Martin Manglona retirement photo
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Martin Manglona was drafted into the US Army on January 4, 1962. He served two one-year terms in Vietnam, fighting on the front line. He went on to have a long and distinguished career in the US military, becoming one of the highest ranked and most decorated CHamorus to serve in the Army. For his service, he was recommended for a Congressional Medal of Honor but it was downgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross due to discrimination against CHamorus and other Pacific Islanders. Thanks to the efforts of retired Marine Colonel Joaquin “Danny” Santos, Manglona and five other CHamoru Vietnam War veterans are currently being reviewed by the Army for possible upgrade to the Medal of Honor, in compliance with the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. In addition to his injuries and PTSD, Manglona is a two-time cancer survivor, and his illness has been directly related to his exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Following his retirement in 1989 as a Command Sergeant Major, Martin held various government positions in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, including Secretary of the Department of Public Works (DPW) and Director of Immigration: Airport and Seaport. He currently resides with his wife, Dr. Janna Manglona, in Talofofo, Guam.
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Martin Manglona:
I was drafted into the United States Army on January 4, 1962 and was sent to Hawai‘i for basic training. After basic training, I was assigned to Company C, 21st Battle Group, 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii as a machine gunner for a period of two years. I then reenlisted and was stationed with Troop C, First Recon Squadron, Nine CAV, First CAV Division in Korea, where I served as a squad leader for the next year, pulling patrols and stake outs at the DMZ. From there I was reassigned to Company B, Sixth Infantry, Berlin Brigade in Germany where I served as a platoon sergeant for a period of two years and from there I volunteered to go to Vietnam.
I volunteered to go to Vietnam to fight for freedom. This was especially important to me because during the Second World War, my parents and siblings suffered so much while living in the Marianas and were ultimately liberated by the Americans—so it meant so much, this was very personal to me. I went to Vietnam I think in November-December 1966 through 1967 and was assigned to Company D, First Battalion, 12th CAV, First CAV Airmobile Division in Vietnam as platoon sergeant for about one year. During that assignment, it was a search and destroy mission, and I was wounded there in 1967. From there, I was transferred to Fort Dix, New Jersey, assigned to Company C, Second Battalion, First Advanced Infantry Training Brigade as a senior drill instructor for a period of about one year. Then I volunteered to return to Vietnam.
I was assigned to Company A, First Battalion, 12th CAV, First CAV Airmobile Division as a platoon sergeant. During this assignment, I was wounded a second time. After I recovered and completed my tour one year, I was reassigned to Fort Ord, California as a senior drill instructor, to Company C, Fourth Battalion, First Training Brigade, where I was later promoted to First Sgt.
Then they reclassified my specialty to communications, and I was sent to signal school. After signal school, I was assigned to the Army Security Agency Field Station, Augsburg, Germany, as operation sergeant. From there, I returned to Fort Ord, California, assigned to Company A, 127 Signal Battalion as a first Sgt. I was then reassigned to Germany, 261st Signal Company, First Brigade, Fifth Signal Command. From there, I was sent to the Sgt. Maj. Academy located at Fort Bliss, Texas. After Academy, I was sent to be a Senior Enlisted Advisor for Communications, for the Washington and Oregon National Guard. From there, I was reassigned to 102nd Signal Battalion, Firth Signal Command, as a Command Sgt. Major. I was then appointed to take over the Fifth Signal Command as a Command Sgt. Major for the command, which encompassed eight countries in Europe. From Fifth Signal Command, I was reassigned to the 7th Signal Command at Fort Ritchie, Maryland, having soldiers in the continents of the US and South America. After this tour of duty, I retired.
I encountered some discrimination, for example in the southern states. Like sometimes when you go to the restaurant, they thought I was a Mexican because of my skin color, and they would comment under their breath about my being a “blankety-blank wetback.” But you know, that was the way it was in those days, and we had to accept that. In those days too, the Black people experienced the same thing, there were signs separating restrooms or water fountains for “colored and for whites.” Even the bus, I encountered that when I was in Alabama. I was with a Black guy from Fort Ord, California, when we went to our Advanced Course, and while riding on the bus they directed us to move to the rear of the bus, “Only whites ride in the front.”
So yes, I encountered that. I think this generation is luckier where they do not experience those type of things. This generation does not have to experience that, but in my time, this is the way it was for us.
