During World War II it is estimated that up to 500,000 Hispanics served duty in the armed forces. An exact number is hard to come by as Hispanics who appeared "white" were placed in "white only" units, while those that appeared "black" were placed in the segregated black units. As the war ended and these veterans returned home, all did not experience a hero's welcome.
When sick and injured veterans returned for care they were abruptly turned away from the Naval Air Station in Corpus
Christi,
Texas. Other veteran advocacy groups would not take up the cause because most did not allow Hispanics to become members and were not fighting for their rights. It was a time when Hispanics in the Southwest were not allowed to vote or dine along side their white compatriots. Dr. Hector P. Garcia founded the American GI Forum in 1948 to fight these injustices and demand respect for all veterans regardless of color.
Later that year, an incident known as "The Felix Longoria Affair" catapulted the American
G.I. Forum into the national media spotlight. Three years after the conclusion of
the World War II, the remains of Private Longoria, a native of Three Rivers, Texas, killed
in duty during a volunteer mission in the Pacific, were being returned home
for final burial. The owner of the town's sole funeral parlor said he could not allow
a Mexican-American to have chapel services there because "the Anglo people
would not stand for it."
The deceased soldier quickly became a symbol of racism in Texas. Latinos
were outraged that an American soldier, after sacrificing his life for his country, was not even allowed to be buried in his hometown. A reporter, Walter Winchell
said on the air, "The great state of Texas, which looms so large on the map,
looks mighty small tonight."
Longoria's widow approached Dr. García
for
assistance, who enlisted the help of then U.S. Senator Lyndon B. Johnson. Finally, on February 16, 1949, Senator Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson, Congressman John Lyle, and President Truman's military aide Gen. Harry H. Vaughan joined the Longoria family for a full military burial with honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Johnson remarked, "This injustice and prejudice is
deplorable. I am happy to have a part seeing that this Texas hero is
laid to rest with the honor and dignity his service deserves."
The plight of Longoria made him a symbol
for the dignity of Mexican-Americans everywhere and gave the
newly formed American G.I. Forum respect nationwide.
In 1984 President Ronald Reagan presented Dr. García with the Presidential
Medal of Freedom-America's highest civilian honor. The American G.I. Forum,
now headquartered in Austin, Texas, with chapters throughout the country remains an active veteran's and civil rights organization.
The American GI Forum >
About Dr. Hector P. Garcia >
