HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH EVENTS
• Story Readings at Ramstein Library: from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday and Oct. 3
• Free Spanish dance classes at the Ramstein Officers’ Club, Wing Lounge: from 5 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday until Oct. 3
• HHM Expo at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center: from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 5, with food tasting, art displays, music/dancing and information booths
• HHM 5K Fun Run: 9 a.m. Oct. 12. Prizes will be awarded for first place men and women; other prizes will be raffled
My father, Fernando C. Lugo, was drafted into the Army in November 1966. After completing high school, he received a letter that said, “Greetings, you been drafted into the Army,” which included a 12 cent New York City subway token to help him report to basic training.
He is a very humble man. The one thing he will never tell you is that on Nov. 8, 1967, while near Phan Thiết, Vietnam, his actions earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross. His award hangs proudly on my office wall.
As a Puerto Rican drafted into the Army, he said he was not treated any differently because he was Latino. His experience was like any other American Soldier. He told me he was called to service for his country and never questioned it.
He endured eight weeks of basic training at Fort Campbell, Ky., and an additional eight weeks of advance infantry training where he earned “expert marksman” with the M-14 rifle and “sharp shooter” with the M-60 machine gun.
After his training, he was given three assignment choices: Korea, Germany or Vietnam. He asked to go to Vietnam because he felt he was needed the most there.
Preparing for Vietnam, he received one week of jungle training and was assigned to the 1st Calvary Division 2/7. He was sent to Vietnam in April 1967 for one year and one day. He wasn’t counting the days. In July, he earned the rank of specialist 4th class.
Later, sensing an opportunity, he volunteered for a new experimental unit called “Night Hunters” and served as an aerial gunner on board a UH-1N Huey helicopter that marked targets.
In September 1967, the Night Hunters were told one of the camps was to be attacked. When they flew to check the perimeter, enemy forces were attacking an outpost.
My father said he and his battle buddy saw green tracers and mortar fire hitting the compound as they flew closer. They flew circles around the perimeter to mark the positions of the enemy, and after a two-hour fight, they landed on the compound and evacuated the seriously wounded Soldiers.
According to the write-up, “… while repeatedly exposing himself to enemy fire by leaning out of his helicopter to mark enemy targets, Lugo observed several wounded U.S. Soldiers in need of assistance. Without regard to his own security, he exited his helicopter to assist in the evacuation of his fellow
Soldiers …” He wouldn’t say how many lives he saved that day; all he would say is, “I was just doing my job.”
My dad ends his story with: “I think President John F. Kennedy said it best, ‘Do not ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ I think that is what this younger generation is doing today, especially after 9/11. They are protecting the United States of America just like I did when I received the call.”
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HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH EVENTS
• Story Readings at Ramstein Library: from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday and Oct. 3
• Free Spanish dance classes at the Ramstein Officers’ Club, Wing Lounge: from 5 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday until Oct. 3
• HHM Expo at the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center: from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 5, with food tasting, art displays, music/dancing and information booths
• HHM 5K Fun Run: 9 a.m. Oct. 12. Prizes will be awarded for first place men and women; other prizes will be raffled
My father, Fernando C. Lugo, was drafted into the Army in November 1966. After completing high school, he received a letter that said, “Greetings, you been drafted into the Army,” which included a 12 cent New York City subway token to help him report to basic training.
He is a very humble man. The one thing he will never tell you is that on Nov. 8, 1967, while near Phan Thiết, Vietnam, his actions earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross. His award hangs proudly on my office wall.
As a Puerto Rican drafted into the Army, he said he was not treated any differently because he was Latino. His experience was like any other American Soldier. He told me he was called to service for his country and never questioned it.
He endured eight weeks of basic training at Fort Campbell, Ky., and an additional eight weeks of advance infantry training where he earned “expert marksman” with the M-14 rifle and “sharp shooter” with the M-60 machine gun.
After his training, he was given three assignment choices: Korea, Germany or Vietnam. He asked to go to Vietnam because he felt he was needed the most there.
Preparing for Vietnam, he received one week of jungle training and was assigned to the 1st Calvary Division 2/7. He was sent to Vietnam in April 1967 for one year and one day. He wasn’t counting the days. In July, he earned the rank of specialist 4th class.
Later, sensing an opportunity, he volunteered for a new experimental unit called “Night Hunters” and served as an aerial gunner on board a UH-1N Huey helicopter that marked targets.
In September 1967, the Night Hunters were told one of the camps was to be attacked. When they flew to check the perimeter, enemy forces were attacking an outpost.
My father said he and his battle buddy saw green tracers and mortar fire hitting the compound as they flew closer. They flew circles around the perimeter to mark the positions of the enemy, and after a two-hour fight, they landed on the compound and evacuated the seriously wounded Soldiers.
According to the write-up, “… while repeatedly exposing himself to enemy fire by leaning out of his helicopter to mark enemy targets, Lugo observed several wounded U.S. Soldiers in need of assistance. Without regard to his own security, he exited his helicopter to assist in the evacuation of his fellow
Soldiers …” He wouldn’t say how many lives he saved that day; all he would say is, “I was just doing my job.”
My dad ends his story with: “I think President John F. Kennedy said it best, ‘Do not ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ I think that is what this younger generation is doing today, especially after 9/11. They are protecting the United States of America just like I did when I received the call.”