A while ago, I wrote about Jon Bilbao and his pioneering work Amerikanuak. Richard Etulain has just published Basques of the American West, which brings new perspectives to the Basques that helped shape the history of the western United States. It also explores newer topics such as the history of Basques in places such as Washington state.
Basques of the American West New and Collected Essays on History and Ethnicity
Richard W. Etulain
DESCRIPTION
Basques of the American West: New and Collected Essays on History and Ethnicity brings together new and previously published work by Richard W. Etulain, blending historical analysis and literary criticism to explore the lives, stories, and representations of the Basques in this region. The essays examine key figures such as Robert Laxalt and Frank Bergon; survey historical studies, memoirs, and novels; and trace evolving interpretations of Basque identity in Western literature and scholarship. Etulain highlights major trends in both Basque and Western American historiography while identifying important topics that remain open for additional research.
This collection offers readers a thoughtful and engaging look at the enduring presence and influence of Basques across the cultural and historical landscape of the American West.
AUTHOR/EDITOR BIOGRAPHY
Richard W. Etulain, PhD, is professor emeritus of history at the University of New Mexico. He studied at Northwest Nazarene College in Idaho and received his graduate degrees from the University of Oregon. He was a Fulbright Lecturer in Ukraine and taught at the University of the Basque Country. Etulain is an author or editor of more than sixty books and has served as the president of both the Western History and Western Literature Associations.
Back in March, we took a quick trip to the Basque Country to see family. On the way, we had stopped at Burgos, just to see a new place. We were talking about Burgos when a friend said he had passed through Burgos when he participated in Korrika, the massive race in support of the Basque language. At first, we were a little confused – why would Korrika pass through Burgos – until they pointed out the big hole in the middle of Araba…
Let’s start with some definitions. An enclave is a territory belonging to one jurisdiction that is surrounded by an other. An exclave is the opposite – it is a piece of territory that is separated from the main jurisdiction. So, an enclave of one place can be an exclave of another.
The “hole” in Araba is the Treviño enclave. It is actual part of the province of Burgos, but it is surrounded by the province of Araba. It consists of two municipalities, Condado de Treviño and La Puebla de Arganzón. Puebla de Arganzón was founded (received its fueros) in 1191 from Sancho VI of Navarre (“Sancho el Sabio”, “Sancho the Wise”) in 1191. It is thought that Condado de Treviño is even older. When Araba was conquered by Castilla, the region that now forms the Treviño enclave was given to Manrique family and passed down as part of a noble title.
As one might expect, this has led to both some complications and challenges. The people of the enclave must travel to Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of Araba, for many of their services. This creates a strange administration problem in which Araba provides the bulk of the services to the people of another province.
The people of the enclave have voted in the past to join Araba, but that vote was ignored. More recently, there have been votes to have a referendum on the issue, but that was also ignored. The current leaders of the enclave have deferred the discussion to higher level government officials.
Araba isn’t the only Basque province with an enclave. Bizkaia also has one, this one belonging to the province of Cantabria. Valle de Villaverde was purchased in the 15th century by one Pedro Fernández de Velasco, and at that time it ceased being a part of Bizkaia.
And, Bizkaia has an exclave. The city of Urduña is part of Bizkaia, but it sits on the border between Araba and Burgos – it is not an enclave as it is not surrounded by a single other territory, it is on the border. It has strong historical ties to Bizkaia with long standing economic agreements and commercial routes connecting to Bizkaia. Though Araba has tried to annex it in the past, the people of Urduña have reaffirmed their commitment to remain part of Bizkaia.
…AND, within Urduña there is yet another enclave. The Cerca de Villaño sits within the Urduña exclave but is part of Burgos.
A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.
Primary sources: See the links in the main article.
Unfortunately, Buber’s Basque Page was down for a few days due to a compromised server, which meant that some posts have been lost. My most recent backup dates to December, 2024, so I’ve lost about 1.5 years of posts. I’ll slowly work to replace those posts as I continue to add new content, but it will take me some time.
