Why this topic today? I watched a show last night and a yellow ribbon tied around an oak tree reminded me of a song that was written during the Vietnam war, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Around an Ole Oak Tree.”
Our dad passed away the same year that the WWII Memorial was dedicated and never had the chance to visit it. I and the brother that is two years younger lost a lot of friends in Vietnam. Our uncle Edwardo Garcia was a Korean Veteran, he passed away three years ago. We did not get to visit him before his passing as Covid stopped us from visiting. They implemented the restrictions as we were driving down to Roma, Texas to visit him in the hospital. One of my brothers who went on the trip is a Vietnam Veteran.
First photo are my father and his brother, Armando, (Manuel & Armando Barrera) who served in the Pacific Theater. The second photo is my uncle Eduardo Garcia who served in the Korean War. The third photo is our uncle Fabian Garcia, he was in Africa and Europe during WWII.
I could not find a photo of my brother in uniform he was in the 101st Airborne, his two sons served during the Iraq war.
Our great-uncle on my mother’s side fought in WWI.
Jose Barrera Vietnam photo
Below is a memorial erected in memory of the Molina servicemen who gave their lives for this country. Following that are images of the friends that I lost in Vietnam.
