World War II Honoree

Florencio Garcia, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Laredo, Texas

Honored By

Hortencia Pena & Douglas M. Alford, USN

HE LEFT HIGH SCHOOL TO ENLIST IN THE ARMY IN NOVEMBER 1942. AFTER BASIC TRAINING HE WAS ASSIGNED TO KEARNS, UTAH. HE WAS LATER TRANSFERRED TO HIS HOMETOWN OF LAREDO FOR GUNNERY SCHOOL. DUE TO HIS NEATNESS, MODEL BEHAVIOR AND SOLDIERLY BEARING, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA TRIANGLE CAMPAIGN WHERE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE PROVOST MARSHALL'S OFFICE AS A GUARD, PATROLMAN AND STATIONED ON THE LINE PROTECTING THE RUNWAYS IN THE AREA. HE SERVED IN THAT AREA FOR 7 MONTHS. WITH THE SURRENDER OF JAPAN HE WAS TRANSFERRED BACK TO THE STATES WHERE HE WAS RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY.