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T IS DIFFICULT to pinpoint the genesis for Texans and War. Suffice it to say that it came from a longstanding experience of trying to understand the notions and concepts of the martial spirit of Texas and Texans since childhood. It is something I am still working on, in case one is curious. Along the way I have been very fortunate to meet many special friends, and getting to know Chuck in graduate school was certainly an auspicious event, both personally and professionally. I remain eternally grateful to him for his patience in dealing with me (or ignoring me) during the conception, organization, and editing phases of this project. Of course, our contributors are to be commended for their diligence and their professionalism in providing us with some very innovative studies to this anthology. Thank you all. I am also indebted to the staff at the Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin (CAH), where the bulk of my chapter was researched. Kathryn Kenefick, Catherine Best, Kelli Hansen, and the rest of the CAH staff are a treasure trove of helpfulness and expertise for any scholar. Many thanks also go to the Tejano veterans and their families who opened their doors and spoke to me at length about their experiences serving in the armed forces. ¡Mil gracias a todos! Also, a large amount of gratitude goes to my friends and colleagues who provided support in ways they may not realize. Steve Sisson, my former teammate on The University of Texas cross-country team and now the women’s cross-country coach at our alma mater, and his better half, Ruth England, have opened their home in Austin for me while I traipsed across town and explored libraries and archives on too many occasions. I owe them—and their dogs (Lupe, Bala, and Cadence)—greatly for accommodating me during my visits. My South Texas crew—or entourage, as my wife jokingly calls them— have provided nothing but laughter and support for far too long. Marc García, Luis Valdez, Rick Valdez, Jesus Quiroz, Robert Cantú, Bertha Benavides, Magda Martinez, “Pistol” Pete Lara, Ale Arreguin, and Adriana Salinas, I thank you for everything, but most of all for your friendship and support of the Mendoza family. Monica McGetrick, the former editor at LareDOS: A Journal of the Borderlands, also allowed me the creative latitude to explore a few topics on war and memory that helped me with my chapter. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xii Thank you for your patience, Monica. My North Texas friends, Damien and Teresa Rosado, also deserve a hearty thanks for their support in my personal and professional endeavors; heaven knows I could not have functioned this fall semester without their assistance. The Rosado clan, including Daniel and Syrah, are truly special. Also at UNT, colleagues Harland Hagler, Todd Moye, Andrew Torget, Gus Seligmann, Walt Roberts, Beto Calderón, and Randolph “Mike” Campbell all provided a wonderful support system encouraging of scholarship and research, as well as having a good time. Thank you, gentlemen. The History Department’s administrative staff—Stephanie Friday, Kayla Hunt, and Donna Morgan—also deserve a special thanks for all their help during the school year. I also thank UNT’s graduate students. Astute observers will note that this book is dedicated to several colleagues and mentors. While dedicating this anthology to my collaborator, Chuck, might seem a bit odd, I am certain that mutual friends who know the two of us recognize the rationale behind such a gesture. I also dedicate this work to two very inspirational professors: Alwyn Barr and David L. Snead. I was very fortunate to receive their help while I was a graduate student at Texas Tech University. In the years since I left Lubbock, I have relied on them for advice and support, perhaps more than I should. In the last year both men have shown me what it means to be a great mentor. But more importantly, each has shown me how to be an honorable, selfless man, something I treasure more dearly. Before he returned to the confines of his adopted home state, my friend and colleague Daniel S. Murphree was on the receiving end of what I am sure he considers too many phone calls and e-mails. Yet he remained my friend. And while I miss him and his family (Mary Beth and Taylor) in Texas, I am happy to know he is basking in all that the Sunshine State has...

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