Michael Rodriguez Additions

Michael W. Rodriguez was born at the Nix Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, on August 6, 1947, to Miguel M. and Herminia Lozano Rodriguez. After a few years living in the Rio Grande Valley, where his father taught high school, Rodriguez returned to San Antonio. His parents divorced when he was young, so he and his brother were raised by a single mom, which was unusual in 1950s San Antonio, in the predominantly Mexican-American South Side.

Rodriguez attended Brackenridge High School in San Antonio and played tenor saxophone, which he had learned in junior high, in nightclub bands around town. He graduated high school in May, 1965, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in June of that same year. Trained as an infantryman (a Grunt), he left for Vietnam in September, 1966, and returned in December, 1967. Rodriguez served as a rifleman, scout, and point man for most of the time he served in-country.

Rodriguez was assigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, upon his return to CONUS (CONtinental United States), to await eventual separation from active duty, which was scheduled for July, 1968. He was twenty years old and had no idea what he wanted to do or where he wanted to go. He felt that he was smart enough to know he was better off where he was than on his own as a kid civilian.

Rodriguez went to see his career advisor, his battalion’s sergeant major, who suggested he extend his tour in the Marine Corps for a couple of years and figure out what he wanted to do. He agreed to stay on for two more years. The Marine Corps allows men and women who extend, or reenlist, to select a new duty station to which they would like to transfer if they consider their present duty station unacceptable. Rodriguez took advantage and was transferred to Marine Barracks, Naval Weapons Station-Concord, Concord, California, which was located about 35 minutes east of San Francisco, in Diablo Valley. Rodriguez left active duty in July of 1970.

Returning to school later in life, Rodriguez graduated from Incarnate Word College with a B.A. in Communications Arts in 1995. He graduated from Texas State University-San Marcos with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing in 2005.

In 1984, Rodriguez attended his first veteran’s reunion and since that time has been an advocate of and for Vietnam veterans. Rodriguez’s literary career consists of one book and many published articles on the struggle in Vietnam. Rodriguez earned his degree in Communication Arts from Incarnate Word College in 1995. He currently lives with his wife in San Antonio, Texas.

Being an advocate for Vietnam veterans, Rodriguez co-founded the Alamo Area Vietnam Veterans (AAVV) and also VV Chapter 366. He was also a former board member of Vietnam Veterans Foundation of Texas, Inc. Rodriguez also served as president of the Vietnam Veterans of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines Assoc., Inc. He is the former editor of the state newspaper for the Vietnam Veterans of America in Texas, Texas VVA News.

Michael Rodriguez is known primarily for his book Humidity Moon. The book is a collection of short stories about experiences of a Marine in Vietnam. The book has gotten praise from many Veterans’ associations throughout America. The book received two awards in 1999 including Artist’s E-Zine On-Line Gold Award and Award of Excellence from Shasta’s Shack. The book has been praised for its ability to represent the grunt of the soldier and its ability to shed the hindsight of looking back upon the Vietnam War.

Humidity Moon is not the only writing that Rodriguez has gotten praise for. Rodriguez has had many short stories published throughout his career. He has been published in magazines and journals. His other published works included articles on veterans’ affairs, an entry in the book Aztlan and Vietnam: Chicano and Chicana Experiences of the War (University of California Press), and Seminole-Negro Scouts.