Military Personnel
William George Chapman
by Kathy Chapman Wetzel
William George Chapman enlisted in the Coast Guard and was stationed in San Diego, California. He served as Seaman First Class in the Coast Guard Reserve. William was discharged on September 13, 1915. He was born in Santa Barbara to parents Fred Chapman and Antonia Cordero, who was Chumash.
William George Chapman (Courtesy of Kathy Chapman Wetzel, granddaughter)
Frederico Maldonado Claveria
by Holly Snyder
Federico Antonio Maldonado Claveria was born on June 13, 1908, in Mexico City and emigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1912. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942, serving as a photographer and filmmaker in the Fifth Amphibious Corps on the Pacific front. He was promoted to Technical Sergeant and, following his discharge in 1946, returned home to his long-time girlfriend, Bertha Ciriza, whom he married that same year.
Salvador Pérez
Salvador Pérez
by Yolanda Pérez
Salvador Perez enlisted in the Army in 1939 and became a member of the 101st Airborne Division in WWII. He participated in the Battle of Normandy, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge. He was a proud Screaming Eagle for the rest of his life and served in the military until 1968.
Nicholas Topete
Catarino Escobar and wedding party
The Uribe family
by Mary Robles
Immigrant families proudly enlisted in the United States Military. Our family’s Uribe line had eight sons in service.
Nicholas Topete was the only son of Mariana Topete. He died in 1944 during WWII in Saipan. He was a student leader and adored and looked up to by his band of cousins.
Brothers Antonio and Nicolas Cardona enlisted in the Navy and the Army, respectively. They came back from WWII to great cheers from the family.
My Aunt Fonsa sent three sons to fight in WWII. Sadly, Jimmie C. Escobar and Samuel C. Escobar died in combat. Their brother, Catarino Escobar, returned to Santa Barbara and is shown here with his wedding party.
Two sons of Librado Uribe served during Vietnam. They were John and Vincent Uribe. American flags were displayed proudly in our family homes, including the homes of the Uribes who came here from Mexico.
(All Uribe Images courtesy of Mary Robles)
Cousins Robert Madrigal (left) and Vidal Torres (right)
Madrigal and Torres
Robert Madrigal, son of Natividad León and Joaquín Madrigal, and cousin Vidal Torres, son of Maria León and Jesús Torres, enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 18, 1943 and served in World War II.