014 from that day, that\u2019s how I survived the war, because it was such a horrible war, Vietnam, that \u2014 that\u2019s how I was able to save my sanity. And then we had to \u2014 then we have to bag the bodies. We had bodies we wouldn\u2019t \u2014 we couldn\u2019t even find because they were so well destroyed, I mean. And to this day I haven\u2019t forgotten. That\u2019s why they were going to award me a Purple Heart because of my \u2014 when I got hit. And I couldn\u2019t accept it. I told them I would not accept because I felt that my wound was nothing compared to what I had seen. I didn\u2019t feel worthy of it. So I declined that \u2014 I declined that \u2014 that Purple Heart. I just felt very unworthy, even today. I always felt that I made the right decision and the right \u2014 to this very day.<\/p>\n

Julia M. Hernandez:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Right.<\/p>\n

George M. Garcia:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah.<\/p>\n

[Source: Interview with George M. Garcia (October 6, 2012). Available online via the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress (https:\/\/memory.loc.gov\/diglib\/vhp\/story\/loc.natlib.afc2001001.88006\/<\/a>).]<\/p>\n

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