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Andrés González Vega, one of the few living World War II veterans, is working on a memoir. NBC News shared his story.
González Vega served in Panama during World War II. Around 5,000 Puerto Rican soldiers were stationed inn Panama during World War II, most members of the Borinqueneers. He received the American Theater Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal, but he also faced racism and cruel discrimination. In 1947, at the age of 23, González Vega joined tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans who moved from the Island to New York.
There, continuing to see racial discrimination, he looked for ways to celebrate his heritage and stand against the inequality he saw. He became one of the founding members of the group that developed the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. This parade is one of the largest cultural celebrations in the nation, and still the largest of the many Puerto Rican Day celebrations across the United States.
Return to Puerto Rico
In his fifties, González Vega returned to Puerto Rico, where he became involved with local festivals, serving as festival coordinator at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and founding the Coconut Festival in Luquillo. He was also known for his contributions to adventure tourism and gastronomy in Luqillo, which is one of eight municipalities where the tropical forest El Yunque is located. He was presented with the Keys to Luqillo in recognition of his family’s business there and his civic support.
Now, at 101, González Vega lives next door to his daughter, Julia Gonzalez. He makes goods by hand, including traditional Puerto Rican musical instruments like güiros and maracas, and Julia helps him set up a sales table at El Yunque. She has the idea of opening a shop with Puerto Rican crafts, wine, and coffee.
González Vega is busy with his memoir, his handcrafts and music, and enjoying his life.
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