If you recently sent me an email or had a message that was awaiting a response from me, I likely don’t have it anymore, so feel free to write me again.
And, if you recently subscribed to the blog, you might have to subscribe again to continue to receive posts via email.
My apologies for this. Clearly, I should backup more often than I do (isn’t that what we all say???). I appreciate your patience as I slowly recover the posts that have been lost.
Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe, a long-time friend, is a historian who has worked tirelessly to document the history of Basques in the American West. One very visible example is his work on the arboglyphs Basque sheepherders left behind as they roamed the hills, valleys, and mountains of states such as Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon, but he has done much more. But, as with any attempt to document history, there are always holes that can’t be filled through evidence alone, and that is particularly acute for any and all things Basque. Thus, Joxe has turned to fiction to fill that void, rooted in his long years of study. Below is a trailer for his first novel.
Language Speaks Louder Than Bones: The Story of The Basques Naming Themselves, ca. 500,000 BP A Trailer by Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe
Joxe with his daughter’s doberman Zoe as they go for a hike. Photo by Nikane Mallea.
Most of my life I have been a historian and a history-writer, until recently when I embarked in a new career as a fiction writer. I am young enough to undertake it, because writing fiction is less taxing than historical research. Besides, Saint Augustin says that fiction is another aspect of history, therefore I am not running away from it.
I am also a linguist, and though I do not have a proper university degree in linguistics, I have taught several languages at the university and college level.
My first novel is finished. It is not your run-of-the-mill novel that happens tomorrow or a century ago. Action is set ca. 500,000 BP.
What,? you might say; What do you know about life half a million years ago? Not much, but that’s the point. Is there anyone else who knows much about it? A lot has been written about our cave-dwelling ancestors, but the evidence comes from a few old bones and stone tools. The discovery of a new bone is enough to trigger someone to write a book demolishing all we thought we knew before.
I find it curious that no scientist ever attempted to use language to gaze into our deep past. Perhaps nobody thought that their language had any value, which might as well be true, but Euskara, the language of the Basques, does.
Appropriately, the title of the novel is Language Speaks Louder than Bones.
I am the narrator and thus an eye witness, which means I am there where the actions is. By the time I am done with the novel, I — and you — will probably know more than anyone about the cave dwellers. There are some — many — holes in my narrative, it happened so suddenly. I don’t know how but I found myself on a tree watching below a group of pre-Neanderthal hunters, or bears? At first I thought they were bears, until I realized that they were holding spears. Do bears hold spears?
I have still no idea where I was, but certainly somewhere in the Atlantic Europe. The huge discovery was that the dozen or so clans that I came into contact with, had some proto-Euskara words in their languages. The next finding was that these clans lived at considerable distance from each other, but they could communicate, because their languages shared some common basic words, of which some sounded like Basque.
A monumental harrimutil (stone cairn) erected by sheepherders in Alpine County, CA.
The Basque language, Euskara, has words that literally take us back to the time when “gize” (humans) had four hands, so before they embarked their bipedal journey.
The gist of the novel is that I was at the meeting when eight clans came together to choose a common name for themselves. In fact, they ended up selecting two names, one picked by the men and one preferred by women.
It did not happen overnight. It came after the realization that they, the cave dwellers, were not any different from bears, but had some differences, for example, making tools and building a fire, something they didn’t see other animals do, in fact, all animals avoided fire. The other monumental discovery was the language, so let no one call them primitive or brutes anymore.
I haven’t decided where or how I want to publish; I may end up going the Kindle way.
Today marks the 89th anniversary of the bombing of Gernika. Last month, in March, we made a quick trip to the Basque Country over spring break to visit my dad’s family and made of point of seeing Picasso’s Guernica. As we near the 90th anniversary of the bombing, the painting is once again in the news as the Basque government has requested that the painting be loaned to the Basque Country. This request has been denied, based on arguments that the painting is too fragile.
My daughter Rose contemplating Picasso’s Guernica. Photo taken by Lisa Van De Graaff.
