World War II Honoree

Rodolfo S. Garza

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Laredo, Texas

Honored By

Rodolfo Garza, Jr. & Douglas M. Alford, USN

HE JOINED THE UNITED STATES ARMY ON MAY 14, 1943 AT FORT SAM HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. HE RECEIVED BASIC TRAINING AT ABELENE, TEXAS AND WENT IN AS A MEDIC. HE WAS LATER CONVERTED OVER AS A TRUCK DRIVER. AFTER ADVANCE TRAINING HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO NEW YORK CITY TO BOARD THE HMS QUEEN MARY TO GO TO SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND IN PREPARATION FOR THE INVASION OF EUROPE. HE LANDED ON THE OMAHA PORTION OF THE NORMANDY BEACH. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 94TH INFANTRY REINFORCEMENTS. HIS DUTY WAS TO TRANSPORT THE PORTABLE KITCHENS AS THE COMBAT TROOPS ADVANCED INTO FRANCE. HE WAS IN ST. LO AFTER THE BATTLE AND SAW COMBAT THERE. HE WAS EXTENDED ON TO FONT DE BLEU, FRANCE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WAR. HIS DUTIES WERE BEHIND THE ENEMY LINES WITH THE U.S. COMBAT TROOPS PROTECTING HIS UNIT. THE WAR ENDED IN GERMANY AND HE WAS PLACED ON A BOAT TO GO TO THE JAPAN FRONT BUT THE WAR ENDED OVER THERE. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER BOAT AND SAILED FOR NEW YORK CITY ON THE HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH. HE LANDED IN NEW YORK CITY AND AFTER THREE DAYS HE WAS PLACED ON A TROOP TRAIN TO TRAVEL BACK TO FORT SAM HOUSTON, WHERE HE WAS RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY AND RETURNED TO HIS HOMETOWN OF LAREDO. DURING HIS TOUR HE RECEIVED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, BRONZE STAR, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HE SERVED A TOTAL OF TWO YEARS.