Astero
Special Veterans Day Edition
by Dr. Pedro Oiarzabal
On this year’s Veterans Day, we would like to remember our veterans of Basque origin, especially those who served in WWII. Under the auspices of NABO, for the past five years the Basque non-profit historical association Sancho de Beurko has led “The Fighting Basques” research project on WWII veterans of Basque origin. The goal of this unparalleled and original research is to identify those men and women of Basque origin who served with the U.S. Armed Forces during WWII in order to preserve and disseminate this crucial Basque-American history episode.
Most history books had never recorded the involvement of Basques and Basques Americans in WWII under the U.S. flag. And whenever that happened, they reflected on the participation of a few of them on a quasi-anecdotical note. However, after five years of work, our ongoing research project estimates that there may be approximately about 1,300 veterans of Basque origin (up to second generation) who served in the U.S. armed forces during the last world war.
As of this writing, we have completed research in 33 States and Puerto Rico, with the result of writing up nearly 900 biographies. A huge task considering the millions and millions of military men and women who served in the war.
Our final goal would be to create “The National Basque World War II Memorial” to serve as a long-lasting memory to all veterans of Basque origin who served in the U.S. military during WWII; and as an educational tool for all to learn about their contributions and their history in the country. To achieve all of this, we need your support.
Top, from left to right: US Women’s Army Corps Private First-Class Cecilia Corcuera Berasategui (Arraia, Araba, 1916-1984, New York) and US Army Nurse Corps Colonel Maria Rementeria Llona (Hagerman, ID, 1917-2000, Boise, ID) (courtesy of the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, Boise). Bottom, from left to right: US Air Force Colonel John Etchemendy Trounday (Gardnerville, NV, 1917-1995, Reno, NV) and US Marine Corps Corporal Felix Ordoquihandy (San Francisco, CA, 1926-1945, Okinawa)
To read Cecilia Corcuera Berasategui’s story in Spanish, click here.
To read about Army Nurse Corps Colonel Maria Rementeria in English, click here.
How to collaborate in the project
1. Involve yourself and/or your Basque club in the project by:
a. Identifying WWII veterans of Basque origin in your local area, and |
2. Please contact us at sanchobeurko@gmail.com to share information, documents, and photos.
For further information and updates, please check:
"The Fighting Basques: Memory of WWII" website: https://www.fightingbasques.net/en-us/
“Echoes of two wars, 1936-1945” blog (articles in Spanish on WWII Basque veterans): https://www.eldiario.es/euskadi/blogs/fighting-basques-ecos-de-dos-guerras-1936-1945/
Buber’s Basque Page “Fighting Basque series” (articles in English on WWII Basque veterans): https://buber.net/Basque/category/fighting-basques/
Teaser short documentary film “Basques in World War II, the Marine Corps” (https://www.facebook.com/Basques-in-WW2-The-Marine-Corps-617093282099371/)
Join us in Facebook at the “Memoria Bizia / Fighting Basques” group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/memoriabizia
Let no veteran be forgotten. Ez zaitez beteranorik ahaztu. |
11/11/2020
