And new tonight during World War Two,
Mexican American soldiers fought for a
country that didn't seem to fight for them.
A legacy denied by the history books
until three Lamar students, Tisha Hubert,
Joseph Akers and CJ Delgado stepped
in and started to rewrite those books.
There Mus 98 year old Patrick Aguilar.
He is the longest living Mexican American
World War Two veterans in our area.
Here's his story along with
so many other untold ones.
98 years of playing the hand he was
dealt Sergeant Patrick Aguilar.
Story begins in San Antonio where
he was born in a boxcar on Saint
Patrick's Day in 1923 to parents
who migrated from San Luis,
but they see Mahiko where
revolution was taking place.
It brought many Mexicans to
Southeast Texas for a better life
in jobs and a booming oil industry
as when my dad came
over here. Look for work. Right away. But
it wasn't needed.
Joseph Akers EU S history
teacher at Beaumont United,
has studied Mexican Americans
in Southeast Texas for years.
He says Mexicans were treated poorly,
working more difficult jobs for
lower pay than whites without
the Mexican American community.
Here in Southeast Texas.
The oil industries,
particularly here in the Beaumont
Port Arthur Port Natures area,
would not be what it is today.
And when it came to war,
they would list them as Caucasian.
But on the back of their draft card.
They would look list their complexity
fighting for a country that wrote them off
for some reason, it's just
missed the history books.
A hidden heirloom.
I came across this picture
at the Tyrell Library.
This is of Patrick Aguilar when he
was drafted into World War Two.
Is what prompted Lamar grad student
Tisha Hubert to spend the last year
riding her masters thesis on Sergeant
Aguilar service in World War Two.
He is the last living Mexican American
who has served in World War Two.
Who's from this?
Area into real library.
All they really have is just his
picture and some broad information
like what is on his shadow box there
in hopes to get it published that
will help with the historiography,
especially here for Southeast Texas
to help get that information out
there to help put a footprint down
of the Mexican American community
that has served in World War Two,
we can now legitimately.
You know, tell that whole story.
Akers is developing a curriculum using
Sergeant Aguilar story to piece together
the Mexican American experience.
We're gonna have to go go to war
after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
18 year old Patrick Aguilar
was drafted into EU S Army Air
Forces on October 8th, 1942.
Trained as a radio operator,
he was transported to England,
earning a ribbon as a rifle,
sharpshooter and carbine expert
Sergeant Aguilar was one of two
Mexican Americans in his squadron.
He says he never felt any
discrimination from his comrades.
Long and everything and
everybody had a different job.
Sergeant Aguilar delivered support
services eating squadrons across Europe.
He had to remain on high alert
from German bombardments
and 19 all over sudden those 3:00 AM we know,
because a plane was coming by.
And we will see what the heck
is going on between you already
get hurt the tent and run and
get into a underground cave.
To put protection
after the Allies successfully took back
the port city of Cherbourg, Normandy.
Sergeant Angular cleaned up the death,
but after World War Two ended.
I mean, yeah, people who work there,
do you know work in your home?
Something like that.
No parades or women waiting a kiss
soldiers for Mexican American troops.
It was a quiet walk home from the bus stop.
You got home.
Will let you fire brothers and we all.
You all made it home to get
back to a life in Port Arthur.
Sergeant Aguilar worked as a laborer
at Gulf Oil refinery and went back
to serve during the Korean War.
That's where he obtained
the rank of staff Sergeant.
After a year, he got out to care
for his growing family and today,
Mayor Thurman Bartie signed a
proclamation honoring November 25th
as Sergeant Patrick Aguilar Day.
Now, there's lots of details
we left out for TV purposes.
You can learn more about
Sergeant Aguilar on our website,
told news.now.com