III 111th CONGRESS 1st Session S. CON. RES. 48 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 16, 2009 Mr. Menendez submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Recognizing the leadership and historical contributions of Dr. Hector Garcia to the Hispanic community and his remarkable efforts to combat racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States of America.

Whereas Dr. Hector Garcia changed the lives of Americans from all walks of life; Whereas Dr. Hector Garcia was born in Mexico on January 17, 1914, and immigrated to Mercedes, Texas, in 1918; Whereas Dr. Hector Garcia is an honored alumnus of the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Class of 1940; Whereas Dr. Hector Garcia fought in World War II, specifically in North Africa and Italy, attained the rank of Major, and was awarded the Bronze Star with six battle stars; Whereas once the Army discovered he was a physician, Dr. Hector Garcia was asked to practice his profession by treating his fellow soldiers; Whereas Dr. Hector Garcia moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, after the war, and opened a medical practice; rarely charged his indigent patients, and was recognized as a passionate and dedicated physician; Whereas he first became known in south Texas for his public health messages on the radio with topics ranging from infant diarrhea to tuberculosis; Whereas Dr. Hector Garcia continued his public service and advocacy and became founder of the American G.I. Forum, a Mexican-American veterans association, which initiated countless efforts on behalf of Americans to advance opportunities in health care, veterans benefits, and civil rights equality; Whereas his civil rights movement would then grow to also combat discrimination in housing, jobs, education, and voting rights; Whereas President Kennedy appointed Dr. Hector Garcia a member of the American Treaty Delegation for the Mutual Defense Agreement between the United States and the Federation of the West Indies; Whereas in 1967, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Dr. Hector Garcia as alternate ambassador to the United Nations where he gave the first speech by an American before the United Nations in a language other than English; Whereas Dr. Hector Garcia was named member of the Texas Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights; Whereas President Reagan presented Dr. Hector Garcia the Nation’s highest civilian award, the Medal of Freedom, in 1984 for meritorious service to his country, the first Mexican-American to receive this recognition; and Whereas Pope John Paul II recognized him with the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Pope Gregory the Great: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress— (1)encourages— (A)teachers of primary schools and secondary schools to launch educational campaigns to inform students about the lifetime of accomplishments by Dr. Hector Garcia; and (B)all people of the United States to educate themselves about the legacy of Dr. Hector Garcia; and (2)recognizes the leadership and historical contributions of Dr. Hector Garcia to the Hispanic community and his remarkable efforts to combat racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States of America.