Rudy Cortez and Alice Cortez

00:00 Rudy.

00:04 Good afternoon. Hi. I'm a Rudy Cortez. I'm 72 years old and recording a recording. This on May 10th. Nineteen 2041. I'm sitting here in my home. In Bellingham Washington about a hundred miles, north of Seattle, in 20 miles, south of the Canadian border. And we're joining us in this taping. This is my sister Alice, and the best relationship. She's my sister. And Alice is a couple years younger than me.

00:45 You go ahead.

00:48 My name is Alice Cortez. I'm 69. I can't believe it and this is May 10th. 2021. I live in Pasadena, California. This is my home and my brother Rudy Cortez, the eldest of four in the family. And I miss sister. And this the second child born.

01:16 Is that, okay? Alright, military voices and I asked Alice to participate, it was for a couple reasons. We have two other sisters, but they were real kids. They're good. They're ten years younger than them and Alice night and although they certainly you know, knew that I was in the military Vietnam. Alice was the closest to me in age and I spoke to Alice and she said something to me that was quite to

01:59 Totally unaware. That my mother was afraid for me all the time that I was in Vietnam.

02:11 And so Alice, why don't you talk about that, please? You were there?

02:20 That is interesting because when I read you're in the part, you remember talking to Mom and, you know, how they told you you better and list. It's better than getting, you know, drafted least you have a choice in how dad kind of cute you in on some safety measures and you know you and you also didn't share a lot with us, but I reminded you mom was a constant worrier. Our father worked out of town and every morning. When he drove off, she turned the radio on to the new station, listening to see if there any car accidents in route to his job. I mean, that's how bad she was every day of her life. She did that and when Rudy finally went to Vietnam, it was like the house, but tell Dad it. She was just so sad and and you know always worried.

03:16 Plus at that time, everything was on the news, you know, you turn on the news and there was Vietnam and everybody getting shot killed. It would list the numbers of the people who had died or who are injured and she wanted to watch that. I mean, it's like, Mom, it's too much too much. And she was like, no. No, I have to be on the know. I have to know what's going on and tell what that was. That was the way it was for a couple years when I was looking for pictures cuz I know I had one when everything was so sad looking, but there was a picture. I found of the girls and I was like no Smiles or just sad, but come on you guys get a life, but it was, it was how it was at home when you were gone.

04:12 I eat on something else. I never told told the folks. But yeah, I was I join the Navy and gotten Central to call the school and I was just so, you know, after basic training and such and, you know, I got specialist training there, and

04:35 As we finished up a school, you know, we we got to make selections. Where do you want to go? Now that you're, you completed a school and I volunteered for Vietnam. It was my War just like World War II was our dads war and so I volunteered to go to Vietnam and course. I didn't tell that to folks and then I finished high school and I was in schedule to go to another school before I went to Vietnam and but between the two schools, I know I had to I was going to come, I was going to come home and so I call the folks. Hey, I'm coming home. I've got a flight out of Baltimore, Maryland. I'm done all I'm going to be landing at such-and-such a time in Los Angeles.

05:28 And,

05:30 Oh, yeah, where you where you going? What ship are you wanting like that? Well, I didn't want to tell them that I was going to be at Nam over the phone like that. And so that's when I will I'll tell you when I get there and that was probably a pretty a big clue to Mom. You know, who I am. So, why you don't why I flew home that day. I got there that night. The one thing I remember, most of all this my luggage didn't make it up here, playing the airline had to deliver my my bag the next day, but don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing.

06:21 And so, you know, I was there for a few weeks and then I moved back to Aberdeen you for some more training and and after that the blue back to to Los Angeles before going to we're going to Vietnam and the I remember the one thing about it, you know, I flew back to

06:50 To Los Angeles and landed there. And

06:56 You know, I was with you know, what?

07:03 You know what with my family and such and a couple days later the other three guys that I was going to go to Vietnam with flew in and they had we made arrangements that Dad and I were going to pick him up at the airport. So they flew to LAX and these guys are all from the Midwest in the east coast. They knew nothing about California. One of the first signs you see, is you as you'd leave, LAX is a big sign to turn here to go to Sepulveda Boulevard and you know, they didn't know anything about you know, Spanish words, sample via WhatsApp.