Gernika sits at a crossroads, centrally located between the cities of Lekeitio, Nabarniz, Markina, Amorebieta, and Mungia and Bermeo. Every Monday, the city hosted a market and fair which would draw residents of nearby towns; more than 10,000 people typically attended the market. There were few military targets in Gernika: the bridge and the arms factory.
At 4:30pm on April 26, 1937 – a Monday – planes from the German Condor Legion and the Italian Air Force began bombing the city. George Steer, a journalist who arrived in Gernika the day after the bombing, took accounts from the survivors and sent the first account of the bombing to the international press.
Some air raid shelters had been established as a response to the bombing of Durango only about a month before. As church bells pealed out a warning of an air raid, people fled to find shelter, leaving their livestock in the market square. Two planes flew over and dropped bombs and incendiary devices. As the aircraft flew overhead, machine-gun fire strafed the people running in the streets.
After that, nothing happened for about 15 minutes and the people began emerging from their shelters when another group of bombers flew overhead, dropping more bombs that then exploded. The streets filled with fire and smoke. Some of these bombs were one thousand pounds and penetrated through buildings and into basements and shelters. As the panicked populace again emptied to the streets to flee, more planes strafed them with more machine-gun fire.
This continued until about 7:30pm, by which time nearly the entire city was ablaze. The Church of San Juan had a hole in its roof where a bomb had penetrated, setting the altar ablaze.
The immediate aftermath of the bombing was a series of denials and accusations from both Franco and the German government. While they acknowledged that Gernika had been a military target, poor visibility led to some stray bombs that hit the city itself and that then the Basque “Reds” deliberately set the city ablaze. However, the discovery of Wolfram von Richthofen‘s diary (von Richtofen was commander of the Condor Legion), which were made public in the 1970s, confirmed the bombing and the tactics used. At the Nuremberg trials, Herman Göring said that Gernika was “a sort of test bed for the Luftwaffe” and that it was an experiment that “could not be conducted anywhere else.”
The plans to bomb Gernika, while gestating for some time, were finalized in a meeting the day before, on April 25, in Burgos. It is hard to know precisely who was involved, but at least Richthofen and the Spanish fascist leaders Juan Vigón, Emilio Mola and Franco were involved in the planning. Richthofen and Italian general Vellani were at the Burgos meeting, though Mola was elsewhere.
The number of people who died in the attacks is hard to pinpoint as there are many figures out there, but they range from a minimum of 153 to more than 1500. Xabier Irujo’s analysis points to the higher number, or even more than 2000 dead. The bombing received international attention as it was one of the first aerial bombardments of a civilian population. However, it wasn’t the first: several Basque towns had been bombed earlier in the war, including Munitibar and Durango.
A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.
While Athletic Bilbao receives more international attention, primarily due to their unique policy of signing only Basque players, they are not the only team in the Basque Country – there are several. Yesterday, April 18, 2026, the soccer team from Donostia, Real Sociedad de Fútbol, won the Copa del Rey, their first win since 2000 and only their fourth win in their history. Star player Mikel Oyarzabal scored one of their goals, with rising star Ander Barrenetxea scoring the other. Led by an American-born coach, this win caps a remarkable turnaround where they were almost relegated to second division only a year ago.
The players of Real Sociedad celebrating their Copa del Rey win against Atletico Madrid on August 18, 2026. Photo from Reuters.
Fútbol came relatively late to Donostia – the first recorded match was played in 1902, a time when other towns in Gipuzkoa already playing. The sport was brought over from England, by young men who had worked or studied there. By 1903, the first clubs had been established.
To formally compete in official championships, clubs had to be registered. One club in Donostia registered under the name Club Ciclista so that they could play in the 1909 Spanish Championship, the Copa del Rey, which they won. This team ultimately became Real Sociedad. In 1909, they formed their own team, the Society of Football, and in 1910 the Spanish king bestowed the title “Real”, or Royal. Hence, they became known as Real Sociedad de Fútbol, the Royal Society of Football.