This also impacted one of my awards. In 1969, my Company Commander, Battalion Commander George Stotser, recommended me for a Congressional Medal of Honor and it was downgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross, yet another example of the discrimination I experienced. When I returned to Germany in 1984 or 1986, I met up with Lt. Gen. George Stotser who was a guest speaker for our Command Sergeant Major conference, where he recognized me as a Medal of Honor recipient, and I let him know about my award being downgraded. This then was the catalyst for the initiation of a reconsideration for an upgrade, which is currently under evaluation with the Records Review Board.
I was drafted into the United States Army on January 4, 1962 and was sent to Hawai‘i for basic training. After basic training, I was assigned to Company C, 21st Battle Group, 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii as a machine gunner for a period of two years. I then reenlisted and was stationed with Troop C, First Recon Squadron, Nine CAV, First CAV Division in Korea, where I served as a squad leader for the next year, pulling patrols and stake outs at the DMZ. From there I was reassigned to Company B, Sixth Infantry, Berlin Brigade in Germany where I served as a platoon sergeant for a period of two years and from there I volunteered to go to Vietnam.
I volunteered to go to Vietnam to fight for freedom. This was especially important to me because during the Second World War, my parents and siblings suffered so much while living in the Marianas and were ultimately liberated by the Americans—so it meant so much, this was very personal to me. I went to Vietnam I think in November-December 1966 through 1967 and was assigned to Company D, First Battalion, 12th CAV, First CAV Airmobile Division in Vietnam as platoon sergeant for about one year. During that assignment, it was a search and destroy mission, and I was wounded there in 1967. From there, I was transferred to Fort Dix, New Jersey, assigned to Company C, Second Battalion, First Advanced Infantry Training Brigade as a senior drill instructor for a period of about one year. Then I volunteered to return to Vietnam.
I was assigned to Company A, First Battalion, 12th CAV, First CAV Airmobile Division as a platoon sergeant. During this assignment, I was wounded a second time. After I recovered and completed my tour one year, I was reassigned to Fort Ord, California as a senior drill instructor, to Company C, Fourth Battalion, First Training Brigade, where I was later promoted to First Sgt.
Then they reclassified my specialty to communications, and I was sent to signal school. After signal school, I was assigned to the Army Security Agency Field Station, Augsburg, Germany, as operation sergeant. From there, I returned to Fort Ord, California, assigned to Company A, 127 Signal Battalion as a first Sgt. I was then reassigned to Germany, 261st Signal Company, First Brigade, Fifth Signal Command. From there, I was sent to the Sgt. Maj. Academy located at Fort Bliss, Texas. After Academy, I was sent to be a Senior Enlisted Advisor for Communications, for the Washington and Oregon National Guard. From there, I was reassigned to 102nd Signal Battalion, Firth Signal Command, as a Command Sgt. Major. I was then appointed to take over the Fifth Signal Command as a Command Sgt. Major for the command, which encompassed eight countries in Europe. From Fifth Signal Command, I was reassigned to the 7th Signal Command at Fort Ritchie, Maryland, having soldiers in the continents of the US and South America. After this tour of duty, I retired.
I encountered some discrimination, for example in the southern states. Like sometimes when you go to the restaurant, they thought I was a Mexican because of my skin color, and they would comment under their breath about my being a “blankety-blank wetback.” But you know, that was the way it was in those days, and we had to accept that. In those days too, the Black people experienced the same thing, there were signs separating restrooms or water fountains for “colored and for whites.” Even the bus, I encountered that when I was in Alabama. I was with a Black guy from Fort Ord, California, when we went to our Advanced Course, and while riding on the bus they directed us to move to the rear of the bus, “Only whites ride in the front.”
So yes, I encountered that. I think this generation is luckier where they do not experience those type of things. This generation does not have to experience that, but in my time, this is the way it was for us.
This also impacted one of my awards. In 1969, my Company Commander, Battalion Commander George Stotser, recommended me for a Congressional Medal of Honor and it was downgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross, yet another example of the discrimination I experienced. When I returned to Germany in 1984 or 1986, I met up with Lt. Gen. George Stotser who was a guest speaker for our Command Sergeant Major conference, where he recognized me as a Medal of Honor recipient, and I let him know about my award being downgraded. This then was the catalyst for the initiation of a reconsideration for an upgrade, which is currently under evaluation with the Records Review Board.