07:51 So anyway, that was a lot of fun and we got home and we all camped out at the folks house. And the next night, dad bought us some all the tickets to go, see the the Rams play football. And so he took his all and and Amanda me and the other three guys and

08:21 Young. We were, we got to see this football game. And I think we went to sleeps and have the roast beef sandwiches. French dip sandwiches at Philippe tradition, Los Angeles, you go to Philippe's, but we're going to a sporting event. And anyway, there were sitting and they were earlier, you know, they're cheap seats in the endzone, but then, Dad's cousin was one of the officials at the game. And he saw Dad, and he walked over to Dad, Dreaming, Tree and a half time. He said, Richie Richie, you know, why, Hi. How are you? Great. So, you know that was, you know, that was kind of exciting and so

09:17 So how you know that in the end? I think we the next day we flew to Vietnam.

09:24 And,

09:27 But I don't know. I was unaware that that Mom was afraid like that all that time and and I was a terrible letter writer. I think it first that you don't I talked about the I have a little you a little small tape recorder. I was going to record, you know letters home and I do that a couple times but you don't have to wow, you know, over there. It just gets to be a routine. You're you're you're living your life. You know, how are you doing your job? You just, you're moving on with things and so writing letters.

10:11 A recording. Let me know it just sort of got to. I just stopped doing it. And I had I known that.

10:19 Your mom have feelings like that at home. I probably would have done a better job of writing to her.

10:26 I do remember there was a an earthquake.

10:29 It was a bad earthquake in Los Angeles. It was on the news and in Vietnam and I was able to send a telegram home to the Red. Cross. Hey, I'm okay. I hope you're okay. And you know, just simple things like that. But I hope that message got there and he was like, he was free. I wouldn't to worry about us. He was worried. Look at this. He was, she was just so excited, you know, so it didn't mean a lot to her and I do, you know, she wasn't that much into reading and, you know, it was just, she just wanted to know. I think you were, okay, and no news is good news, I think was her.

11:17 Mindset at that point.

11:20 Don't beat yourself up. I think she would have been, you're not worried either way.

11:32 Felt like everything was grateful. I mean,

11:40 We just praying, we had our face and, you know, you would be taking care of and keep your, you know, if your smarts about you be safe, you that you talked about Dad giving me, you're giving me advice. I think I remember the one piece of advice he gave me before going off to boot camp. Was you don't cuz that has been in the Army Air Force in World War II? And dad says to me now, they're going to do this weekend if you're all going to be up there together.

12:13 And they got you know, the drill instructors going to say okay, who here has been to college?

12:20 Don't raise your hand.

12:23 Because the first thing you're going to do is gate, all you guys have been to college. You go out here, you pick up cigarettes, but Felicia, you know, policing the a grinder. It was called policing me to pick up. And so, everybody have been to college. Got sent off to pick up cigarette, butts, clean the clean, the place with the message that just cuz they've been the college. No. Better than the rest of you.

12:46 Sabina who haven't been the college. So I kept my hand down. That was good advice from Dad. I made sure I did that.

13:03 A lot of.

13:10 What are the Terry Ford in my life? Is, you know, what lessons? I learned from my parents?

13:19 The military learn lessons. I learned from the military.

13:27 You know, I still love.

13:33 Yokai, iron, my shirts and my trousers and handkerchiefs meat stay in Tybee Island from from our mom and cuz, you know, she went to school and uniforms and every David uniforms the right Dad, you know, dad went to work every, you know, every day and she died earned his trousers and, you know, he was, he looks and the one thing I learned very importantly from my dad, which I think I took over to the military was, you know, Dad work. That was the construction worker.

14:20 And at the end of the day, he came home and clean as when he left in the morning.

14:27 And you didn't get all dirty and there's nothing wrong with staying a little farther away from the work, keep keep eating clean. And so I learned that is a as a skill and I'm taking it with me and I took that into the military and

14:51 Yeah, so that would support them. You know, what, you don't remember, what your parents taught you, the skills that they talked things like that.

15:02 Hamburg.

