Santos RosasRosasSantosCAVietnam War, 1961-1975Army3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry DivisionSpecialist FourVietnamNoVeteran"I almost said my Hail Marys and last rites right there." (Video interview, 39:54)Drafted into the Army in 1969 at the age of 18, Santos Rosas was sent to Vietnam and assigned to a patrol unit based out of Pleiku. Endless patrols in the jungles offered no shortage of gut-wrenching experiences: losing close friends and sustaining injuries himself. The trials of Vietnam didn't end with his homecoming: He suffered rashes from exposure to Agent Orange and had trouble readjusting to the confines of his close-knit family. Throughout it all, though, he maintained an upbeat attitude and an appreciation for the small pleasures of everyday life.Santos Rosas [2004]Hispanics in ServiceTelling his parents he was going to Vietnam, one of the hardest things he's ever had to do; emotional journey to basic training.Flying into Pleiku; bonding with two other comrades he flew in with; conditions in the field; counting his blessings every day.Experience of going on patrol; being alert for booby traps; cutting their own trails; what he carried; carrying his personal effects in his ammo box.Injured while on patrol; falling into a booby trap and pierced through the knee by a sharpened stick; recuperation.Coming home after eleven months and seven days in Vietnam; trying to buy a beer at a bar with his brother, but not old enough; reunion with his family was one of the greatest moments of his life.Close calls; seeking solace from the military chaplain who was posted to his unit.Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congresshttps://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.10969/DLC-AFC2022-04-26loc.natlib.afc2001001.10969