The story of a Galician cook who served in the U.S. Army during World War II

The Spanish region of Galicia has long been a land of emigrants. Many of them left for the United States.

An excellent report on Manuel Otero, the Spaniard who fell in the Normandy landings
Andrés Pereiro: the story of a Spaniard who fought in the US Army in World War II

The excellent YouTube channel Tropa Guripa, produced from Galicia, has spent years documenting the stories of Galician emigrants who served in the United States Army during World War II—including Manuel Otero, the only Spaniard to fall during the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944. He was a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, part of the famous 1st Infantry Division—the "Big Red One."

In their latest video, released this Sunday, Tropa Guripa shares the story of a Galician cook named José Piñeiro González, a native of Moaña—a beautiful town located on the northern shore of the Ría de Vigo. José emigrated to the United States, where he changed his name to Joseph P. González (a common practice among many emigrants to facilitate their integration into the country). During World War II, José served as a cook in the U.S. Army, preparing meals for American soldiers across various postings. You can watch the Tropa Guripa video, which recounts his story, right here (the video is in Spanish but has an English audio track; you can enable it in the player):

Once again, I congratulate Óscar Galansky, creator of Tropa Guripa, for the excellent research work he carries out—rescuing from oblivion the previously anonymous stories of Spaniards who took part in the greatest war humanity has ever endured.

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Main image: Tropa Guripa.