Visting with a Hero

This past weekend I finally took the time to see American Sniper.  Needless to say I enjoyed the movie. What struck me at the end of the movie was the videos and photos of Chris Klye's funeral procession and funeral services at AT&T Stadium.  Chris Kyle had many admirers, all honoring a hero who served his country during the Iraq War.  I think any veteran, regardless of service during peacetime or wartime, deserves the thanks and support of all Americans.  I also think they are true hereos.  While Chief Petty Officer Kyle was a very public hero, there are many heroes who service is not as noted or celebrated.  This past spring, I had a chance to meet a hero, but not just any hero, a Congressional Medal Honor winner.  His name is Jose Rodela, a native of Corpus Christi.

The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest military honor bestowed on any U.S. military serviceman.  While many Corpus Christi and South Texas veterans severed gallantly and with distinction, I believe no one from this area has won the Medal of Honor.  Master Sgt. Rodela served in Vietnam and on March, 2014, President Obama awarded him the Medal of Honor based on a review of the actions of minority soldiers in past wars.

I had a chance to meet him at the Bucanner Days Scholarship Awards reception.  He was a featured guest and I always like to extend my thanks to any veteran I meet.  Sgt. Rodela was reserved and very distinguished.  We had a conservation about history and when I told him I was Robstown, he talked going to Robe to visit friends during the 1950s.  He talked about family and the importance of education.  Nothing in his conversation spoke about his actions in the Phouc Long Province or that he was in the Army Special Forces.  Maybe that is what makes him a true hero: a man who proudly served his country, fought for his fellow his soldiers, and came home to live his life as he wished.

Master Sgt. Jose Rodela and a thankful history teacher

Sgt. Rodela curently lives in San Antonio.  He is one of many heroes that call or called Corpus Christi and South Texas home.  Here is the link to the U.S. Army's website featuring Sgt. Rodela's biography and the Medal of Honor citation Master Sergeant Jose Rodela

Doing local history

Doing local history

Do you know  E. Barnes Coles?  Did you know W.B Ray High School won the Texas State Football Championship in 1959 and the next year, Roy Miller High, won the 1960 championship?  Did you know the Galvan Ballroom once hosted some of the most famous musicians of the 40's and 50s? There is so much more history to discover in the local history room at the La Retama library. My first hours of Spring Break was spent mentoring my students over topics like the history of the "B" bus and mass transit in Corpus, the development of Mustang Island, the histories of Wynn Seale Jr. High and Solomon Coles High School, and much more.

My upcoming blogs will focus on Corpus Christi history.  I will be sharing the information my students are discovering as well as my own observations about local history.

Have a safe Spring Break.

One of my favorite pastimes is to go to the local library and go through the vertical files or archives.  I love to see history unfold through old photographs, newspaper clippings, or artifacts.  My students are engaged in a local history project for the semester.  They are required to gather primary and secondary sources to tell the history of a specific location or event in Corpus Christi.  The projects vary from the seawall to the Corpus Christi home front during World War II.  This is authentic history!  Not memorizing dates or people but hands on, place based learning.

This past Friday, I joined a few of my students at the La Retama Library to go over the vertical files and help in finding resources for their project.  It is good to be back at the Local History Room.  During my afternoon I looked at old articles on Hamlin Pharmacy, HEB, and Naval Station CC.  I viewed a newspaper advertisement for movies at the old Thunderbird Theater for Sunday, October 22, 1972 - my birthday.  The Sunday movie listings also reminded me that there was another drive-in theater in Corpus, the Buccaneer.  My memories are always triggered by some image or song.  I look forward to seeing my student's projects.  They are an amazing group of kids