Oral History: Barrientes, Francisco

Francisco Barrientes, a native Texan from Edinburg, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968. In 1969 he was sent over to Vietnam and on May 5, 1969, he received injuries when a hand grenade struck his leg. A few weeks later, on June 20, 1969, he sustained a gunshot wound to the face. Sgt. Barrientes spent the next seven years in and out of Fort Sam Houston and has undergone over 40 surgeries. He returned home to Edinburg, where he married and volunteered at his children's school, and in 2002 Sgt. Barrientes was named a Hero for Children by the Texas State Board of Education. In 2006 The Edinburg school district named a middle school in Barrientes honor. He continues to share his military experiences and resides in Edinburg, Texas.