2/8/11
SANTA MARIA - In the 1960's and 70's, the United States was fighting the war in Vietnam. In a three part Military Minute series, we will introduce you to a Central Coast man who was drafted and fought in the war.
Let's set the scene, its 1967, the Green Bay Packers just won the first Super Bowl. The Beatles released their legendary album, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and thousands of young men were drafted for military service, including twenty one year old Mike Rosas. He was assigned to the Army. "My brother went to fetch the mail and when he came back and he says, you got a letter here from the government. I says really? What is it? I open it up and it says greetings, that was one of their favorite lines you know. It says you have been inducted into the armed forces and report to your nearest induction center."
More than 230 young men from the small town of Guadalupe were drafted. Rosas says, "There was almost something like 33 sets of brothers that were drafted from Guadalupe, just Guadalupe. They all served in Vietnam."
After basic training and leadership school, he was ordered to Vietnam. His family didn't take the news very well. In fact, his father had a plan of his own. "When I got my notice to go to Vietnam it was the hardest thing for him to deal with. Dad turned around and used a, called a friend and friend responded and said I'll take care of him. When my father used that on me I turned and, I says, I shook my head and said, I'm not going to run, I don't wanna run, I'm not gonna run! To many Hispanic people ran during the second war and Korea. This is my country, I love this country and I'm going."
On February 1, 1968, Corporal Mike Rosas landed in Vietnam to fight in what *was* the longest war in American history. The next year would change his life forever. "I knew, they told us, it's a fifty fifty chance you might not come back you know so I knew it was hot for me already."
To see more of his story watch Your Central Coast News at six on Sunday, February 13.
