The current talk against Mexican immigrants takes a different tack when one considers the story of Staff Sgt. Marcario Garcia, the first Mexican immigrant to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by a grateful America...The citation for the award reads:
Staff Sergeant Marcario García, Company B, 22nd Infantry, in action involving actual conflict with the enemy in the vicinity of Grosshau, Germany, 27 November 1944. While an acting squad leader, he single-handedly assaulted two enemy machine gun emplacements. Attacking prepared positions on a wooded hill, which could be approached only through meager cover. His company was pinned down by intense machine-gun fire and subjected to a concentrated artillery and mortar barrage. Although painfully wounded, he refused to be evacuated and on his own initiative crawled forward alone until he reached a position near an enemy emplacement. Hurling grenades, he boldly assaulted the position, destroyed the gun, and with his rifle killed three of the enemy who attempted to escape. When he rejoined his company, a second machine-gun opened fire and again the intrepid soldier went forward, utterly disregarding his own safety. He stormed the position and destroyed the gun, killed three more Germans, and captured four prisoners. He fought on with his unit until the objective was taken and only then did he permit himself to be removed for medical care. S/Sgt. (then Pvt.) Garcia's conspicuous heroism, his inspiring, courageous conduct, and his complete disregard for his personal safety wiped out two enemy emplacements and enabled his company to advance and secure its objective.
In later life, after becoming a US citizen, Garcia served as a counselor with the Veterans Administration for 25 years...He also became an activist for the rights of Latino immigrants...This part of his life might never have happened if not for an incident which occurred shortly after he had returned home following the war...Those people unhappy with Garcia's turn to activism may wish to direct their displeasure toward Mrs. Donna Andrews who refused service to Garcia because he was Hispanic in her Oasis Cafe in Richmond, Texas days after he was awarded the CMH by President Harry Truman...

On November 21, 1963 Garcia met with another decorated WWII veteran, President John Kennedy, at the Rice Hotel in Houston to discuss ways to improve ethnic relations in America...The next afternoon, Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas...

When I worked for Goodyear in Houston, I often traveled on S/Sgt. Marcario Garcia Blvd. when my duties took me to Goodyear's Harrisburg store......Ben