In 1913, the city and team inaugurated their football field, Atotxa, which became their home for over 80 years. The first match in the new stadium as against Athletic Bilbao, a game that ended in a 3-3 tie. In 1993, the team moved to their current stadium, Anoeta.
Real Sociedad was one of the founding teams of the Spanish La Liga in 1929. In 1931, they briefly changed their name to the Donostia Club de Futbol during the Second Spanish Republic, but after the Spanish Civil War they reverted back to Real Sociedad de Futbol. Their nicknames in Basque are Erreala (“Royal”) and the txuri-urdin (“white-blue”).
Since their founding, Real Sociedad has won the Copa del Rey four times, including that first year in 1909 and most recently just yesterday – April 18, 2026. The previous win was in 2020, when they beat Athletic Bilbao for the win after a year delay due to COVID. They have also won the Spanish Premier League twice, most recently during the 1981-82 season.
Up until 1989, Real Sociedad maintained a policy similar to Athletic Bilbao in that they only signed Basque players. However, in that year, they signed forward John Aldridge from Ireland.
Real Sociedad is more than a men’s soccer team. They also consist of track and field, field hockey, and pelota. In 2004, the group formed a women’s soccer team, Real Sociedad Feminino. That team won the Copa de la Reina in 2019.
Their current coach, Pellegrino Matarazzo, was born in the United States to Italian immigrant parents. Though obtaining a degree in applied math from Columbia, his passion was soccer. After a less than stellar career as a player, he became a coach and in December, 2025, he was named Real Sociedad’s coach. Real’s winning of the Copa del Rey is his crowning achievement. Just last year, the team was on the verge of being relegated to second division.
A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.
Last year, the pioneering work Amerikanuak celebrated its 50th anniversary. Written by Willian Douglass and Jon Bilbao back in 1975, this book surveys the history of Basques in the Americas – not just the United States but all of North and South America. Bilbao had spent many years chronically all works written about the Basques which undoubtedly served as a foundation for Amerikanuak. Bilbao lived a complex life, bouncing back and forth between the United States and Europe as political tides ebbed and flowed. Studies of Basques in the Americas owe a great debt to Bilbao.
Jon Manuel Bilbao Azkarreta was born on October 31, 1914 in Puerto Rico. His father Juan had left the Basque Country at the age of 12 looking for opportunity. There Juan met Matilde Azkarreta. In 1917, the family moved back to the Basque Country, where Jon grew up. He got a bachelor’s degree from the University of Valladolid and then studied Medieval History at the Central University of Madrid.
He had intentions of returning to Bilbo where there were plans to open a Basque university but the Spanish Civil War broke out and he joined the Eusko Gudarosteak (Basque Battalions). The day Bilbo fell, Jon escaped in the dead of night to France, making his way back to Puerto Rico. He eventually enrolled in Harvard, then Columbia, then the University of California, Berkeley, to continue his doctoral studies. However, he never finished.
As a a deputy director of the “Basque Government in Exile” he was sent to Idaho to research the Basques there and to fund-raise for the government. During this time, he was very active in fight against fascism and, after World War II, was named a Knight of the Belgian Order of the Crown. In 1943, he became as citizen of the United States.
During these years, he began work on what would become Eusko Bibliographia, a reference documenting every item ever published on Basque topics. In the end, it took him 20 years to complete this monumental task. At a time before the internet where finding scholarly resources was challenging, this work was indispensable for Basque scholars.
He returned to the Basque Country for a few years, working with J.M. Barandiaran, before moving next to Cuba and then back to the Basque Country. In 1958, he was arrested by Franco’s government. He wasn’t imprisoned due to his American citizenship but was expelled from Spain. Moving to Biarritz, he was soon expelled by the French government, causing him to return to the United States.
He taught at Georgetown University and the Naval Academy before being recruited by William Douglass to join the new Basque Studies program at the University of Nevada, Reno. With Douglass, he toured Latin America and wrote Amerikanuak: Basques in the New World, the definitive history of Basques in the western hemisphere.
