Vega, Hipolito
Larios: This interview is taking place at the home of Karen Larios, one of the interviewers. We
are interviewing Hipolito Vega. Mr. Vega was born on August 13, 1930, and his address is 1407
Clower, San Antonio, Texas 78201. The interviewers are Erin Williams and Karen Larios.
Myself, Ms. Larios, met Mr. Vega through church. Mr. Vega, can you tell us your branch of
service?
Vega: It's the army.
Larios: What war did you serve in?
Vega: In the Korean war
Larios: What was your rank?
Vega: PFC at the boot camp and by the time I left it was corporal.
Larios: Where did you serve?
Vega: I served in several places, of course for the two years that I was in the service, the branch.
My induction was in Illinois. Then I went to training at Washington, DC and Maryland, and from
there I went into medical training at Fort Sam Houston. From there, then I was sent to, well at the
time that I got in it was Fort Meade, Maryland. That's when I that's where I was sent to Fort Sam
Houston where I took my medical training. Then I was sent to Seattle, Washington, or rather
Tacoma, I think it was Tacoma, Washington as I recall, and I served there for a few months at the
hospital in Tacoma, the army hospital there.
Larios: Thank you.
Vega: Then of course I was sent to Korea for the rest of my time.
Larios: Ok, thank you.
Williams: When first interviewed you mentioned that you were drafted by the choice of your
neighbors and family. What did you mean by that?
Vega: Well, the reason I said that is because I was in Saginaw, Michigan at the time, and of course
I didn't know very many neighbors over there or had any knowledge that they would know me
either because I was drafted from San Antonio, Texas. See, this is where my hometown was, but I
was living at this time in Saginaw. I said "well who are my friends and neighbors here that I got
drafted," you know. There was a letter that I received. That's what I meant by that.
Williams: Was there any way to be exempt from the draft?
Vega: Well, yes, because I was very active in the church. At that time I was a teacher, an
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instructor, and I had plans really to get into the ministry, so they gave me an option. But I had to
come over here to San Antonio to discuss my situation, and they did tell me if I wanted to work in
the field, to raise crops or whatever for the troops, but I opted to go into the service instead of you
know just going out and working in the fields while my fellow Americans were facing danger, you
know for me. So my conscious wouldn't let me do that, so that's why I opted to get into the
service.
Williams: Were you the only one in your family that was drafted to the war?
Vega: Well, at the time yes of draft, I was drafted, but, excuse me, I had a brother, older brother
that joined in the second world war. He enlisted, and being that he was a mechanic they put him at
Kelly Field to repair airplanes, and also he became an instructor. And he really became more or
less like a professional and stayed in the army. And then of course I had another brother that was
older than I, that he missed the draft because he was older, and I got drafted. And I had another
brother that missed the Vietnam War because he was too young at the time to go into the Vietnam
War, so. But we're two, two of us of my family except now of course I have two children that
joined the Air Force, which is Terry and Paul. Paul became an air traffic controller, and Terry
became special forces in London for three years. So we had a family that joined in the service, you
know.
Williams: At the time, where were you living, what were you doing and how did the draft alter
your life plans?
Vega: Well, at the time I was living in Saginaw Michigan. I was working for General Motors, and
I was drafted, and of course like I said I was planning to enter into the ministry but that altered my
life you might say, so when I came out I just went back to work where I was working at GM for a
while. And then of course after that accident that I had in the plant when I fractured my skull,
nothing happened to me in war and here I almost got killed at home working for the General
Motors plant, but anyway. Things change and I think things changed for the better for me in more
ways than one. I've always trusted in God to guide me.
Williams: Did you have a choice in what branch of the service you were drafted into?
Ve~a: Well, no I didn't have a choice. But they made it up for me so they decided since I was
going in as a conscientious objector the thing they placed me in was in the medical field to work in
the hospital. So I became a medic in the front lines.
Williams: Did the medical field appeal to you at the time?
Vega: Yes, it did, because I learned a lot about the ourselves, you know the physical body and
what we could do to save a life when we are needed. So it enlightened me quite a bit and I learned
a lot of discipline.
Williams: Were there any benefits involved upon returning, or for your family?
Vega: Yes, there were benefits because they offered schooling, and or course I had a lot of offers
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also for the medical field, I wanted to further my education, become a doctor or whatever but I
didn't see myself going into the medical field because it took a long time, and, I think internship
and all that twelve years or whatever and more education. So what I chose was the electronic field.
I went to electronic school, so that's what I did afterwards. They gave me a TV and radio
electronics technician, you know.
Williams: Did your beliefs effect any of your decisions regarding your duty?
Vega: Well yes not that it affected it but it was conscious. I couldn't have in my heart to go kill
anybody, even though they offered me a 45, a gun, you know when I was up in the front lines and,
but I just couldn't take it and I said no I made my choice so I just became a, well what do you call
it, a first aid man you know, a medical, a medic as they call it a medic.
Williams: What were your first days in service like?
Vega: Well, I adjusted to several attitudes. I never forgot the time when I, when we first got into
the boot camp they call it. The sergeant says you know the way they speak, he says from now he
says I'm your momma and I'm your daddy, I'm you brother and you do what I say when I say
jump you say how high you know that's all but you'd be surprised how when we were marching
out there we were all in step and one time I just recall everybody was in step except one, he was
marching at a different beat of a drum everybody was going down he was going up and everybody,
so well laughed of course because well, he got deferred, they put him out of the service you know
because he couldn't adapt to it it's just the way it is when you go in you have to adapt to a new way
waking up at three o'clock four o'clock five o'clock in the morning taking all the beddings out and
alright and then you have to come back to put it back together just to harass you, you know but
what they're doing is actually see how you can take it mentally. And they do a good job of it, let
me tell you.
