Military Review English Edition November-December 2014 | Page 134

One Small Mexican-American Community Gave So
Much in World War II and Korea, the author’s primary
objective is to provide a historical account of the citizens of 2nd Street and their involvement in these wars.
The small Mexican-American community provided so
much and received so little in return for their sacrifice.
Harrison provides an overview of how these families moved from Mexico to Illinois to find a better life
until the wars interrupted that goal. He then transitions to honoring the lives of each person who paid
the ultimate sacrifice for his nation. Harrison provides
an excellent narrative for each of the service members
that died in battle. He paints an incredible picture of
their lives prior to the war, and their final experiences in battle that resulted in their deaths. The author’s
detailed accounting of the incidents provides an
emotional connection for the reader and vivid mental
pictures of the servicemembers’ final moments.
The final chapters of Harrison’s book address the
struggle to honor the memory of the fallen. The veterans returned to a neighborhood where the Veterans of
Foreign Wars bartender stated, “I’m sorry, but you guys
are blackballed. The membership was afraid there are
so many of you guys that you would take over the post.”
These veterans fought another war for the next 25 years
to gain recognition for the great price that 2nd Street
paid for freedom in World War II and the Korean War.
In 1968, the nation finally honored the fallen sons of
the community by changing the name of 2nd Street to
Hero Street. Hero Street became a paved road in 1975,
allowing the veterans’ grandchildren to ride bikes in
the street year round. In 2007, the Hero Street USA
Monument was completed and dedicated to the brave
men who answered the call to battle for the freedom
that many never experienced in their lifetime.
Carlos Harrison has written a superb book. Highly
detailed and informative, it provides readers with an
understanding of the challenges of being MexicanAmerican in the twentieth century. It also presents
them with an excellent historical account of the support
provided by Mexican-Americans to the U.S. military
during World War II and the Korean War. The combination makes this a book that will appeal to a wide array
of readers and be of particular importance to military
leaders.
Lt. Col. John E. Elrich, U.S. Army, Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas
132

WAR DOGS: Tales of Canine Heroism, History,
and Love
Rebecca Frankel, Palgrave MacMillan, New York,
2014, 256 pages, $26.00
“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want
to go where they went.”

- Will Rogers

D

ogs hold a special place in a soldier’s heart.
They are our companions. They are our
family. For thousands of years, faithful dogs
joined soldiers on the battlefield, time and again proving their worth as stalwart warriors, loyal friends, and
eve