The Prospector (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 19, 1987 Page: 3 of 12
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Prospector and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the University of Texas at El Paso.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
The Prospector / February 19, 1987/ Page 3
Movie taps into Vietnam veterans’ memories of war
By John Gutierrez-Mier
suai wrer
While college campuses were
ablaze with anti-Vietnam fervor,
more than 20,000 veterans who
call El Pawo home were fighting
overseas in an undec lared war
The movie Platoon has spark-
ed emotion among Vietnam
veterans across the nation El
Paso n no exception
Mike McProud, 37, who is
pursuing a master's degree in
history and an education cer-
tificate, said between 150 to 200
members of the Vietnam
Veterans of the Southwest will at-
tend a Thursday showing of the
movie at Cielo Vista Cinemas
“People who never went to
Vietnam think it was like World
War II. but it was a totally dif-
ferent experience,” he said. “We
will watch the movie as a group,
just like we fought together as a
group ”
The organization was establish-
ed by four Vietnam veterans m
August 1983 as a non-profit
chartered organization, said Ariel
Duarte, 38, one of the original
four members The group has
grown to include more than 450
members in less then four years
of existence
“The purpose of the group is
to encourage togetherness bet-
ween Vietnam veterans and to
show we're actively involved in
the community in many different
ways." Duarte said
McProud blames much of the
negative stereotype under which
Vietnam veterans have lived in
the past on both the American
media and the government
"The press didn't tell the truth
during the war," he said
The Air Force veteran explain-
ed that while the media war
reporting that American troops
were no longer prevent in partv
of Vietnam, he wav helping push
soldiers and Marines from planev
into those areas
"They've continued to em
phasize the wrong imager
through movies like Rambo
which glorify the war, although
I think all that ir changing," he
added “I don't want my sons, or
anyone else’s, committed to a war
you know you're not going to he
allowed to win "
Jesus Padilla, a Tigua Indian
and former Marine, fought in
Vietnam in 1970 and 1971
"I war chipped off to Vietnam
when I was IR yearc old," he
said. "I don't like to
remember I live day by day
and it’s will difficult for me ”
He explained that when he
returned from Vietnam he spent
a few days in jail after knocking
out a man who accused him of be
ing a “baby killer "
"I knoc ked the hell out of the
guy," he said Padilla added he
suffered an emotional set-back
after the I91M bombing of the
Marine barracks in Lebanon
“I just clipped during the
Lebanon masacre," he said "It
took me hack to Nam and I just
couldn’t cope."
Being part of the Vietnam
Veterans of the Southwest hac
helped Padilla adjust to the
memories the war left behind
“The group maker it a lot
easier to cope,’he said "I don't
belong with anyone else other
than my brothers who I fought
alongside with in Nam "
McProud war 21 when he
fought in Vietnam in 1971 He
had attended the University of
Oklahoma and Texas Tech
University before he signed up
for Air Force duty
"My Tint wife was a Viet
namese lady and we had a son."
he said. “They (North Viet-
namese) hanged my son and gut-
ted him in front of his mother ”
McProud said he was rudely
W^ VETERANS
- THE souTWWS
(L.R) Ariel Duarte, Jesus Padilla, Patricia Padilla Raymondo
Lopez, Salvador Jenete, Rick Martinez, Mike McProud and Gary
Buck
awakened by America’s unfriend-
ly welcome when he returned
home
“I war shocked at how rude
Americans were toward Vietnam
veterans," he said "Now that
everybody’s lumping on the
bandwagon racing thankr. it’s
kind of hard to accept "
Raymundo 0. Lopez, a 1974
UT El Paso business accounting
graduate, said in his opinion all
Vietnam survivors are successful
"I consider anyone who came
out of Nam aloe a success,” said
the owner of Paco Del None Oil,
a multi-million-dollar local com-
pany "I feel I've coped with the
war just like many other Vietnam
veterans "
McProud said he wants future
generations to know how impor-
tant patriotism is in America
"The idea of duty and country,
no matter what the political
climate is, is valid in all cir-
cumstances,” he said ‘That’s
what makes America great "
Muslim Student Association discusses U.S.-Iran issues
By Hugo 1. Ontiveros
stair Wrer
William Buckley, a hip CIA
agent, and hostage negotiator
Terry Waite were spying for the
United States.