Williams: What kind of training were you provided with prior to your active duty?
Vega: Medical training, the first aid and field, well to give the first aid attention to the wounded,
and how to stop the bleeding, the points that you have to know in the body, what would stop the
bleeding you know. So they trained us pretty well I think. We were well prepared, except
emotionally that's different. But they teach you pretty well the things that you're supposed to
know.
Williams: How did you get through all of your training and your first impressions?
Vega: Well, when they were telling us about a lot of things that you maybe could get
contaminated with or infirmaries sometimes you feel that you have it already. Its just it's in your
mind you know. They tell you all the sicknesses or diseases, and you says "I feel that way," you
know, because it's your mind that's playing tricks but they prepare you as far as.. I think that was
the question right, say it again, the question?
Williams: How did you get through all of your training and your first impressions?
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Vega: Well, I came through it pretty well I think, and my first impression was that I was more
knowledgeable, even though I took some of those courses in school , but never, you know. And
they showed the wounds and what to do, you know, when to give morphine, when not to, and how
to apply a tourniquet, and showing us all the things that we had to do. In case they would die we
have to tag them and send them back, you know, to M.A.S.H. hospital.
Larios: As we continue, can you describe us your journey to Korea?
Vega: Yes, before I left to Korea I was working as an EMT technician at Fort Louis, Washington
and just prior to being shipped out, well, we were selected to go in the roster, to go to ship out to
Korea, but I found out that some that were being shipped out before were given two weeks to go
home. So I didn't like that, and so anyway I went to the Provost Marshall and I talked to the
Sergeant. The Sergeant said "no I cant give you the, I don't have right to, you're just gonna have to
go, you're selected to go, "and so I said "well who can I see above you." He says "well, he's not
here, and so you're just gonna have to take the order." I said "no, I want to see the Provost
Marshall." so I waited and I remembered I was speaking for another person also because see I
don't let things just ride and say yeah okay I have to know why. So anyway I saw the Provost
Marshall coming into the back and I said to my other buddy I said "there he is, and I'm gonna
follow him because I don't trust that Sergeant," and sure enough when I went behind him, see the
sergeant had his back towards me, and I remember him saying "sir, there's two men out there that
don't want to go to Korea, they don't want to follow the orders," and I said "you're lying" and he
jumped a little bit because I caught him I had to call him a liar there and he didn't argue and I said,
"look, we're not afraid to go to Korea, that's why we're in the service. We're called to go we're
gonna go, but we also want to be treated just like the rest of them and to go home. It could be the
last time we see our parents, our family," and you know I already had a wife. So the Provost
Marshall said "give him those two weeks," you know and he didn't like that but I got my way
anyway. So that's when I came back home for two weeks, and from there it's how much they
trusted me they gave me the orders in my hands, my full orders, and I could've gone to Canada
with the papers you know. I mean they would maybe catch me after fifty years or whatever, but
the idea was that they trusted us enough that we were honest enough, so he gave me the papers, and
I took them with me to Seattle on my way back. And from there we waited until the ship was ready
to be loaded. And we went by way of, we could see the shores of Alaska you know all the ice, and
we went out towards Japan. And we had two weeks, I believe, before we got there, and I
experienced a sea sickness that you never thought I would feel, and my stomach just churning and
seeing all the guys there with the glassy eyes throwing all over the place. But anyway, that was an
experience that I never forgot.
Larios: And where exactly in Korea did you go?
Vega: Well, we landed on the or course on the southern part of Korea I don't know if it was Pusan
or what, but anyway from there we made our way to M.A.S.H. hospital by way of a train and from
there I was dispersed up to the Punch Bowl area and I have a little thing here, lets see if I can
pronounce it, remember that they call it what, Santari Valley and the Punch Bowl, so I served in
those two areas. I was up in the front lines at the time, so we held we had to hold the thirty eighth
parallel and the enemy was jut beyond that, so that's where I served, and we had a few skirmishes
there and you know we had to go out on patrol, and I remember since I didn't have any weapons
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they would circle around me and put me right in the middle, because there was only twelve of us in
the platoon. But then we had to stay out there practically all night long until the wee hours of the
morning then before it would get light and we could come back to our own lines, and I remember it
was real cold and there was one thing that I found out and never forgot that we wore Mickey
Mouse boots because they look like, you know. Do you know that cartoon character, Mickey
Mouse, so they called because they look like Mickey Mouse boots you know and they were made
out of some kind of material, rubber, and we didn't even have to use our shoes in there, just socks,
and we would just wiggle our toes and we were just sitting there we couldn't move we couldn't go
anywhere you stayed in that area behind the enemy lines you know sometimes we had skirmishes
with the enemy but they were so nice and warm because all you would wiggle your toes before I
mean you really the other shoes were wool socks and all that but it was a beautiful invention. I
wish I could've kept those shoes. So I spent a few months up there and the last two months, I
believe, I was called down from the lines and they had a barber there that, he was on the way up
and we had to have our hair cuts you know. So I just happened to mention to him that I used to cut
hair too, so I didn't think about it when they went to get me off the lines they said pack your gear.
I said "where am I going" he says "you're going to the back I don't know," he didn't disclose. But
when I got back to the M.A.S.H. hospital, he says, "you're going to take over the barbering," I said
well get off of the front lines well but thank God that nothing happened to me. But I served two or
three months cutting hair, and then I didn't even get my two weeks R&R in Japan. But I didn't
mind it, I'd rather come home.
