Puerto Rican centenarian Andrés González Vega is one of last WWII veterans and recalls his life

With less than 1% of all World War II veterans alive, Andrés González Vega recalls his military service, his fight against racism and discrimination and work preserving Puerto Rican culture.

LUQUILLO, Puerto Rico — Nestled between El Yunque National Forest and the shores of the ocean lives Andrés González Vega, one of the last remaining World War II veterans.

Don Andrés, or “Dede,” as he's affectionately known in his hometown, is 101 years old and one of the nearly 16.4 million soldiers who fought in the war from 1941 to 1945 as part of the U.S. military.

Eighty years after the end of the war, less than 1% of all World War II veterans still live. Don Andrés, who is writing a memoir, is one of them.

Andrés González Vega, 101, smiles as he shows a picture of him in military uniform while he served during World War II. Courtesy Wesley J. Pérez VidalWith the help of his daughter, Julia González, Don Andrés is writing a book to document nearly a century of life.

González Vega, who still retains the lucidity and memory of a historian, recalls in detail how at age 18 he had to report to Fort Buchanan, in San Juan. After a week of medical and physical evaluations, his name echoed over the camp’s loudspeaker.