World War II Honoree

Gilberto Garcia

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Laredo, Texas

Honored By

Douglas M. Alford, USN

HE WAS DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY AND SERVED 14 WEEKS AT FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA FOR BASIC TRAINING. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO A FIELD ARTILLERY UNIT. TRANSFERRED TO SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING. HE WAS THEN TRANSFERRED TO TAFT BASE NEAR OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA TO BE PREPARED TO BE SHIPPED OVERSEAS TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR DUTY. HE SHIPPED OUT ON THE VICTORY SHIP USS MALFORD. HIS FIRST STOP WAS CORREGIDOR WHERE HE WAS ASSIGNED TO A 105 HOWITZER UNIT. HE THEN WAS TAKEN TO GUAM WHERE HIS ARTILLERY TRAINING WAS UTILIZED. AT THIS TIME, JAPAN HAD SURRENDERED AND HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO YOKOHAMA, JAPAN TO SUPPORT THE OCCUPATION AND TRANSFERRED TO THE 5TH ARMY AIR CORPS. HE WAS ABLE TO FLY OVER NAGASAKI IN AN L-5 AIRPLANE AND SAW THE DEVASTATION. ON DECEMBER 24, 1946, HE WAS PLACED ONBOARD THE TROOP SHIP USS MARSHALL. HIS SHIP LANDED IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON AND FROM THERE HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO CAMP BELL, NEAR LOS ANGELES. AT CAMP BELL HE WAS PLACED ON A BUS BOUND FOR HIS HOMETOWN OF LAREDO, TEXAS. DURING HIS TOUR HE WAS AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.