Larios: Besides the boots, what other accommodations were you provided with?
Vega: Parkas that we used, because it was very cold weather up there and way up there in the
mountains it was real cold, and I recall one time we were making a march over there from one end
to another. It was gonna rain. It rained a lot over there, and we had on this parka and it could
spread out like a tent and we had some pegs that we made a ditch around where we're gonna sit and
all of us had to find a space where we're gonna be located you know because it's gonna be raining
so all that night I recall that when we dug around it we put the pegs and it had nothing out we were
out in the open and it was just pouring rain just like what we had a few days here. It was raining
cats and dogs you might say and just looking out I knew we weren't gonna be attacked under
conditions like that who's going to be attacking so but we had enough problems of our own trying
to keep ourselves under our parkas you know so that's something that you really get a thrill out of
just watching to see that they provided a lot of things for us, you know. And of course the food
wasn't the best, but we ate out of the, I think it was sea rations they call it, so we had little cans like
dog food.
Larios: What did those taste like to you?
Vega: Well, it was good it had some food and then it had some crackers on it I recall and then
there was times where that you could light there was a section of the can that had like a wax and
you light it and it would heat the food that we were eating, like deviled ham they call it. But we did
pretty good provided, we didn't gain weight, but. In fact I went in with 155 pounds, when I came
out I weighed 155 pounds. So I didn't gain, I didn't lose.
Larios: I also wanted to ask, in terms of sanitation, how were showers provided to the soldiers and
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the medics and everyone there?
Vega: Well, in the front lines you don't take showers, I mean if we have any provisions just give
you the water that they provide sometimes the drinking water you put it on the helmet and that's
how you learn to take a bath like a bird, a bird bath. You use that for shaving or washing the parts
that would be more offensive you know, but that's one of the things that you have to accommodate
yourself. Except when we went down to the M.A.S.H. and that's when we could take a shower.
They had stalls where you know they had water that was heated and they had some oil I think it
was kerosene or something that we had barrels, and we installed them in the side of the tents, and it
would filter in into the heaters that we had inside of the tents. That's what was provided for us,
which was pretty good considering, you know, that you weren't going to the Hilton hotel.
Larios: What kind of treatment, if you had any contact with the civilians of Korea, did you
receive?
Vega: Well the only contact with civilians is when we were first going up into the hills. They
were called "chiggies" and I think sometimes not all the soldiers most of the soldiers just respected
the people and there was one fella that I remember, soldier, that he said oh I'm going to go kill all
of the Koreans or whatever, you know he had this gung ho attitude that he was going to go kill all
of the enemies. A soldier of one you know army of one. He was kicking things around he says so
and so and of course that was his attitude but we didn't have contact with the people per say we just
stayed in our own region but these were they were employed by the army and that's the way it was
we didn't get in touch with some of that we were, I was learning the Korean language at the time,
so they were wondering how I was able to talk to them, you know, because most of the people were
behind, you know, in the cities, but we were up in the hills, and there were some things that I'm
not gonna say what up there in the hills what was happening you know that's more or less private.
Not that I had anything to do with it, but I saw what was happening over there you know you have
those things in war, but as far as being in contact with the people I didn't have very much contact
with them.
Larios: Can you tell us anything about the transportation in Korea and how the primitive road or
the terrain there affected it?
Vega: Yes, the terrain was terrible. I mean you get off one mountain here on top of another one
these people the way they farmed see they had the rice patties and the rice patties were more or less
carved into the hill into the mountain and then they would put oh like a trench around to hold the
water I didn't know that was how they raised the rice see the rice comes from under the water then
they take it out sort it out that's terrible how they have to you know make their living and the
railroads were primitive, you know. You see them in the 1920s the trains, they were about the way
it was over there. It's a third world country. I didn't even know it existed until I saw it on the map.
It looked like a little part of Miami and Korea is actually below the China border, that's where it
runs the thirty eighth parallel. that's what happened when the first marines were pushing the
Koreans back that's when the Chinese came over the border and they attacked us and the island, its
more like a little piece of an island, you know, so that's why I was wondering I said, what are we
doing over here, you know, so far from.. I didn't understand why we were fighting in the first
place. All I did was join, I didn't join, they got me in there.
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Larios: In the punch bowl area of Korea, what did you experience by being in one of the places
where some of the most devastating battles took place?
Vega: Well, I saw dead soldiers that were young, you know, my age, some older, and I never
forgot the, you know, the ashen look after they, all the blood is drained out, you know, and some
decapitated, some without limbs, or whatever, and you kind of, at first you shudder, you know, and
you wonder, maybe I'll be next, you know, but that's one of the things that you experience over
there, and you started getting, you wonder if you're gonna, you get heartened, you know,
expecting that something could happen and you might as well face it, you know. That's about the
way that I felt, because life is, sometimes it's just a little thread between life and death, and when
you see your friends get shot you know, some die, some don't. So you stop to consider that life is
very.. it's very precious.
Larios: Can you tell us how close to combat were you, in the war?
Vega: Well, in a way I was riding the front lines, you know. There were times that we went
behind the enemy lines.
Larios: Were you close to being injured at any point?
Vega: No, at the times that, we had one skirmish one time, it was an enemy patrol that was coming
directly where we had our patrol, and it was at night, and it was getting closer and closer, and I
started praying. I says, well this may be it, it may be where we lose our lives here, but somehow
they hesitated and they turned away from us, so that spared us that skirmish right there. But there
was others that went out and had skirmishes, and some didn't come back, you know, so you never
know when it was gonna hit you.
Larios: So attack by the enemy was very imminent continuously throughout?