15:04 Hey, I think when mom died, one of her a whole lot of cousins came up to me and they said, Nancy Nancy's, just like Edwina was, you know, you can walk in the house and put your finger on the table and check to make sure there is no dust on your finger is your mother's house was always Immaculate, you know, and I laughed cuz it was like, yep. That's my mom. That was so I think I'm talk about running a type shyt. You know, I remember having to get ready for church like an hour ahead before Mass, start it, and I'll wind up sitting on the couch, all dressed up, you know, and ready to go, but she wanted everybody ready on time and then out the house and she would go earlier.

15:53 So she could come home and make us breakfast. So it was a very tight ship so it's not a surprise. You went into the Navy. Yeah, exactly. That's you. Do we have this covid been going on right now? And I hear all the covid fatigue. Keep your tobacco and I think back to my parents and know they lived through the depression, you know, they live through the second world war. Ya tired of this depression. When's it going to end? When do it? I'm tired of the second world war. When's it going to end, you know, you have a task in front of you and you do it and it's good and when it's done and so I get to I guess I got a little low.

16:48 Tired of people talking about covid, fatigue, you know, we have a task in front of us and we're just going to do it and when it ends, is one of the ends of Brie cheese.

17:07 I know, but I think it's it's the way we were brought up by me. My, I keep busy, you know, just in my house in my yard and it's like I don't miss anything, you know, I call friends, you know, we communicate via the phone and

17:24 Life Is Life is okay, you know, Ann and Rich being older and having some health risk. It was more like I can't do these other things. You know, I got a haircut. It's like okay Rich your scissors and same thing with him, you know, we just you know, you just take care of each other and I think that's how you are with your family. You know, you always took care of Robbie. I was just, you know care Sophie. You're very good. Dad to them.

17:55 Even looking at you right now. I see Dad and she

18:00 Thank you. Yeah. This, so we're having for those of the host of you listen to recorded. This is we've been doing

18:11 People have been doing Zoom meetings now for more than a year and you're so this is nothing new to be sitting here. Looking at 3. Every few are other people in the computer screen and having a conversation. So except this is the new normal right now.

18:32 For you, not me. I wasn't working. You go to church via Zoom meetings. We do here.

18:44 You know, I'm in my Shakespeare club, and we read Shakespeare plays, and sue me before I retired, you know, I was talking to.

18:54 Talking to customers via Zoom meeting. So yeah.

19:03 And again, you don't, you just do it. It it's it's what's a it's a it's a great tool to have available on me. Is

19:15 Use it anyway.

19:19 One of militarism military bases, right? So

19:26 The Navy was good to me.

19:30 I'm very proud of my service in the Navy.

19:35 I did, okay.

19:41 Like you said, you never, you know, you didn't communicate a lot to us and, you know, which was okay. I think there is understanding.

19:53 You're probably very busy. You know, if it's a lot going on over there, but just to know that you said, you know, over here, there was all the anti-war movement going on. Starting there was the, you know, that, you know, the songs, you know, that we're coming out that were anti-war. And it was like, why, why are we not supporting these kids that are dying. I went to a small Catholic school. There was a girl swinging a boy swing and I remember being in the second floor art classroom, which is Head Windows, and they Overlook the cemetery next door to the school. Remember the Old Mission, Okay, so,

20:41 There is a funeral going on for a classmate had graduated the year before he died in 1968 and shortly before him. There was another guy who, who was he your head of him who also died, you know, in combat 1968. So it was a constant reminder, in a way to know that guys our age and your age, or sex. I seen their lives and, you know, and so I think not communicating was was probably a safety measure when I call adaeze you send stuff and, you know, so when you you were okay, but you had had to get to work, like Dad had to get to work, you know.

21:29 I remember I had a good buddy in Vietnam Gary, Neal Owens great day, and I wanted to use his name in the story of a piece of fiction. I was right? And I forget but before I do that, I should ask his permission why I haven't seen him since Vietnam. At this point in time is about 45 years inside since I left Vietnam. And so, but I knew who is that, I knew his dad's name and that his dad had been the postmaster in the little town, Gary was from

22:07 So this is the early days of Google. So I I Googled is that

22:15 And I found I found the dads obituary.

22:22 And I so shoot the dad's debt, and I read the obit.

22:27 And in the obit, I saw that he had been preceded in death by his son, Gary Neal Adams and that made me feel very sad.

