Gilroy
– Pete Garcia grimaces when asked about war. It reminds him of
the greatest tragedy of his life.
Gilroy – Pete Garcia grimaces when asked about war. It reminds him of the greatest tragedy of his life.
“I was sad and broken-hearted when I came back from the Korean War,” said Garcia, a 79-year-old resident who also fought in World War II. “My darling brother Joe – he was 18 when he was killed (in Korea). I always told him ‘Don’t try to be a hero.'”
Yet Garcia said he’s never been more proud than when he fought for his country. Garcia, who served in the Army Special Forces, loved the military life so much that he lied about his age to enlist for Vietnam. It didn’t take long for officials to discover the truth and send him back home.
Years ago, Garcia received a Purple Heart for suffering two injuries in combat. This year, he will be honored once again by serving as the Grand Marshal of the 10th annual Gilroy Memorial Day Parade.
“The Memorial Day committee figured he’d be an excellent candidate, with his war time experiences and the fact he earned a purple heart in the Philippines (during World War II),” said Wayne Cegelske, chaplain of the Veterans of Foreign War Post No. 6309.
The addition of Garcia to the parade could attract scores of children and parents who have passed under his watchful eyes over the years.
Since 1999, Garcia has been a staple at Mt. Madonna Continuation High School. On any given school day, he can be found donning an orange security vest, blowing a whistle to corral teenagers into classrooms.
“Okay, we’re done talking, guys,” Garcia said Thursday to a group of students. “C’mon, c’mon. Vamanos!”
He admits he used to love giving orders as a sergeant, but he says yelling never works as well as compassion. As campus supervisor, he runs the show with humor and tough love, and students often trade high fives with Garcia as he shuffles them off to class.
“He’s so nice but he can be stern if he needs to be,” said Sarah Galtman, 16, recounting how Garcia spoke with every class in recent weeks after finding graffiti in a bathroom.
“He always tells us how much he loves us – that we’re like his own grandchildren,” said Monique Fregoso, 18.
Garcia has a daughter and three grandchildren with Lita, his wife of 39 years. The couple met at a dance in 1968 while she was working at the Gilroy cannery, and within a year he moved from San Jose to be with her in Gilroy. Not long after, in the early ’70s, Garcia landed his first job as a campus supervisor at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill.
A family member recommended him for a position – any position – and the principal decided his military background made him a perfect choice. Garcia spent 15 years at Live Oak before retiring from full-time work in the early 1990s. Before landing his current job at Mt. Madonna, he jumped around to various Gilroy schools, serving on yard duty.
“I would call Pete a legend,” said Mt. Madonna Principal Alma Quintana. “He’s respectful, nurturing, alert, responsible. He keeps us safe. And because he’s formed such a good relationship with the kids, he doesn’t have to yell. They know he respects and cares about them.”