Vega: Yeah, it was the North Koreans. Of course the Chinese had kind of settled back and we
didn't know that at the time, but even the Russians were backing up the Chinese, you know. They
had some Russian personnel, the North Koreans, you know. So it's a lot of political war, you
know. Sometimes we don't really know what's behind all these wars. And some have a right to
say what they say, you know. That's one thing about America, you have freedom to speak but
sometimes the Americans take freedom for granted and say whatever they want to say without
even knowing what's at stake, you know. There's a lot of sacrifices that has to be done in order to
preserve the freedoms that you enjoy right now. I have a film that I taped the other night about the
women of Afghanistan and over there how they suffer. They don't have, the husband doesn't let
them go out. They don't go out. They stay inside. They have to have permission, otherwise they
won't go out and they have this I forget what the a shrieka? I don't know what, they cover all their
faces. You probably see it, the tape, and so they're yearning to be free, and this is what Bush,
President Bush is doing, trying to give that life democratic life, you know, to be free. Women
deserve to be, you know, to have the right to live free, not to be just part of the furniture or home.
Larios: At that time in Korea ,what did you think the purpose of the war was'? What was..
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Vega: Well, communists, fighting the communism, which at the time we didn't understand it, at
least I didn't understand it, you know, being that I was only twenty one years of age, and you really
just started to live. When you talk about communism, communism in a sense, sometimes it may be
good, but then it has its drawbacks. Because if you stop and think, communism was started in a
communistic way by the Christians because they had everything in common. That's what it
means, you know. But that was a true communistic way because nobody said that this is mine or
that, you know, they all shared, but this is another movement, a communist movement. They
wanted to conquer the world. You understand what I'm trying to say? Because a commune and
communistic ideas are a little different, because the communists want everybody to earn the same
thing at a certain level, and you have no say-so, you know. There's really no free enterprise. Now
I understand the things that I didn't at the time
Larios: And another question on a different subject now, are there any crucial events that
happened within your unit that you can think might have changed the influence and the course of
the war?
Vega: Well, the scandal that happened at that time was when the Puerto Rican section of, their
participation in the army was stationed at one point in the 38"' parallel, and they were being
bombarded, bazookas, and they were hit pretty often, and they were really being hurt real bad. So
they appealed to Washington to do something about it, because they were actually isolated from
the rest of us. Being that they spoke in Spanish, you know, they all had their ranks, but they all
spoke Spanish, you know, and so what they did when they heard in Washington that it was
scandalous, you know, so what they did they dispersed them among the rest of us because they
were all in the service, you know. Of course I didn't understand why they were segregated in the
first place, but that's the way Puerto Rico is anyway, they still don't want to join the, they want all
the benefits, you now, but they don't want to be part of the United States. Did you know that?
Well you get to know a little but of politics or whatever. Go ahead.
Larios: How did you achieve your rank as a corporal?
Vega: Well, when I was up there in the front lines of course the promotions were actually frozen.
They weren't dispersing the ranks so easily anymore, unless somebody got killed and then you
took over his place or whatever. That's why the only rank I had at the time was PFC until I was
about ready to be transferred back, that's when I got corporal, you know, but I had a friend of mine
that he also was conscientious objector, you know to the church. He had the rank of sergeant, but
being as he had that rank he was operating the radio back, close to the hills, but below you know
because we had sections to communicate in case the enemy would override us whatever. But I
recall that some of them being there about the same time they didn't have any raise in the rank, you
know.
Larios: What duties were you entitled to do?
Vega: The duties were really just to take care of the men, and see that they were in good condition.
I had to check their appearance, their feet especially, because you can get frostbite and, you know,
that was a no-no. Especially when it's raining over there, it's cold, sometimes if they didn't
change their socks and it was cold, you can get frostbite without even realizing it, and start getting
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numb, and before you know it they start cutting off your toes. And that was my responsibility,
otherwise that would go on my record, you know, and sometimes they were reluctant. They says
"no, I don't want to take my shoes off," I said "well you have to, because I have to check them,"
you know, because they would give them an extra pair of socks or two that they had to change
every day. So that was it most of my responsibility.
Larios: Were you awarded any metals or citations?
Vega: Just the ribbons that I got for overseas service. They're somewhere, and I still have the
kadusa that indicated that I was a medic, you know. That's about it. I wasn't gung ho, I was just
a medic.
Larios: Thank you.
Williams: What is a kadusa?
Vega: A kadusa is a little emblem like that, and like silver plated, that we had to wear to indicate
that we were medics, okay? Because at times we had a band we were putting on our arms with a
red cross on it, but we were being shot at, you know. The medic was a dead giveaway so they
would shoot at us. That was against the Geneva Convention, because even though it's wars,
there's rules in war. I mean, you're not out there just haphazardly shooting civilians or whatever
because that's murder, you know, and wars have their laws too, and so we had the kadusa. We put
it in our lapel, and that would indicate that you were a medic. Not everyone's gonna wear it, just
the medics. So that has the emblem of the two snakes and then the cross, you know, like a
Christian cross that is embedded in there. I still have it, as a matter of fact I have two of them.
Didn't I show them to you last time?
Williams: As a medic was your most difficult obstacle in regards to attending to the soldiers in the
fastest way possible?
Vega: Just the terrain, because it wasn't open really. We were snagged because of the, whatever
trees were in the way, because we were up in the mountains and really it's slanted, so when
something like that would happen that would be the most difficult situation, especially when the
men would have to be carried in one of those stretchers, you know, that was pretty difficult to do
that up there.
Williams: What types of technologies or procedures were involved to aid the injured soldiers?
