Vera Cruz was born in  Saoang, San Juan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines (then a territory of the United States) on December 25, 1904. As a small boy, he tended to water buffalo (carabaos) for his father, which he described as much easier than the work he would do in California. In 1926, Vera Cruz moved to the United States, where he performed a wide variety of jobs, including working in an Alaskan cannery, a restaurant, and a box factory.
Vera Cruz was born on December 25, 1904, in Saoang, San Juan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines (then a U.S. territory). As a young boy, he helped his father with water buffalo, which he found easier than the work he would later do in California. In 1926, Vera Cruz emigrated to the United States, where he worked in different industries, including an Alaskan cannery, restaurant, and box factory.