This is an I-Heart podcast.

Guaranteed Human.

And we continue with our American stories.

Camilo Vanegas was born in Southern California in

1946, the son of Mexican immigrants who'd fled Mexico during the Mexican Revolution when

bandits were overthrowing the old order, and that included Catholics, like Camilo's father

Manuel. Camillo and his brother spent summers picking produce to raise money

for Catholic school tuition and uniforms.

Shortly after he graduated high school,

Camillo was drafted to serve in the U.S. Army in 1966

and was stationed in Vietnam for one tour.

Here is Camilo Vanegas with his recollections of Vietnam.

In 1966, I got drafted.

I was sent first to El Paso, Fort Bliss.

And then three days later, they took us up north to Kansas.

And I was in Kansas, at Fort Riley, Kansas.

When we arrived at Fort Riley, Kansas, we were all told you're going to Vietnam.

You will hear rumors, but don't believe you're going to Vietnam. We need men in Vietnam. You will hear rumors, but don't believe you're going to Vietnam. We need men

in Vietnam and you're going. Nine months later, I was in Vietnam. I left California

on New Year's Day of 1966 on a troop carrier.

We arrived by ship in Vietnam in 67.

We were taken to a place called Bearcat. There was nothing there. It was in the middle of the jungle.

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