Basques in WWII Memorial

Centenarian Basque-American World War II Veterans

ZORIONAK! Happy Birthday to Anna Biscay and Regina Bastida on their 104th birthdays!

Anna Biscay, a Basque Californian, celebrated her 104th birthday in December 2025, and Regina Bastida, a Basque Idahoan, turned 104 in January 2026. They are among the oldest living World War II survivors of Basque origin, and their lives stand as remarkable testaments to service, resilience, and community. Anna and Regina represent our living World War II memory—voices and experiences that give meaning and urgency to the effort to build the National Basque WWII Veterans Memorial.

Anna Biscay Emateguy was born on December 25, 1921, in Fresno, California, to Basque immigrant parents: Jean "John" Baptiste Biscay Aldacourou, from Azkarate, Nafarroa Beherea (Lower Navarre), and Marie Baptiste Emateguy D'Elgue, from Ortzaize, Nafarroa Beherea.
In 1942, Anna enlisted in the Women's Army Corps and served honorably until her discharge in 1946. She remains an active and proud member of the Fresno Basque Club.

Anna Biscay today, and in 1939 during her years at Madera Union High School, California.

Regina Bastida Arrizabalaga was born on January 6, 1922, in Boise, Idaho, also to Basque immigrant parents: Ramon Bastida Armaolea, a native of Kortezubi, Bizkaia, and Petra Arrizabalaga Basabe, from Ereño, Bizkaia. Commissioned in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in 1944, Regina served as an anesthetist with the 1986th Service Command Unit at Birmingham General Hospital in Van Nuys, California. She was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of Second Lieutenant.

Beyond her military service, Regina has been deeply committed to the Basque-American community. She is a charter member and former board member of Euzkaldunak and volunteered as the first Business Manager of the Oinkari Basque Dancers.

Regina Bastida in 2013—Library of Congress—and in military uniform during WWII

The Fighting Basques: Memory of WWII

Our mission is to honor the courage, sacrifice, and enduring legacy of Basque men and women who served with the United States Armed Forces, including the Merchant Marine during World War II, recognizing their profound contributions to freedom, democracy, and equality. Through commemorations, educational initiatives, and public engagement, we pledge to ensure their stories —often overlooked or forgotten— are remembered, their sacrifices acknowledged, and their courage celebrated for generations to come.

Fighting Basques

Since 2015, the not-for profit history association Sancho the Beurko has�µ�˜� ½carried out an international research project entitled “Fighting Basques: Memory of World War II” under the co-direction of Dr. Pedro J. Oiarzabal and Guillermo Tabernilla. This project aims to explore and shed light on the importance of the contributions of Basques of the Homeland and of the diaspora in the Allies’ war effort (including Australia, France, former Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America) during World War II.

John and Grace Mainvil

The U.S. Navy WWII veteran John Mainvil Oses (San Bernardino, CA, 1926-2022, Eagle, ID) and his wife Grace Lacouague Mujica (San Juan Capistrano, CA, 1934-2017, Eagle) were interviewed by Joseba Etxarri, director of EuskalKultura.eus, and Pedro J. Oiarzabal in 2015, in Eagle. Grace was treasurer of N.A.B.O. for 28 years.

Regarding the United States (U.S.), the fact that the enlistment was compulsory for all males between 18 and 45 years of age allows us to identify and methodically study a whole generation of Basque immigrants and descendants up to a second degree, which has been scarcely researched. In addition, the women who enlisted in the different branches of the army are also an important part of our research. In this way, the project aims to rescue memories of that generation, while enabling us to rigorously analyze the migratory and settlement process of these individuals as well as their families since the mid-19th century.

As of today, the research team has identified more than 2,150 veterans of Basque descent, spanning three generations, including around thirty women, who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and the Merchant Marine. In addition, the team has compiled nearly 1,600 detailed biographical profiles of these veterans and their families, bringing the project close to completion.

With the research project now nearing completion, the North American Basque Organizations (NABO) aims to build a public memorial site to commemorate their service, heroic involvement, and sacrifice as part of our common Basque and Basque American legacy in the country.

The National Basque WWII Veterans Memorial

Under the auspices of the North American Basque Organizations (NABO) our final goal is to build “The National Basque World War II Veterans Memorial” to serve as a long-lasting memory to all veterans of Basque origin who served in the U.S. military during WWII as well as an educational tool for all to recognize and learn of their sacrifices and unselfish contributions to the country.

Simulation of possible design for memorial

The memorial would consist of a physical site, displaying the names of all identified veterans of Basque descent who have served in every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the Merchant Marine, during WWII. In addition, the physical site would be complemented with a digital memorial site to access the veterans�µ�™� �ˆ¥?personal and military biographies. Considering the size and the migration pattern of the Basques, this could be one of the first war memorial sites of its kind in the country. We believe that the future National Basque WWII Veterans Memorial would become a national symbol of public recognition and pride comparable to the National Monument of the Basque Sheepherder, in Reno, Nevada, inaugurated in 1989. To achieve this goal, we need your help.

Contribute to remember and honor our
Basque American Greatest Generation
Let no veteran be forgotten

Make a Tax-deductible Donation Today to Help Us Build the National Basque WWII Veterans Memorial

Your financial support is essential to complete the final stage of the research and to establish the first National Basque World War II Veterans Memorial in the country by 2026, where we could permanently honor and thank all veterans of Basque descent who served and sacrificed their lives for our freedoms. In addition, your donations will also guarantee the long-term maintenance of the memorial once it is built. Please email us at treasurer@nabasque.eus if you have questions about the different giving options available, including donating stock, planned giving, and qualified IRS account. To donate, scan or click the QR code, or send a check payable to N.A.B.O. WWII Veterans Memorial Fund to:

N.A.B.O. WWII Veterans Memorial Fund
c/o Mayi Petracek
11971 S. Allerton Cir
Parker, CO 80138

Your contribution to support the memorial project is tax-deductible Educational Fund of North American Basque Organizations Inc. (EIN: 82-0489192).

All donors making a donation in excess of $1,000 will be publicly recognized on a Donor wall unless they choose otherwise.

More Ways to Participate

Get your Basque club or yourself involved in this project by:

Identifying WWII veterans of Basque origin in any of the military branches, including the merchant marine, and conducting and recording interviews with them
Contact us at sanchobeurko@gmail.com to share information, documents, and photos of those veterans.

97-year-old WWII veteran Pete Zaldain endorses the National Basque WWII Veterans Memorial

Born in 1927, in Fruita, Colorado to Valentin Zaldain Jaurena from Arizkun, Nafarroa, and Mariella Romero Lucero from Trinidad, Colorado, Pete served honorably during WWII in the US Navy aboard a minesweeper, the USS YMS 325.

Pete’s brother US Navy Apprentice Seaman Joey Lawrance “Larry” at the age of 20 was killed (in an accident) aboard the USS Princeton in 1953, in South Korea during the Korean War. Earlier, tragedy had struck the family, when an older son, Private First Class Valentine Jr. (19 years old) was killed in a car accident in 1951 Valentin had been home on furlough from service with the US Army Corps of Engineers when the accident occurred. Larry, the driver of the car, was seriously hurt.

Pete is one of the oldest identified WWII veteran survivors of Basque origin. Thank you for your service!

Let no veteran be forgotten!