22:37 Because you're he can survive. Vietnam, you do and then you got back to the world and he died. No, no surprise to smoke like a chimney, but you know.

22:59 My peers in Vietnam should not have not been should not have died that young. We're getting to that. You know, you go out there and you

23:12 Dads World War II, vet buddies have all have all died. They're all gone. And you know every once in awhile, you'll see a story about some, you know, some World War II. Who has died at age 99 or 100 or something like that. And pretty soon that's going to be happened to my generation. You know, we're all in their 70s and 80s and you know, the rest all the way to go is

23:47 Scooby sad to me.

23:50 You know, you know, to see a lot of

23:56 Curious and things like that Legacy bus is that you guys did defend your country. I mean, the the fear was communism was going to spread and that's why we got involved in the war over there, you know.

24:15 Like I said, there was some in and out all the anti-war movement here and I fear that was very hard on you guys coming back, you know, to not environment of being not appreciated for what your risks were the life. She saw lost over there and the impact it had on you housewise to you from, you know, the exposures you had.

24:44 So, and did not be appreciated for for that. That's a big loss.

24:52 For a culture to not say, you know, why didn't you know, why weren't they appreciated it that they were trying to defend their country as their parents? Wish you guys were where were at Sons. I bet, you know, or in that age group.

25:14 Remember, I was in a classroom.

25:23 And I overheard the teacher talking to his, his students. And he mentioned Vietnam as a something. He was talking about. He says and you'll probably hear hear about this. You're from your your grandparents. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

25:42 I was in Vietnam, with this Navy Chief, who was on his seventh tour?

25:52 That was the seventh year in Vietnam. I mean, just amazing. 7 tours. Wow, I need to and that's nothing but wow.

26:01 So seven tours. Anyway.

26:08 I told you that I didn't, you know, that I'm proud of my Navy service and and let me see. I served eight years and some enlisted man.

26:23 Come back, and I finished up College.

26:30 And after ever after having done that, in the military is called putting on khaki because I applied for a commission and I became an officer and so will I serve out the rest of my Navy time you no answer as a naval officer and that was again. I said that you probably may be inundated. Navy did okay by me, but I was proud to do that. You know, it's certainly a smile on mom's face, you know, the second you walk in the door and that, you know, in that uniform with all the in the gold on my sleeves and things like that. White uniform. All my stuff. Yes.

27:21 I can't find the picture but they don't have it of you two standing in the front yard and the borough Street house, where in your Navy uniform your hat and Mom had a white, a white pleated skirt and a navy blue jacket. That was her Navy outfit, next city next to her. So she bought them in that picture with you. So I thought that was very proud to, you know, you know, you had moved up the line. Remember dad, you know, when he was in a retirement home that we have it a picture of me and Noah official Navy portrait. Are you? Are you on his bookshelf? And he knows somebody came in and he said, he saw this other resident at the retirement home. Saw that.

28:30 It was a lot of Pride on my parents, when I kind of, remember. I, when I got commissioned, you know, they went to the commissioning ceremony, you swear, you know, so, you know.

28:57 I think it sounds like there's some really good memories despite, you know, the hardships.

29:07 I think that's one of the things about the Navy is the military in general? Is that the average everyday? Civilian has no idea.

29:20 What we did, how we, you know, what we sacrificed. You know, what, we've been working 7 days a week, working all hours of the day in Day Out.

29:35 You do board ship. When you're at Sea. You have no idea. What day of the week. It is Wednesday. I don't know. You know, it's Sunday. Go to church, light goes up.

29:51 Okay, but you just you know, you knew that. Okay? No, I got the duty from this day that you get from the shower to the shower. And

30:04 You can call when you're up on the bridge. Driving that boat around. Those are those are good days. I remember that, you know, never got over being seasick.

30:15 No kidding. No. No. I was just you know, how is she in a far corner? Just in case cuz you know, you start rock and roll like that little bit and so

30:38 Well, you know, I know, I know I've been a lot of you. I've been on a lot of shifts and not on wasn't always seasick know. But Catalina cruises.

31:06 You do out. Maybe it's on some some big monsters, 700, feet long. And you're you're doing this and you know, what route to rock and roll in the you put her in. If you put her into the trough and she's gone back it up. Yeah. It just

31:25 Emotion. Yeah, you know, you know.

