CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — While the holidays are coming to an end some local Vietnam Veterans are making each moment count. That’s why they gathered at Golden Corral to have some breakfast and remember the Christmases they missed.
“I missed two Christmas holidays. One was in Vietnam and the other one was in San Antonio when I was an instructor at the Medical Training Center,” Vietnam Veteran, Ram Chavez said.
At some point during the Vietnam War. This group of veterans spent Christmas away from their families. In the jungle and in a war zone — it was then that they decided to adopt new traditions.
“They would bring us a hot meal. It was in canisters with turkey and dressing and save you. The thing about it is when you got your plate it could be raining,” Chavez said.
Chavez and his comrades all experienced the same thing.
More than 50 years since then, they can talk about how it affected them.
“In Vietnam, we would open the present, but it was a present for the whole family in Vietnam. They would grab the bote de tamales and menudo and the pastries,” Vietnam Veteran, Ernesto Mejia said.
It was a Christmas holiday like no other. Times Alex Mendoza said he’ll never forget.
“There were bad times but there were good times too and you can’t let that go,” Mendoza said.
Coming home after the war. Chavez tells us there was no one who could really understand quite like his buddies. Now he calls them family.
“I feel young being with these guys,” Chavez said. I feel like when I was young and strong. I could run and I could duck. I really feel good.”
They plan to see each other again on March 29 on Vietnam Veteran's Day, an especially important time for this group.
