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Home My WebLink AboutA Vivid Memory l ~ Saturday, Se~~2- 2~~ Decades later, war a vivid memory I f - f '. '"" The lilyan-College Station Eagte Bryan veteran to speak at celebration A Tribute to the Greatest War WORm WAR II: 60 YEARS lA1ER By ARENA WELCH Eagle Staff Writer Ascencion Munoz had only the clothes on his back as he entered a Filipino jungle, invading with the 43rd Infantry Divi- . sion in an attempt to reclaim Luzon and Manila during World War IT. . The ship that had carried the soldier.s to the Philip- pines was sunk, taking with it all of Munoz's possessions. The 80-year-old Bryan resi- dent recalled that battle and his time during the war Fri- day, saying he it doesn't seem like 60 years has passed. "That was so bad. We did- n't have any time to change or anything. We just had whatever we had on, and then we had to get going," Munoz said, his voice shak- ing as he tried to remember specific events time had stolen from his memory. Munoz will be a gallery speaker at a celebration com- memorating the 60th anniversary of the end of World War IT from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. The Army veteran was' awarded the Bronze Star for actions during the war but never received it, his family said. He fmally got his medal on l\:iemorial Day of this year. Munoz said the two-year quest to reCeive the medal _ filling out paperwork and dealing with military offi- cials - kept memories of the war in his mind. He said receiving the Bronze Star meant his actions during the war finally were recognized. Munoz said he vividly remembers liberating Clark Field and survivors of Bataan from the Santo Thomas prison. "They were glad to see us, and we were glad to see them, but we just had to go on and keep fighting," he said. Munoz later was hospital- ized for shell shock and was in a noncombat zone when it was announced that the war had ended. He said it is impol11u1t for Americans to remem.ber the war and recognize those who served. "Everybody should, remember the war and how it was to be a soldier then," Munoz said. "Everybody should' know how we felt and the decision.s we had to . make." . . Arena Welch's e-mail address is arena.welch@theeagle.com.