[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 27]
[Senate]
[Page 36169]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DR. HECTOR P. GARCIA

  The resolution (S. Res. 411) honoring the life and recognizing the 
accomplishments of Texas civil rights pioneer Dr. Hector P. Garcia was 
considered and agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, was agreed to, as follows:

                              S. Res. 411

       Whereas, Hector P. Garcia was born on January 17, 1914, in 
     Llera, a small town in south central Tamaulipas, Mexico;
       Whereas, Hector P. Garcia was brought to Mercedes, Texas, 
     as a small child when his parents fled the Mexican Revolution 
     in 1917;
       Whereas, Dr. Hector P. Garcia graduated from the University 
     of Texas Medical School in 1940, and later joined the United 
     States Army;
       Whereas, Dr. Hector P. Garcia served as an infantryman, a 
     combat engineer, and a medical doctor during World War II, 
     and earned the Bronze Star medal with six battle stars for 
     his distinguished service;
       Whereas, Dr. Hector P. Garcia founded the American GI Forum 
     in 1948 to fight for equal treatment of Mexican-American 
     veterans, including proper medical treatment and educational 
     benefits;
       Whereas, in 1949, Dr. Hector P. Garcia secured a burial 
     with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery for 
     Pvt. Felix Longoria after a Texas funeral home refused to 
     hold a wake for Pvt. Longoria, a U.S. soldier killed during 
     World War II, for the sole reason that he was Hispanic;
       Whereas, President Lyndon Johnson made Dr. Hector P. Garcia 
     the first Mexican-American to serve as an ambassador to the 
     United Nations;
       Whereas Dr. Hector P. Garcia was the first Hispanic to 
     serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights;
       Whereas, in 1984, President Ronald Reagan bestowed upon Dr. 
     Hector P. Garcia the Presidential Medal of Freedom;
       Whereas Dr. Hector P. Garcia devoted his life to fighting 
     for civil rights and educational access for Mexican-
     Americans;
       Whereas this nation has benefited from Dr. Hector P. 
     Garcia's legacy of generosity and commitment to equality: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate honors the life of Dr. Hector P. 
     Garcia, a selfless physician, decorated World War II veteran, 
     dedicated family man, and civil rights hero, and joins in the 
     celebration of his birthday, January 17.

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