He retired from Reno in 1980 and returned to the Basque Country once again. He was excited by a number of projects related to the Basques, the diaspora, and the creation of a Basque library, but things didn’t quite materialize as he hoped. He died on May 23, 1994 after suffering multiple strokes.
A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.
The medieval history of the Basque Country is both fascinating and so convoluted. There are so many marriages back and forth between different families as royals tried to consolidate and expand power that it becomes dizzying. A great example is Tota, or Toda, Aznar of Pamplona. Her skill as a diplomat and in establishing power through marrying her children places her as a central figure in the history of the Basque Country.
Toda de Pamplona, as painted by António de Holanda in 1530. Image from Wikidata.
Tota Aznar, or Toda as she was more commonly called, was born in the 9th century – possibly on January 2, 876. She was born into nobility. Her father was Don Aznar Sánchez, Lord of Latraun, and her mother was Doña Oneka. She was the granddaughter of King Fortuño Garcés “the Monk”; as such, she belonged to the Arista dynasty.
She married Sancho I of Pamplona, Sancho Garcés, who was of the Ximena dynasty. Thus their marriage united the two most powerful families of Pamplona.
Toda was a very skilled diplomat. As one example, she arranged the marriage of her daughter Sancha first to Ordoño II of Asturias. When he died, she arranged the marriage of Sancha with Álvaro Harrameliz, and after he died, with Fernán González, the Count of Castile, bringing the County of Álava as her dowry. She arranged similar marriages for her other daughters, solidifying the position and power of her family.
Sancho I died in 925. His brother, Ximeno Garcés (who also was Toda’s sister Sancha’s husband), succeeded him, but also became the guardian of Sancho and Toda’s son García Sánchez I. Ximeno didn’t last long, dying in 931, at which point García became king, but since he was still a minor, Toda became regent and his guardian.
The royalty of Pamplona was intertwined with the nearby Muslim rules (Toda was aunt or, more likely cousin, to Caliph Abd-al-Rahman III). In 934, Toda signed a treaty with Abd-al-Rahman III, which helped to cement the rule of her son, but by 937 Toda had already broken her treaty, leading to conflict. In 939, she is noted as having defeated “an innumerable army of Saracens,” saving the king.
After García rose to the throne in his own right, Toda becomes less prominent in records. However, by 958 she is noted as ruling her own subkingdom in the areas of Deio and Lizarrara.
Her last great feat as a powerful ruler was promoting her grandson, Sancho I of León, known as Sancho the Fat. She enlisted the aid of Abd-ar-Rahman III to cure Sancho’s obesity, which his Jewish physician Hasdai ibn Shaprut said he would do if Toda visited Córdoba, the seat of Abd-ar-Rahman’s power. She did, along with her son and grandson, and this visit proved to be a huge diplomatic event. Sancho was cured and went on to reclaim the throne of León.
A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.
For decades, the story of Basques and Basque Americans who served in the United States Armed Forces during World War II lived quietly within families and local communities — preserved in fading photographs, personal letters, and stories shared at kitchen tables, yet largely absent from the public historical landscape.
Today, that story is finally beginning to take physical form.
The Basque American community has officially announced both the location and the conceptual design of the National Basque World War II Veterans Memorial— the first national memorial in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to honoring WWII veterans of Basque origin.
The Memorial is a project of North American Basque Organizations, Inc. (N.A.B.O.), developed in close collaboration with the long‑term historical research initiative Fighting Basques: Memory of WWII, led by the Basque homeland association Sancho de Beurko. Together, these efforts seek not only to commemorate the past, but to bring into public view a long-overlooked chapter of American and Basque history.
A national fundraising campaign launched in 2024 supports both the continued historical research and the construction of the Memorial, with completion envisioned by the end of 2026.
The Legacy of the “Fighting Basques”
Years of archival research, oral history, and sustained collaboration with families have now made it possible to identify more than 2,150 men and women of Basque origin who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during WWII, including members of the U.S. Merchant Marine.
