[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 23, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   TRIBUTE TO THE LATE HECTOR GODINEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 1999

  Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in tribute to a great man. We 
have lost Hector Godinez to illness but his spirit will live on in 
Santa Ana.
  Hector was born at the San Diego Mission in 1924. A year later, his 
family moved to Santa Ana and that became his home. Immediately after 
high school, he joined the military and served with distinction. The 
battles he fought in, including the invasion of France, led to the 
Allies' victory in Europe during World War II. He was revered for his 
service in General Patton's tank unit. His decorations include a bronze 
star and purple heart.
  When Mr. Godinez came home from the war, he decided to continue his 
record of public service as a letter carrier. President Kennedy 
appointed him Postmaster of Santa Ana in 1960. His employment with the 
U.S. Postal Service spanned nearly half a century.
  But I would do his memory a disservice if I neglected to mention the 
many other contributions Hector made to our community. As a founding 
member of the Santa Ana League of United Latin American Citizens, Mr. 
Godinez and his fellow activists are to be thanked for the landmark 
civil rights case Mendez v. The Board of Education, which safeguarded 
the Hispanic children of Orange County against discrimination in local 
schools.
  Hector never stopped fighting, giving or learning. He held a number 
of degrees, including his Masters', which he received in 1980. His name 
will forever be associated with the long list of community 
organizations and boards on which he served.
  He guided our citizens through decades of change in Southern 
California, both as a public servant and an activist. Our lives as 
Orange County residents are better for his life's work, and I salute 
him today.

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