At the University of Texas there are files filled with the stories of hundreds of World War II veterans who served both in the European and Pacific theaters of war.
For the most part, their stories have been left untold over the course of six decades. That is until recently.
UT Professor Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez created the U.S. Latino and Latina World War II Oral History Project, in an effort to share those heroic stories of our nation's unsung heroes.
The idea came to her while with The Dallas Morning News.
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Oral History Project
Included in the project are individual stories of veterans' patriotism that collectively helped lead the allies to victory.
 
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In 1992, when she was assigned to write about Texas Mexican Americans and the Civil Rights movement, she grew frustrated at how little was published about the subject -- in particular, those who lived through World War II.
"I was frustrated that we really didn't have the books that would showcase and examine the contributions of this generation of people, so we started to at least think about putting together an oral history project," Rivas-Rodriguez said.
Soon after making the transition from journalist to teacher and arriving at UT, she officially started the project in 1999.
She found that for most of these Latino soldiers, World War II was the first time they spent any significant time with those of various backgrounds.
"And that really shapes them because they get to look at their own place in their society and they realize, 'Well, you know, why is it that we have segregated schools? Why is it that we don't have any elected representatives? Why is it that we are punished for speaking Spanish?'" she said.
Rivas-Rodriguez said that at the war's end, Latinos – particularly Mexican Americans – returned to segregated communities.
Veterans like Alvino Mendoza returned. For him and other Latinos who returned home, their war experience filled them with a strong sense of entitlement.
"I was very touchy when I was in the military," Mendoza said. "You know, on racial issues. We had so many guys coming from little towns and little farms. Some of them told me, 'I've never been out of our farm.'"
But once back home, Latino veterans, backed by the G.I. Bill, were able to receive the education and trade skills needed to challenge the system.
The founder of this project was moved by the stories she's heard from veterans along the way, saying it made her understand why it's important that all World War II veterans, regardless of their backgrounds, should be honored.
"You can't understand where we are today if we don't look at where we came from," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "And I do believe that this generation of men and women saved our world for us."
They're individual stories of patriotism that collectively helped lead the allies to victory.
Rivas-Rodriguez made national news when Ken Burn's documentary on PBS, "The War," added Latinos to the program. She pointed out the omission during a preview of the series.
News 8 will continue our tribute to veterans Tuesday with more about what it was like to serve during World War II.
