Copyright by Irene Garza 2016 The Dissertation Committee for Irene Garza Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Martialing Latinidad: Latina/os Re-Making the Military from Vietnam to the Global War on Terror, 1969-2003 Committee: Janet M. Davis, Supervisor Steven Hoelscher John McKiernan-Gonzalez Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez Martialing Latinidad: Latina/os Re-Making the Military from Vietnam to the Global War on Terror, 1969-2003 by Irene Garza, B.A., M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin August 2016 Dedication For Nhi. (and Mom & Tanya) Acknowledgements Del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho~ Mexican proverb As the above proverb states, things are easier said than done. One can spend years saying they will write a dissertation, but the actual business of completing one is a far more complicated task. That these pages exist is a testament to the outstanding committee members, faculty, friends, and family who have supported me throughout this protracted journey. First and foremost, I owe my largest debts to Janet Davis, who not only offered rigorous feedback on chapter drafts, but who assisted me in innumerable ways throughout this process. Her patience, vigor for the field of American Studies, unrivaled intellectual enthusiasm, and generous mentorship have modeled for me the type of professional I aspire to be and scholarship I hope to practice. Quite simply, I could not have done this without her. Beginning in my second year of graduate school, I had the good fortune of meeting and working with John McKiernan-Gonzalez, a Borderlands historian who introduced me to the field and who has cultivated in me a far deeper appreciation for Mexican-American Studies and US history than I ever thought possible. He always challenged me to see the “big picture,” even in the smallest details. I have admired his keen intellect, sly humor, and benefitted from his prescient analyses in ways both large and small. My debts to him are many. Likewise, I gained valuable insight from Dr. McKiernan-Gonzalez’s partner and UT-AMS faculty member Cary Cordova, with whom I had the distinct and memorable experience of serving as a Teaching Assistant for in the fall of 2014. Cary taught me many things, but above all, she demonstrated a v valuable critical approach to the synthesis of American Studies and Latina/o Studies that I have sought to utilize in my own scholarship. Cary is part of the phenomenal faculty that comprise the American Studies Department at UT-Austin, a place I have had the privilege of calling “home” for the last decade or so. These faculty members include: Shirley Thompson Marshall, Mark Smith, Jeff Meikle, Julia Mickenberg, Nicole Guidotti-Hernandez, Elizabeth Engelhardt, and Stephen Marshall. Stephen Hoelscher, ever the consummate leader and gentle soul, stepped in to serve on my committee and assure me that I would complete this project. My gratitude to him knows no boundaries. Numerous scholars in the fields of American Studies, Latina/o Studies, and US military history have guided this project over many years, offering treasured advice and providing some of the most enlightening conversations of my life. In particular, I would like to thank David Kieran, Kristin Ann Haas, Jorge Mariscal, Gina M Pérez, Hector Amaya, Lorena Oropeza, Kyle Longley, Jose Navarro, Ariana Vigil, Elizabeth “Liz” Mesok, Ken MacLeish, and Maria Hohn. Within the canon of scholars addressing race and US military history, few stand taller than Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez. In addition to serving as one of my committee members, Dr. Rivas-Rodriguez’s work on Latina/os in World War II and her leadership of the VOCES Oral History Project at the University of Texas served as the intellectual foundation for this project. This project would not have been possible without the generous financial support I received to conduct archival research at sites in Florida, California, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Texas. The research for this dissertation was made possible through a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, University of Texas Powers Fellowship, and vi numerous UT-American Studies research travel funds. Following suite, I’d like to thank the numerous librarians, archivists, and research assistants who helped me in this process. Among these research specialists I would like to give special thanks to Andrei Arduyakov of the Defense Equal Opportunity and Management Institute (DEOMI), Christian Kelleher of the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, Gregory Cina of the US Marine Corps Archives in Quantico, VA, Steve Hersh of the Special Collections at the University of Miami Libraries, LeRoy Jewell and Major Kone Faulkner at the DoD’s Defense Media Activity Center (DMA), Jerry C. Scarpate, Deputy