Anthony Acevedo: Mexican American POW Survivor by RAYMOND GONZALEZ

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Background Information

raymondgonzalez669 — 2024-02-10 21:30:04 UTC

Anthony Acevedo was a Mexican American US Army medic Corporal who suffered unimaginable horrors as a POW of the Germans. He survived Stalag IXB and then the Berga slave labor camp as well as the trauma and stigma of having been a prisoner of war. He was born in San Bernardino, California on July 21, 1924. He spent most of his childhood in California and later Durango, Mexico after his father and stepmother were deported from the United States. He passed away on February 11th, 2018. He lived to be 93 years old.

The Act of Resistance

raymondgonzalez669 — 2024-02-10 21:31:46 UTC

In 1937, Tony and his family relocated from California to Durango, Mexico. Since Anthony wasn't 18 yet, his dad sent a letter to the US Army telling them how much Anthony wanted to be in the Army. Anthony did his education in Mexico to become a soldier, but the US Army denied him access to the Army because he took classes in Mexico, so he had to retake classes at Pasadena City College. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, which lasted six weeks between December 1944 and January 1945.

The Act of Resistance

raymondgonzalez669 — 2024-02-10 21:44:09 UTC

In early January 1945, while the war was still in progress, he got struck in the leg by shrapnel by the Germans. The Germans got all the remaining survivors and took them to Stalag IX-B, a camp where political prisoners go in Germany. He kept a diary for himself, and he recorded all his experiences, as well as his medical conditions and other soldier’s medical conditions. When the Nazis realized that the Americans and the Soviets were close, they evacuated along with the prisoners.

The Act of Resistance

raymondgonzalez669 — 2024-02-10 21:44:50 UTC

Some prisoners, approximately 70 of the 350 captures, died from dysentery, pneumonia, malnutrition, exhaustion, or were shot by Nazi guards. Anthony survived, and in 2009 the US Army recognized that the POWs were laborers and prisoners of war. Anthony Avecedo Became the first Mexican-American to register on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Benjamin and Vladka Meed Registry of Holocaust Survivors. He later passed away at the age of 93 on February 11, 2018.

Impact on the Holocaust and relation to the theme of Resistance and Perserverance

raymondgonzalez669 — 2024-02-10 21:47:42 UTC

Anthony Acevedo impacted the Holocaust by demonstrating how some of the POWs, including Anthony, survived and got to tell their point of view in the war. Anthony Acevedo had a journal with him all the time, and he wrote on it daily to jot down the events and conditions he went through. Being an American soldier, the Allied Powers found out where they were being held prisoner, and the Germans fled the scene, and some prisoners escaped. He relates to the theme of resistance and perseverance because,, while he was in war, he would always have a little prayer book with him that he would read to himself and others for comfort, and Anthony said that his faith encouraged him to not be afraid of the war.

Impact on the Holocaust and relation to the theme of Resistance and Perserverance

raymondgonzalez669 — 2024-02-10 21:49:19 UTC

On top of that, he would help out his fellow soldiers when they needed medical assistance since he was the medic. Even through all of those challenging circumstances and rough conditions, even sometimes risking his own life for theirs, Anthony Acevedo would still help them out, and he would inspire the soldiers to keep on pushing through and not lose hope. This just shows how Mexican American US Army medic Corporal Anthony Acevedo relates to the theme of resistance and perseverance.

Quotable Quote

raymondgonzalez669 — 2024-02-10 21:50:31 UTC

“When we heard our tanks, the 11th Armored Division, and the tankers started strolling by, I remember the young fellow picked me up like a feather; put me up on top of the tank. I felt weak. I had lost from 145 down to 87 pounds. I was about 19 ½ years old.”

Quotable Quote

raymondgonzalez669 — 2024-02-10 21:51:02 UTC

“God gave me that ink to last.”

MultiMedia Link

raymondgonzalez669 — 2024-02-10 21:51:50 UTC

https://youtu.be/mmo3HFa2vjg

The video relates to the theme of resistance because it talks about resistance. According to voices.pitt.edu, "The lyrics stand out against the crowded and complex sonic background, exhorting young audiences to rebel against racial discrimination and economic inequality, even if it means turning to violence. Chuck D encourages his 'brothers and sisters' to oppose those who are destroying the lives of African Americans."