Vega: Well, we had to know when to use a tourniquet, and when not to use a tourniquet. We had
to know when to administer the morphine, and we had to account for the morphine that we would
use because it had to be recorded otherwise they'll say hey somebody's using morphine here, but
and then what type of injury, you know. If they were injured in the head we weren't to give
morphine because it would be worse on the wound, you know. So there's some things that I've
kind of forgotten, it's been so long, but that was really embedded in my mind that you have to be
careful when you can administer a drug to help them with the pain and the antibiotic and things like
that.
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Williams: How many others held the same position of medics for your unit?
Vega: Well, I'm not sure but every company had some medics, and I was assigned to a certain part
of the company and I was in charge of taking care of twelve men that who out on patrol, but when
it came to an open, you know, attack, well we had to be whoever was a medic has to be there. On
the front lines you don't have too much contact with others because you're assigned to a certain
area and that's where you have to concentrate.
Williams: How important was it for you and others to work as a team?
Vega: Well, it's very important because you work as a unit, and one thing you learn is the
camaraderie, you know, to work together you more or less feel kind of a brother. You get to know
your fellow soldiers, and you know you got to look out for each other. That's why I remember that
they protected me pretty well when we went out on patrol. They would circle me and put me right
in the center, and in the center they had somebody, the radio man, I remember. The radio man
would be talking, you know. That's how come I remember when they would be talking, and they
had spotters that said there's somebody coming closer to you, the enemy or whatever. Because,
you know, it's well organized, really, and you never think that would be happening in a time of
war, but they're pretty well organized and exactly, you don't go on by yourself, you know. This is
a unit; you worked together.
Williams: Whenever you were feeling stressed, was there anything that you did to relieve it?
Vega: Well, yes they would put us you know to sandbag. I don't know if you would know that,
but we used to make a little, I forgot what you call them, but we used to fill a lot of bags with sand
because there was a lot of sand up there, and we would make like little houses. Not houses but,
what did we call those, and we covered the whole place with sandbags around, then we put a roof
on it so that way you we could be out of the rain and all that. Then what I would do was get rocks
and set them right in front so we would get some mud you know all the way so that's where I
learned to improvise and make it more comfortable for us you know the only things about the
bunkers some that were made by the enemy, I remember when we first went up where the enemy
was, the beds that they made were small. They had to, you know, like when you're a baby, you're
folding yourself, and that's how those Koreans were you know some were small and some were
big I guess, but ordinarily they were five feet or so, and I never forgot that. One time I had to sleep
on a board. I had nothing else to sleep on. I just put up a board and I just slept on a slab, all that
time that I was sleeping, for about three hours, you know, no where to turn around but stay there,
and that's one of the things that I remember right now. And it was difficult at times, but you learn
to accommodate yourself. You have to, you know. Hey, grin and bear it, that's all. You're not
going to Hawaii, you know. You're not going on a picnic. But that's one of the things that I can
remember. I laugh about it now, but I didn't laugh about it then.
Williams: How important was your faith during these times?
Vega: Very, very important. To me, my faith has been in God and through Jesus, that you have
this in you that all men are created equal, and that you love your neighbor, that's the teachings of
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Jesus, as yourself, meaning that you have no power over the other one, anybody else, or they don't
have any power over you, because you become a free conscientious person, knowing that you're
following a spiritual life and there's only one God, and wars are really something to just destroy
men, lives, and, well that's what the world is, but as a Christian it helped me, it sustained me,
knowing that I didn't hate anybody, you know. Why should I kill anybody? Or I know that I was
ready to die if it would happen that way. In fact I was questioned, they says, "how can you believe
that?" I said "well," I said, "that's my faith, and you can't take that, because, see, you depend on
that weapon to kill or be killed and I depend on my faith," you know, that whatever would happen,
that would be the will of God. So that gave me the strength really. In fact I remember before I
went into the service, there was one brother in the church that said "Oh, don't be afraid, Brother
Paul" he said remember it says, he quoted a scripture "a thousand shall fall on your left side and ten
thousand on your right side, but it will not come near you," I said "yeah, because you're not
going!" So, just my retort, you know, but it sustained me, in fact it still sustains me. My faith
sustains me.
Williams: Were you able to communicate with your family from Korea?
Vega: Not really. I think some of the letters, if I wrote any, they, I don't remember getting many
letters. If I did they last about two months before I could get any answer. There was very little
communication really because of the time it took to mail it. I remember that my wife sent me some
crackers and something else. By the time it reached over there it was crumby. That's what I need,
crumby crackers, you know, but only my brother was the one that wrote to me one time, and I
communicated with him. I didn't tell him where I was. We weren't supposed to, but anyway, I
told him it's in a serious place, but don't go telling my wife, Hope, you know, because I don't want
her to worry. But that's about it
Williams: What did you do when you were able to go on leave, or were you able to go on leave?
Vega: No, some of the men were being allowed to go to Japan, even from the front lines where
they were severe because they would alternate, they would give them two weeks R&R, what they
called rest and recuperation, to Japan, but I never did get mine, and I didn't make any fuss about it.
I said well, if I don't go, I don't go, you know. Of course, being with a name of Vega, you know,
I'm always in the last, you know. They always called A-B-C on everything, A-B-C, and I always
got the tail end of it, and in a way I was glad. And so I didn't go to Japan. The only R&R I got was
when they would send us back to refresh, you know, take a bath and all that from the front lines.
We would go back, and they would haul us from a truck at a certain point about five miles below,
and we would go to M.A.S.H., and we would get cleaned up again, you know, and that's about it,
just for a couple of days, three days then we would go back to the front lines, but there was no rest
and recuperation for me that I remember other than that.