This was the reason they were
detained in Iran, said Zafar
Bangash, editor of the Canadian
bi-monthly magazine Crescent
International
Speaking to UT El Paso
students in the Union yesterday,
Bangash read from Muslim scrip-
tore before offering “Iran’s point
of view on the U.S.-Iran Arms
Deal and the conflict in the Mid-
die East."
The conference was sponsored
by the Muslim Students
Association.
Although the U.S. media tries
to give the impression there is a
leadership problem in Iran.
Bangash said, "The crisis is in
the White House. Iran's officials
have not tried to commit suicide
or have had surgery on parts of
their brains "
Bangash offered explanations
of other subjects as well
“Iran is not responsible for the
Lebanese," he said, who are ac-
tually responsible for the kidnap-
pings and hostage situations that
are alarming the world
He said the U.S media has
been inconsistent in reporting the
Iran crisis, having reported as
many as II different versions of
the same story He partly blam-
ed the Reagan administration, and
said other stories, such as the
U.S-Contra connection were
invented
Bangash emotionally protested
Iran would never have anything
to do with the “Zionist govern-
ment of Israel.”
"Any country who deals with
Israel is considered a traitor by
the Muslim people," be said
The U.S media is attempting
to tarnish Iran's unage in the eyes
of the Muslim people by im-
plicating the country in dealings
with Israel, a country which he
said owes $2 billion to Iran The
Israelis will go "to extraordinary
lengths" to avoid repayment.
Referring again to the Reagan
administration’s inconsistencies
regarding the Iran deal, he ask-
ed. "WI y would the superpower
(the United States) need the help
of Israel to deliver one load of
weapons'"
He emphasized the Iranian
government would never accept
weapons coming from Israel
"We would have blown the
plane out of the air." he said
Iran has more pressing pro-
blems than U.S inconsistencies.
Bangash said, me hiding the con-
flict with Iraq He added Iranians
should be allowed to determine
their own government
"Since 1943 they have been
denied this right They've fought
many before," Bangash said
"Now, they are fighting against
American agents "
But the Islamic forces cannot
be contained, he said The United
States has acknowledged, through
President Reagan. "Iran's strong
influence on the Western
World "
a WAC Tournament!
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Airfare plus(ha 4 D A
ORIZON 21&. $150
Call Today before 5 p.m
for reservations
- Spring Break -
Space available for Cancun - Call for rates!
Tours available to see the Pope
Call for this once in a life time opportunity
Call Today! 595-2917
Student Discounts Available
with
Can you
GM AT,
GREor MCAT?
Probably not Stanley H
Kaplan has helped over I mil
lion students prepare for their
grad school exams So If you
need a refresher class, or even if
you’re fresh out of college,
call Why take a chance
with your career?
KAPLAN £
Gi / A Self Serve
2 2" COPIES
Letter or Legal
• Brand new machine*
For anyone,
all the time!
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK COPYMASTER
MF 8 10 9
SAT 10 to 6
SUNDAY NOON to 9
222 CINCINNATI
presents...
SOPHIES
CHOICE
Next Week!
CINEMA SERIES
GM
SPO FIL M (OMMITTEE
Kill ENTERTAINMENT"
Date Feb. 23, 1987
Time: 1:00 pm
Place: Union Theatre
3100 N MESA
KERN PLAZA
SHOPPING CENTER
The worlds leading
test prep organization
BUCKLE UP
YOUR LIFE
IS IN
YOUR HANDS.
G8
Upper Level • Cielo Vista Mall
CHICK-FIL-A SANDWICH, Regular Order 0f
wane Waffle POTATO FRIES ANDA
l40z. Drink For Only $2.39
With This Coupon.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
University of Texas at El Paso. The Prospector (El Paso, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 19, 1987, newspaper, February 19, 1987; El Paso, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1626145/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed June 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting University of Texas at El Paso.