Sunday Funday: Veteran’s book “The Men of Company E: Toughest Chicano Soldiers of World War II”
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- "The Men of Company E: Toughest Chicano Soldiers of World War II" is a book co-authored by Arnulfo Hernandez and his late co-author Samuel S. Ortega.
In an interview, Hernandez says "I wanted to pursue a lot of the history of our veterans because I realized that the books that we have in school don't talk about us."
After Hernandez graduated from Bowie High School, his basketball coach Nolan Richardson told him to just keep going, to not come back to El Paso, and to follow his dreams. He also told him to go to California, and join the military.
"So I did, " says Hernandez.
Hernandez went on to get his B.A. from California State in L.A. and served in the Navy until he suffered a traumatic brain injury.
As a veteran, he co-authored "The Men of Company E: Toughest Chicano Soldiers of World War II" in remembrance of the Mexican-American unit that fought in Italy and all El Paso's Veterans.
"To be able to document that and show that to the world that from this small city, isolated, if you will, on the border with Mexico. There have come great, tremendous, soldiers and heroes that contributed to this particular country," says Hernandez.