Geographic distribution of the “Fighting Basques” at the time of enlistment (via authors).
At the time of their enlistment, these veterans lived in thirty U.S. states, as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico — covering nearly 60% of the United States’ territory. They served in every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and in every theater of operations worldwide.
The majority were American born: approximately 85%were citizens by birth, mostly the children or grandchildren of Basque immigrants. Yet more than 260 veterans were born in the Basque Country itself, and others came from Basque communities across ten different countries, from Argentina and Mexico to the Philippines and the United Kingdom. Over half of these emigrants were not U.S. citizens when they enlisted.
Their paths to service were diverse, but their commitment was shared. Together, they represent an extraordinary and still underrecognized contribution to the history of World War II.
Gardnerville, Nevada: A Meaningful Home
After an intensive year-long process of research, site visits, and deliberation, N.A.B.O. has announced that the Memorial will be built in Gardnerville, Nevada, at Heritage Park, located in the town’s historic downtown.
Aerial photo of Heritage Park, Gardnerville (Nevada), the future site of the National Basque WWII Veterans Memorial. (Courtesy of the Town of Gardnerville).
This location is deeply meaningful. Rooted in a rich immigrant past, Gardnerville has long been — and continues to be — an important center of Basque American life in Nevada. Founded in 1879, the town later became one of the state’s most significant sheep-raising hubs, sustained by a dense network of boardinghouses, hotels, bars, and restaurants that served generations of Basque sheepherders and their families.
Today, Gardnerville remains home to an active and engaged Basque community. With just over 6,200 residents, the town represents nearly 2% of Nevada’s Basque population and hosts the Mendiko Euskaldun Cluba. Since its founding in 1981, the club’s events and annual festivals have been widely attended, drawing participants from across the state and beyond, and serving as a regional reference point for Basque culture.
The Town of Gardnerville has also expressed its support for the Memorial project, recognizing its historical, cultural, and educational value for the community and working collaboratively with the organizers as the initiative moves forward.
Gardnerville is also closely linked to families whose wartime service became legendary—such as theEtchemendy brothers, often described as the most decorated group of brothers in Nevada. Born in Gardnerville to Basque immigrant parents, their names will soon return home, permanently engraved at the Memorial.
Meet the Etchemendy brothers, from left to right: Leon (wearing an eye patch after being wounded at the Battle of Leyte), John, and William. (Courtesy of the Etchemendy family).
Bizi leku: A Place to Live, A Place to Remember
The Memorial’s conceptual design, titled Bizi leku — Basque for “The Place to Live” — was created by Basque architect Maider Bezos Lanz (BZS Architecture).
Constructed in Corten steel, the design evokes themes of migration, settlement, and belonging. It reflects the experience of adopting a new homeland while maintaining deep cultural roots—a defining feature of the Basque American story.
“Echoes of two wars, 1936-1945” aims to disseminate the stories of those Basques and Navarrese who participated in two of the warfare events that defined the future of much of the 20th century. With this blog, the intention of the Sancho de Beurko Association is to rescue from anonymity the thousands of people who constitute the backbone of the historical memory of the Basque and Navarre communities, on both sides of the Pyrenees, and their diasporas of emigrants and descendants, with a primary emphasis on the United States, during the period from 1936 to 1945.
Oiarzabal received his Doctorate of Political Science-Basque Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno. Over the last two decades, his work has focused on research and consulting on public policies (citizenship abroad and return), diasporas and new technologies, and social and historical memory (oral history, migration and exile), with special emphasis on the Basque case. He is a member of Eusko Ikaskuntza.
Tabernilla is a researcher and founder of the Sancho de Beurko Elkartea, a non-profit organization that studies the history of the Basques of both slopes of the Pyrenees in the Spanish Civil War and in World War II. Between 2008 and 2016 he directed the catalog of the “Iron Belt” for the Heritage Directorate of the Basque Government. He is author, along with Ander González, of Basque Fighters in World War II (Desperta Ferro, 2018).
