Prior to the performance of “Zoot Suit,” a show depicting serious racial conflict between the Los Angeles Latino community, the Los Angeles City Government and US military personnel which culminated in riots in 1943, the Latino- Jewish Coalition heard from four speakers: two Latino/Chicano war veterans and two Jewish war veterans. They spoke about their experiences in the Viet Nam era and how their lives were impacted.
Gus Chavez was a medic serving the wounded at Balboa Naval Medical Center. He took care of the injured who were largely forgotten by the media. Many had long and painful recoveries and difficult re-entries into civilian life due to physical and psychological injuries. It is estimated that more than four hundred thousand military personnel were injured in this conflict. As a result of his experience Gus became an anti-war activist and a leader for the rights of Mexican- Americans.
David Valladolid served in the infantry and was badly wounded in combat. Along with his other injuries he was told that he would never see again. He took the risk of an additional surgery on his eyes which, against all odds, restored his vision. David then spent an additional six months in hospital recovering. As a result of his war experiences he too became an anti-war activist, community and labor organizer, and leader for the rights of Mexican – Americans.
Having seen the horrors of war, these two brave men wanted to work for peace and for the full inclusion of Latinos into American society. They spoke of being marginalized and being part of an ethnic group whose contributions, during our many wars, was not reported or recognized. In fact, forty–four Hispanic Americans have been awarded the Medal of Honor dating back to the American Civil War, and yet a famous documentary film maker failed to make mention of the Hispanic contributions to our military, and was only shamed into making a minimal mention of them by massive political action.
Allen Miliefsky initially enlisted in the US Air Force, then later gained his commission and flew some 250 combat missions in Viet Nam, receiving among other awards the Air Force Cross. Since retiring from the military as a Lt. Colonel he has been active in several veterans’ organizations, and was the Commander – Department of California 2009-2011 of the Jewish War Veterans (which is the oldest veterans organization in America.)
Louis Kaplan was an Air Force officer, during the Viet Nam conflict, serving first at Kessler AFB, Mississippi and then in Washington, D.C. He was a witness to many moments of US history watching the “civil rights wade in” along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the riots in Washington, D. C. and the anti- war protest movement on many college campuses in the Middle Atlantic States. Lou participated in a major diversity program where the armed forces tried to help returning veterans find civilian jobs related to civilian skills acquired during their military service. The Air Force that Lou experienced was fully integrated including women and minorities and served as a stark contrast to a civilian society that was still trying to come to grips with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
It was mentioned that more than 150,000 Viet Nam Era veterans have committed suicide since their service, a number almost three times those killed in action. It was also brought out that many vets joined the anti-war movement but were not antagonistic to their brothers and sisters in uniform.
