World War II Honoree

Salvador Garcia

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Zapata, Texas

Honored By

Douglas M. Alford, USN

HE WAS 21 YEARS OF AGE WHEN HE WAS DRAFTED INTO THE MILITARY ON APRIL 27, 1943. HE WAS SWORN IN AND RECEIVED BASIC TRAINING AT FORT SAM HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. AFTER BASIC, HE WAS ORDERED TO FORT ORD ARTILLERY TRAINING BASE IN CALIFORNIA FOR ARTILLERY TRAINING. HIS PRIMARY DESIGNATION WAS AS INFANTRY COOK AND SECONDARY AS ARTILLERY SPOTTER. AFTER ADVANCED TRAINING HE WAS TRANSFERRED BY SHIP TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. UPON ARRIVING, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO BATTERY B, 478TH ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY, AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AS A CREWMAN. HE FIRST SAW ACTION IN NEW GUINEA THEN ON TO CEBU AND WAS INVOLVED IN THE BATTLE OF LEYTE GULF WHICH WAS THE TURNING POINT IN THE BATTLE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. AT THIS TIME THE BOMB WAS DROPPED ON JAPAN AND THE JAPANESE SURRENDERED. HIS UNIT WAS DISBANDED AND HE WAS RETURNED TO THE STATES TO BE SEPARATED. DURING HIS TOUR HE RECEIVED THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE STARS, PHILIPPINE LIBERATION RIBBON, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL. HE WAS DISCHARGED AT FORT ORD AND PLACED ON A TRAIN TO CAMP FANNIN, NEAR TYLER TEXAS AND THEN ON TO HIS HOMETOWN OF ZAPATA.