“Bizi leku is conceived as a welcoming space,” explains Bezos Lanz. “A symbolic home that brings together all the names engraved on its surfaces, allowing them to coexist in peace and dignity — united by shared history and memory.”
The Memorial is envisioned not simply as a list of names, but as a living place of remembrance — one that honors individual lives, family histories, service, and sacrifice. A complementary digital memorial will provide access to biographies and educational resources, extending its reach far beyond the physical site.
Looking Ahead: A Shared Responsibility
The National Basque WWII Veterans Memorial seeks to preserve the memory of an entire generation while offering visitors — Basque and non‑Basque alike — a space for reflection, learning, and gratitude.
“As a community, we are creating a permanent national place to remember, honor, and thank Basque veterans who proudly served during World War II,” says historian Dr. Pedro J. Oiarzabal, director of the Fighting Basques project. “It represents a long-overdue public recognition and a place of pride, service, and belonging — one that connects individual stories to our shared history, much like the National Monument to the Basque Sheepherder dedicated in Reno, Nevada, in 1989.”
The Memorial’s dedication is planned for no later than December 2026, coinciding with two significant anniversaries: the 85th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War II and the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Yet this Memorial is not only about the past. It is about how memory is carried forward — through care, participation, and collective commitment — so that these stories remain present and meaningful for future generations.
The National Basque WWII Veterans Memorial will take shape through shared remembrance and community involvement. As the fundraising campaign continues, each contribution — large or small — helps transform memory into a lasting public space of recognition and gratitude.
In this way, the Memorial becomes more than a site or a structure. It becomes a place where history remains alive—because a community chooses to remember, together.
Last week I profiled John Garamendi, one of the most prominent Basque-American politicians we have ever had in the United States. However, the distinction for the most prominent politician goes to Paul Laxalt. Governor and US Senator, he was also a close friend of Ronald Reagan and played an important role in Reagan’s presidential campaigns. The brother of writer Robert Laxalt, Paul made his own mark on history. It is interesting to note how both Paul and John were and are known for their work across the aisle and their ability to work with the other party.
Paul Laxalt and his wife at the Basque Studies Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. Photo from EuskoNews.
Paul Dominique Laxalt was born on August 2, 1922, in Reno, Nevada. His parents, Dominique Laxalt and Theresa Laxalt (nee Alpetche), were both from the Basque Country. Dominique was from Zuberoa and Theresa from Nafarroa Beherea. Dominique had immigrated in 1904 to the United States, becoming a sheepherder while Theresa, arriving in 1920, ultimately managed the French Hotel in Carson City, Nevada.
In high school, Paul was part of the state championship basketball team. After he graduated and World War II started, he joined the army (like many in his family), where he was a medic and was deployed to the Philippines. When he returned, he got his law degree and began a career as a lawyer.
Paul entered politics in 1950, running for and winning the position of District Attorney of Ormsby County in Nevada. This was the start of a long career. He soon ran for and won the position of Lieutenant Governor in 1963. He ran for the United States Senate in 1964, losing by 48 votes. Only a few years later, he ran for Governor and won. He only served one term but helped established Nevada’s first community colleges and medical school.
After serving as Governor, Paul took a break and opened a hotel. However, in 1974 he was recruited to run for the Senate again. This time he won. Serving two terms, he was respected by both sides of the aisle for being a “straight shooter” – he was able to work with both Republicans and Democrats.
As Governor, he became close friends with the Governor of neighboring California, Ronald Reagan. He was almost chosen as Reagan’s running mate for the White House, but George HW Bush was chosen instead. His relationship with Reagan meant that an unusually large number of Nevadans made their way into DC politics. Reagan relied on Laxalt for his expertise in multiple occasions. He served as Reagan’s National Chairman for more than one campaign.
He tried one unsuccessful run for the presidency before retiring from politics and returning to private practice, though he continued to serve the government on various panels. He died on August 6, 2018.
A full list of all of Buber’s Basque Facts of the Week can be found in the Archive.
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