Williams: Do you remember any humorous or unusual events that you'd like to tell us about?
Vega: Well, the one that I recall whenever we were up in the front lines, this other conscientious
objector, you know, in fact that's the only one that I remember that we were real close because we
was in the same area, and he was given a leave of two weeks in Japan, and so anyway, he couldn't
be found. The time had expired when he should've been back, you know, and he was a Puerto
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Rican, and also a conscientious objector, but I recall that they were looking for him and they sent
the Mps, military police, after him in Japan. They finally found him. It's just that he was doing
something he shouldn't have done, and when he got back I said, "what're you trying to do, put us
in a bad situation, I mean here we are conscientious objectors and you're violating the Christian
way of life," you know, and he said "well, I got carried away to the red zone in Japan," you know.
That was one of the incidents and everybody was talking about it. "Oh, this kid, they couldn't find
him because he got lost over there with a prostitute." So you wanted to know some of the funny
things, there are some things that happen, you know.
Williams: Were there any other forms of entertainment?
Vega: No, not when you're at war. I don't know anything about any, no I kept myself straight,
although I saw some things that I'm not going to divulge in, you know, things that happened.
That's war, a lot of things happened, but either you fall into it or abstain yourself, so, my training
was different. And I'm not going to say anything, the fifth, I plead the fifth.
Williams: What were your thoughts on the officers or your fellow soldiers in general?
Vega: Well, they were pretty good, you become pretty well familiar with the fellow soldiers there,
except that when my, I don't know whether he had gotten killed or what happened because
sometimes he, you know, I forget some things, but then they assigned a new second lieutenant and
he was fresh from OTS, you know, Officer's Training School, and I was sitting in the bunkers, that
what we called them, bunkers, I had forgotten. It has to come to me in little waves, you know, and
I was sitting down in my bunk and the sergeant there came in and introduced me he says "sir, this
is PFC Vega. He's our medic," and I says "how do you do sir," and I didn't get up, you know,
because you get familiar there, you know, and rank hardly ever, you know you're not disobedient
but rank becomes very small, you know, but you do obey orders, you know, and so I didn't get up.
I said "how do you do, sir," you know, I just waved like that and so he was very persistent he says
"well?" he retorted. I said "well what sir?" "Well?" I said "oh, I'm sorry, I forgot," so I got up and
I saluted him, "PFC, sir," and he says "that's more like it," but you know, and he went around
checking that we had our boots polished and all that, you know, spit polished and everything. He
was from OTS and he said well he wanted to instill the same things, that hey, we're at war, you
know, but it does you good to keep your morale up. That's one of the hardest things that you have
to go through when you're at war, especially when you're facing the enemy.
Williams: Do you recall the day that your service ended?
Vega: It was July, the 3'd of June really, 1953.
Williams: What were you're feelings whenever you found out?
Vega: Oh, I was elated. I never looked back. I said well it's all in the past, but the feeling of
having, you know, we were about four thousand in the ship, you know, marines, sailors, some of us
were soldiers, you know, we were all together. I was looking for the paper that I wanted to show
you, but I just couldn't find it. I know it's somewhere, but to recall the ship that we were brought
in on, and I was real happy, really, and learning how to, or knowing how to cut hair, I was cutting
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Vega, Hipolito 13
hair in the hull of the ship because this other guy that was cutting hair got tired, so I said "you want
to take over?" so he let me have all of the equipment, I go sure, so I was cutting hair all day long. I
made about a hundred dollars. They were giving me a dollar because the barbers in the ship
couldn't meet all the demands, there were so many soldiers, you know. So I got myself into it, and
I didn't have to hitchhike, you know. I could ride a bus or a plane, you know, come in a plane, so
I did and when I first arrived in San Francisco there was a friend of mine so he gave me a pass, a
three day pass, so I managed to come home to Saginaw.
Williams: I'm gonna turn the tape over before we go on.
Side B
Williams: What was it like to come home to your family after being over seas for so long?
Ve~a: Of course there was a lot of anticipation, but when we got home in San Francisco I was
supposed to be put out of the service in Chicago, Illinois, you know cause that is where I was
inducted from there, so at that time I had to wait for a few days before they would give me the
discharge, but I was so anxious to go home that is why I got a pass, a three day pass, and went
home early. Of course, my wife wasn't expecting me then, so we really.. . there was a lot of
rejoicing when I got out of the service. War wasn't over until a few more months, but I was glad
when it was over, you know, I was glad because that would save more lives from both sides
because we're loosing men. It's a great joy, it's inexplicable really, it's something that you rejoice
to see your family and you realize that you've gone through war and you made it, that your one of
the fortunate ones that was able to come back home.
Williams: Was it difficult to start doing what you were doing before, to get back to your life?
Vega: No, no it wasn't. I went back to work right away. I didn't spent too much time outside of
work, I think probably about a month or two before I went back to work. So I could more less
absorb the freedom that you much wanted. And realize, is this real that I'm back home again to my
family. And from there on, well, I just went back to work and my wife became a nurse, she went to
a practical nurse school in Lansing, Michigan. At that time she had a wing in the hospital where
she was attending, and of course she would work in the evening and I would go to work in the day.
She would go to work in the evening and sometimes we wouldn't see each other right away, but we
adjusted and a year later that's when we had our first baby. Of course I had five children in
Saginaw and decided that after my injury that I got at work, which I didn't get at war, fractured my
left frontal sculp, and I had to move because the weather affected me quite a bit when it was cold or
when it was gonna rain or change weather, I would have these headaches. So I decide I'm gonna
move to a warmer climate so we came back to San Antonio. Then, when we came over here, we
had two more children; we had seven children in all. In the family I had two that went into the
service, which was Terri, she went in there for four years in the Air force, and Paul as an air traffic
controller, in the Air force for twenty-two years, I think twenty-two or twenty-three, then he
retired. So I had two in the family that served in the armed forces, so we're patriotic.