Director of the Research Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), Ira Pemstein of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, and Brian McNerney of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library. Special thanks and gratitude are reserved for Dr. Frank Montalvo and Dr. Richard Hope who provided oral histories that served to enrich this scholarship in unprecedented ways. Writing a dissertation can be a lonely process, but I had the exceptionally good fortune of meeting, becoming life-long friends with, and even living next to Eric Covey and Andrea “Andi” Gustavson (aka “The War Writing Group”) during my very first year of graduate school. In no small measure, their good humor and lively spirits sustained the intellectual energy I needed to complete this project. Eric and Andi, you are my rocks. Eric and Andi were part of larger and very colorful cast of characters I entered graduate school with known to UT-AMS as the “Veritable Blunderbuss” and include Dave Croke, Gavin Benke, Marsha Abrahams, and Josh Holland. It has been a true joy to call them my colleagues and friends. The “Blunderbuss” was part of broader cohort of graduate vii students I spent the last decade with at UT-AMS and who made my time here all the more special. Thus, I’d also like to recognize in no particular order: Rebecca Onion, Katie Feo-Kelly, Susan Quesal, Brendan Gaughen, Lily Laux, Christina Garcia, Marvin Bendele, Tony Fassi, Andrew Busch, Jaqueline Smith, Elissa Underwood, Andrew “Jonesy” Jones, Sean Cashbaugh, Danny Gerling, Carrie Andersen, Amy Ware, Carly Kocurek, Tracy Wuster, Allison Wright, Anna Thompson Hajdik, and Stephanie Kohlberg. Of course, our department and the vibrant intellectual community would not thrive without the tireless (and often invisible) labor provided by our outstanding AMS administrative staff: Stephanie Kaufman, Chad Crawford, and Ella Schwartz. UT-Austin is a big place, figuratively and literally. Thus, UT-AMS was not my only “home” here. Almost as soon as I arrived in August 2006, I found my second community in UT’s Center for Mexican-American Studies (CMAS). Over the years, CMAS was alternately my refuge and place of critical intellectual development. For this, I would like to thank Anne Martinez, Jose Limon, Michael Cucher, Emilio Zamora, Deborah Paredez, Deborah “Deb” Vargas, Luis Guevara, Alberto Gonzalez, and Natasha Saldana. Among my UT AMS and CMAS colleagues, I offer mil gracias to Amanda E. Gray, Jaime Puente, and Jose-Centeno Melendez. I’d also like to acknowledge CMAS affiliate and my scholarly compatriot, Valerie A. Martinez. Among the many mentors I have had over the years, two in particular stand out. I first met Stephen Pitti, my “consigliere”, when I was a freshman at Yale University in 1998. His guidance, mentorship, and support have shaped the intellectual I have become viii today. And second, to Nhi Lieu, who taught me to think in complex, unbounded ways; who showed me what courage, strength, grace, and resilience are; and who first convinced me that this was a worthy project. That this dissertation exists is confirmation of the enduring character she possesses and which I was fortunate to have learned from. Nhi, muchismas gracias por todo. Over the years, some of my strongest and most reassuring support came from my Yale familia. To Alejandra, Jaqui, Mari, Pancho, LiYun, Mike, Alvaro, Anamaria and Jesus, I can simply say, siempre. Finally, to my family: Mom, Dad, Tanya, and Daniel. There are not words profound enough to express my love and appreciation for you all. Dad, you first stoked my interest in this subject and for that, I remain forever grateful. Mom, you worked tirelessly my entire life and especially in these last few years to support me through school—a debt I can never repay. The sacrifices you’ve made on my behalf are innumerable, but they live within me and animate my desire to be a hard worker, loving soul, and extraordinary individual—just like you. Daniel, my “wonder twin”—we’ve shared our lives together and though it hasn’t always been easy, you’ve reminded me to laugh and keep a much needed perspective on my academic endeavors. And finally, to my beloved sister, Tanya….Sis, where do I begin? You literally kept me alive these past few months. Through illness, stress, financial woes, and outright fatigue, you reminded me to “Just Do It” as only you can. I’ll always cherish our memories together: WWPDS, Cocoa Beach, road trips, scary hotels, hospital visits, and a host of other adventures that only you and I know and can fully appreciate. Thank you. ix Martialing Latinidad: Latina/os Re-Making the Military from Vietnam to the Global War on Terror, 1969-2003 Irene Garza, PhD The University of Texas at Austin, 2016 Supervisor: Janet M. Davis This dissertation considers the political and cultural import of Latina/os within the U.S.