31:33 Things are thinking things are different.

31:36 Let me see. Here's a question. That was asked. Why did I choose to maybe? I don't know. It was Vietnam. And, and frankly, the the Army looked a little Dusty. I mean, I did a Boy Scout who wants to sleep in the dirt. If you don't have too bad. I've been in the, in the Army Air Force and your World War II. Grandmother's see, I guess Jack was our cousin, Jack cool, was our cousin and he's to send all hands magazines back to her. That was maybe Magazine still. It's the, it's the magazine of the Navy and they had to be no pictures to the ships and pictures of, you know, Sailors working and doing the things that, you know, that

32:36 Planes, everything that you do in the Navy and I didn't treat me. I thought, hey, this is something for me. And so that's that's why I join join the Navy. I've always been a big history buff and

32:54 Read all this historical fiction about you know, your Sailors and ships. I thought that that would be something for me. And so that's why I joined the Navy song.

33:11 And I think when you went to Europe, when you went to Oxford and you'd went to see some of the old ships that are on display, right? Yeah, I've been on a lot of lot of American ships from the Boston note from the American Revolution Napoleonic Wars and fell or Nelson. The Admiral Nelson died and it's always intrigued me. And

34:05 Sounds to me. It was a pretty good experience for.

34:11 That exposure to be around ships.

34:15 Thor has a different feeling, I know, but just to have had that exposure to seeing these vessels and know these vessels. And, you know, it's like Dad with his airplanes, you know, getting his there, at his Hawaiian shirt with all the B-25 Monett that made him so happy, you know.

34:40 It's just

34:42 You know, it's like you always hold on to the happy memories, you try to let go of the hard ones, you know, stopped working things like that. True.

35:12 What else was there?

35:17 How about coming home? And oh, yeah, I remember that very week. I'm going to come home and we got into the airplane in today because it was called the freedom bird. And as soon as the wheels came up, the old airplane exploded in the cheers. We were all happy to leave, you know, so that was a glorious to fly home. And when when I flown a year before flying to Vietnam, we flew from Air Force Base in California camera, which one

36:05 To Hawaii and then Midway then awake than Guam and Danae as a long time because every time they refuel the airplane and people to get off and get it on and you're so we all had to get off the airplane. It took forever to get there and we flew back and we just flew this circle route from

36:32 From Danang to, to Seattle, to, actually to Dakota new Tacoma.

36:41 McChord Air Force Base and the Nae Nae.

36:48 We went up to Seattle and they process this out. I miss it at the dentist because my teeth is gone, all bad, you know in Vietnam and then after a few days they are on the Naval Station Sand Point, which isn't even there anymore. We flew home to LA.

37:12 And I remember a,

37:14 I took a taxi from LAX to home.

37:19 And arnita, you know Stella, I'm her mom's sister. She just ran off a porch on the first one.

37:31 The whole family was that everybody was there.

37:34 And it was, it was, it was great to see everybody. And yeah, we got back so fast, you know, Dad came came home from a

37:56 From tinian island in the Pacific and took him weeks to come home. All those guys in home from Europe. They came home, you know, it's on ships and you don't take a long time to, you know, several days to get home. Where is Vietnam and got on the airplane. Unless, you know, and you know, within a few hours you were back in the world.

38:25 Yeah, I got this dress from you is from Hawaii. Oh, yeah. Oh my goodness. That's you too, but you brought it home for me.

38:53 Oh, boy, see, and that's the trouble with her, you know, ain't your memories like that? You don't remember things like that. When did I do that? Because I stayed at seventy-three nineteen seventy-three, so,

39:14 When did she leave the Navy? What date was it that you left the Navy?

39:27 Oh, yeah, so that was

39:30 Yeah, pick it up. He picked it up. Thank God. You came home.

39:37 Was good.

39:40 And I know, just thank you for your service. Thank you for your hard work, endurance. And, you know, I always give it to your country and I'm glad you're not on that wall in DC. I went there and I just broke down. I've been there four times now and it's just every time just broke down there though. Yeah, I have to have memories of that too. And you're older. That's for sure. That's the sickest. We get the joy of Aging.

40:28 It's so much more knowledge in your face.

40:31 Great. Thank you for joining me on this. Thank you.