Williams: Did you continue your education?
Vega: Well, what I did I went to an electronic school, because they sent me letters to go into for
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Vega, Hipolito 14
doctor, but to me I thought it was too many years to serve, you know your internship and all that,
and it would have also interfered in having a family, cause its hard even to be a minister. I decided,
I said "no, I can't be a minister", I have to support these children too, and to me I love my family.
So to me I had to make a life of that too. So, I adjusted pretty well.
Larios: When coming back, what was your standpoint towards the war?
Vega: I really didn't have any to say that, because I didn't understand, all I know there was war.
And war is war, two nations that are really fighting for a cause. The only thing I understood was
fighting communism and it had to be stopped. So, North Koreans were invading South Koreans,
South Korea was more of a democratic country, that is why there was a division between the North
and South Korea, and the United States was committed to defend the democracies, especially
they're allies to us. I understood that we had to fight over there. But as far as politics go, it's hard to
say, you can't understand too much, because we have an investment, now that I've grown older
and studied more and realized that there is so much to a war is because one wants something that
the other one has, like communism really wanted to swallow up every part, every inch of the world
to make it a communistic state governed by Russia, which was stared by Lenin. Ironically, he was
a Jew with ideas of Jewish philosophy and you find out later on that some of these may be well
intentioned to live under one rule, but then again you don't have the right to vote, you don't have a
say so, if you do you get shot. So, there you have it. Freedom is really a democracy that the United
States is trying to provide. So I understand this is a wonderful country with its shortcomings, we're
not perfect, but I think we're in a better situation than a lot.. . well I saw it in Korea, saw that there
is so much corruption. And they're not provided for like we are here. The poorest of the poor here
is better off than those in Korea. They got better afterwards because we were helping them to
restore their country, although the worst enemy you have is with in yourselves here in the country.
And if you read, you find out that the liberal ideas are really going to destroy America if we don't
watch it.
Larios: How did you feel about other contributions that countries made including the United
Nations?
Vega: Repeat the question again?
Larios: How do you feel about the contributions that other countries made as well as the United
Nations?
Vega: The other nations? At that time they contributed to the war in Korea, the United Nations.
But in a small way they really don't go out like the United States, I mean there is a lot of money
that is invested in warfare from the United States, the armament and all that because that's the way
it is here. We know that in order to exist you have to become powerful. Because you're not going
to negotiate like Kerry was saying, oh I'll go talk to them and pass it fine. Oh yes, those people will
cut your throat and cut your heads off. What kind of a democracy do they have? The United
Nations was ok at that time, but then now the UN you have Germany, France, who was the other
one.. . that didn't want o cooperated, there was another country that hesitated to go in? So, I don't
believe in the United Nations. I don't accept it, that another country is going to tell us what to do
and when to fight before we even negotiate. That's what they were doing, and even here, our
enemies from within didn't like, well the war is the wrong time, at the wrong place, and still he
wants to go over there and fight. You know you're talking with both sides of the mouth, with a
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Vega, Hipolito 15
forked tongue as you say. When you say the United Nations doesn't approve, well, hey, we were
bombed! They came to us and destroyed the two towers, these were innocent people! And what are
you going to do, just sit back and say, oh let's go talk about it. And that is why they criticize Bush,
cause he was shooting from the hidden sort to speak. Well, he's a Texan (laugh). But let me tell
you that I understand a lot of things now better than I did before, and as far as the United Nations
they didn't contribute on this.. . well just some of them that did agree to, like England and you have
some people from Puerto Rico, and Spain. But the thirteen soldiers from Spain (laugh) as soon as
they bombed them over there; they pulled them from the fighting area. But we still have some good
in the Unites Nations, but not to be fully controlled by it. Does that answer your question?
Larios: Yes. Do you feel like the war was reported properly through the media?
Vega: No, I think that most of the media was in favor of trying to destroy Bush's agenda because
in Second World War, there was thousands, thousands of soldiers that died over there. And the
news wants it report, well there's so many thousands at Normandy, and that died in the
Philippines, Okinawa, Hiroshima. All those that we were trying to gain, island by island we're
loosing men. And here you loose five hundred a thousand, or whatever, and they're making a big
thing out of it. Not that I'm callous about it, these are our men that are dying, but that's what it
requires, sacrifice. Would you like to be fighting them here? No, you wouldn't want them to
come.. . that's what happened, the Japanese against us in Second World War. I was only eleven
years old and I remember it exactly because I was selling papers and I read the headlines, we were
attacked by Japan. And all of a sudden all of us were in panic, what are we going to do'!! It caught
us flat footed. But we knew something was going to happen, but we tried to sleep. Oh no, nobody
would dare to attack us. But now we find out that we were attacked. And that was new the United
Nations then, but we couldn't even get into the war until we were attacked. And what was
Germany doing? They said, oh no we don't want to go beyond our region, then came Poland, they
attacked Poland, took Poland, and then Czechoslovakia, then it's like a snowball rolling. And then
finally Russia which was in alliance with Germany was attacked (chuckles), I don't know if you
read the history books, but that's the way it happens. And so the United Nations is not all together.
And prophetically speaking according to the bible, they'll never come together. Just like iron and
clay, they'll never come together. That's human nature.
Larios: Ok, about the war in Korea how difficult is it to remember things and the events that
happened'!
