A veteran of World War II died a week ago.\u00a0 It\u2019s likely you\u2019ve never heard of him.<\/p>\n
Yet his story is worth telling, in brief form.\u00a0 So I’ll tell it.<\/p>\n
His name was Miguel Encinias.\u00a0 He was from the \u201cother\u201d Las Vegas, the one east of the Rio Grande – Las Vegas, New Mexico. (smile)<\/p>\n
He was born in 1923.\u00a0 As a youngster, he delivered papers, went to movies \u2013 the normal things teens did in those days.\u00a0 At age 16, along with many of his peers he joined the New Mexico National Guard.<\/p>\n
Then came Pearl Harbor.\u00a0 He applied to be an Air Cadet.\u00a0 He was accepted, and became a pilot.<\/p>\n
He served in World War II.\u00a0 He flew 40 missions during World War II; he shot down 3 enemy.\u00a0 But on his last mission he was shot down himself in northern Italy.\u00a0 He became a POW.<\/p>\n
He was liberated at the end of the war.\u00a0 He went to college, earning bachelors and masters degrees and later teaching French at the Air Force Academy.\u00a0 He flew again in Korea, flying 100 missions there.\u00a0 He was again shot down \u2013 but this time he was rescued vice becoming a 2-time POW.<\/p>\n
He also served in Vietnam, as an adviser to the RVNAF.\u00a0 He flew missions there as well.<\/p>\n
He retired from the Air Force in 1971 as a Lieutenant Colonel.\u00a0 He later returned to school, this time studying Spanish literature – and earned a doctorate in that field.\u00a0 He afterwards became a published author.<\/p>\n
In the mid-1990s, he was asked by President Clinton to serve on the World War II Memorial Advisory Board.\u00a0 He did, and attended the opening of that memorial in 2004.<\/p>\n
A week ago, he died \u2013 at age 92.\u00a0 He was buried in Santa Fe National Cemetery yesterday.<\/p>\n
Lt Col Encinias was well-decorated. During his service as a pilot, he was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses and 14 Air Medals – along with a number of campaign and service medals.\u00a0 He was wounded twice in combat, receiving a Purple Heart for each wound.<\/p>\n
I never met this man. But growing up, I met many like him.<\/p>\n
Why? Because . . . well, his son says it better than I can:<\/p>\n
His son, Juan-Pablo Encinias, said his father realized \u201cit was a very special cause he was fighting for.\u00a0 He felt very strongly about serving, especially in World War II, and felt it was a just cause no matter what the price.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe almost never spoke about his combat experience.\u00a0 My father really did not seem that scarred by the wars.\u00a0 He was a tough-minded person who kind of accepted that as part of life and was not taken aback by it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Most of Miguel Encinias\u2019 generation were like that.\u00a0 My father and others of that generation were much the same.\u00a0\u00a0 Regardless of their race or ethnicity, they simply did what their nation asked \u2013 then afterwards, got on with their lives.<\/p>\n