Vega: I kind of put it in the back of my mind and never did talk about it until now really. Even my
children I never did tell them anything. Until now that is coming out they say, well dad can we
have some of that? We would like to know what you went through. What happened? What were
your thoughts? Of course there's a lot of things in the back of my mind that don't come out. But I
never had the experiences that my brother in law, when he was in the Second World War and he
strayed off from his company and I think he was a prisoner for quite a few years. And he had a
difficult time to adjust, just like the Vietnamese soldiers they had a difficult time, because they
would actually more into a warfare that was, you know, the atrocities that were happening and
people dying all over the place. You see, the Korean War was more less limited. Right after the
Chinese came and attacked the North Koreans to the south that it was called a police section for a
while. but it was still war. It was not like the Second World War or the Vietnamese War.
Larios: Are there any individuals that made a special impact in your life during those years?
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Vega, Hipolito
Vega: You mean soldiers or.. .
Larios: Anyone that you might have met during the war?
Vega: Well, just my sergeant that I recall. He was a big man, sturdy; he spoke Korean like a
Korean. And I admired that about him, that he knew the language pretty well and when he would
talk to one of the Koreans there it was just like conversing in English. He was very eloquent in his
speech and that's something to admire. He was a soldier and yet he has the dignity, he held himself
pretty good in his position as a staff sergeant. But he always gave us a good moral, a good talk that
would make us feel worthy that we were serving our country.
I Larios: How was your patriotism affected in the course of the war?
Vega: My patriotism? It made more aware. I'm thankful to be an American citizen; it's something
to be proud of. And really, I disagree wholly with those that bum the flag and talk about this
country. We're aggressive and all that, well we're only aggressive when we're provoked.
Somebody has to do something, but as a nation we're free. Of course we're free as long as we are
paying our taxes (chuckles), that's what I found out. You own your property, and you don't pay
your taxes, they'll take away from you. Any way, we're not going hungry. You can't take it with
you. But, my patriotism towards this country, I'm glad to be an American. Although my
descendents, my forefathers were from Mexico, but they also showed they're loyalty. They came
over here before there was a border restriction during the civil war that we had with Pancho Villa
and all the Carranzistas, and Maximilianos, and all that. My dad came to the United States and he
stayed here and married my mother. We were pretty well a patriotic family because we had people
serve in the service.
Larios: How are you better able to sympathize with current soldiers and their experiences in Iraq?
Vega: Sympathize with who?
Larios: With the soldiers that are now serving in Iraq?
Ve ~ a :I sympathize with them. But they realize that you join the armed services not only to say,
I'm just going to join the service and get all the benefits, you know, they mind set to join the
service and not put yourself in the line is not being a soldier. See, you're trying to get benefits even
before you earn them. And sure, you're going to die, but some maybe not. But the ideas that when
you're in the military, there's a purpose to be in the military, is not going on a picnic, when they're
going to call you have to serve. I disagree with women being in the service, wholeheartedly. And if
they are, they should be in desks, or doing a job that doesn't require a hazardous life, because
sometimes is hard to see some of the things that happen over there. See, women are not equipped,
although, I'm not saying they're not good, but they're more in danger than a man, because Israel
has women that are fighting too, which they have too you know because they're just a little country
surrounded by enemies. But here we have the freedom, the option, that man should be the ones
fighting the war. And I expect them to live up to that, they're service man and do the duty, that's
what it's called for. You can't have it any other way, you're lucky if you end up in Hawaii.
Larios: What was your over all learning experience?
Vega: I leamed to get along with people, and I learned there's different ways, backgrounds of
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Vega, Hipolito 17
people where they come from. We don't all think alike. We're not raced alike, so we have to
compromise. Kind of blend together, and give way to the other person and give him the right for
his rights, you know. As well as give me my right too. And I'm not going to be belittled by
anybody else, because I have the same rights as anybody here in the United States, as an American
citizen. So I learned how to get along with other people, you'd be surprised how they actually think
different where they come from, and they take too lightly. But here that we learn the hard way,
sometimes I think coming up from a poor situation, cause we were not rich, we were a poor family.
But we learned to adapt and that's one of the things that sometimes when you have too much, you
want to be served breakfast in bed, and that is not the way it is in service, as you well know.
Larios: As for our last question, how did your service and experiences affect your life?
Veea: I happened to be a better person really, in reality. Even though as a Christian I learned to
love my neighbor and be considerate to those who are more in need, but the service also gave me to
be compassioned, because life could be here today and be gone tomorrow. And you can't take
nothing with you. Some people want to hold on to material things so much, but you know they
don't even want to share it with others. And I think the service, what I saw, gave me more
understanding and to be more compassionate towards people. It did me a lot of good, specially the
discipline, and sometimes the kids you know, the family, that I was a disciplinarian. Well, that's
who I am, that's my character. And later on as they grew older, they said dad, the older you got the
wiser you got. They themselves got wiser in observing what I thought them was right: to perceive
themselves a person, but with morals and respect to others. And I think my wife and I did pretty
good, I think she did her best, I thank God for that. I think I answered your question; did that
answer your question?
Larios: Yes, is there anything else you want to add before we finish?
Ve~a: No, except that you have jogged my memory in a lot of ways, in some that of course would
be lengthy, but all in all, I think it'd be good because when my family heard that you were
interrogating me, they said hey at least you're bringing out things that we've never heard about,
because I've never talked to them about it. But now, I didn't mind giving you an interrogation. I
hope its ok with you, and I hope that you make it out ok, that you can understand what I said, ok.
Larios: Thank you very much.
Vega: You're welcome.
Williams: I think that's it.
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