They are the American men and women who heard the call and they
journeyed to faraway lands to fight for their country during the
20th century’s most brutal wars. And Monday, Veteran’s Day, they
will be honored.
They are the American men and women who heard the call and they journeyed to faraway lands to fight for their country during the 20th century’s most brutal wars. And Tuesday, Veteran’s Day, they will be honored.
Veteran’s Day originally was called “Armistice Day” and was a commemoration of the day peace was officially proclaimed after World War I. After World War II, the holiday changed its name to honor those who served in America’s military branches.
Among those former soldiers who will be honored on Monday are Gilroy residents Richard Stewart and Peter Garcia. Both men serve on the honor guard and color guard for the local Veterans of Foreign War post.
Garcia, 75, said he lied to the recruiter so he could join the U.S. Army at the age of 17. He served in the Army from late 1944 to 1947, fighting in the South Pacific arena. In 1949, he joined again and served for several year fighting in Korea with his brothers Jose Garcia Jr. and Valentine Garcia.
The veteran recalled the fighting against the Japanese at the island of Guadacanal during the close of World War II.
“I was in the Special Forces, a combat soldier,” he said. “It was rough … a lot of fighting. But we kicked some butt, let me tell you.”
Toward the end of the war, Garcia was among the American soldiers fighting in the Philippines.
“It was jungle fighting,” he said. “It wasn’t an easy thing to do. The enemy soldiers were waiting for us.”
He recalls seeing soldier friends falling dead beside him.
“That hurt. It hurt a lot,” he said. “When you know you’re going to go back into battle, you’re thinking, ‘Who knows, we might make it through or maybe we might not.'”
Korea was just as bad. Garcia said he was hit by a bullet and wounded at the famous battle of Pork Chop Hill. His division was out of ammunition and was outnumbered 10-to-one by the Koreans. But another division drove through into the fighting and got him and the other men out.
His brother Jose was killed in battle in Korea.
“When you lose a brother, you carry that anger with you,” he said.
Stewart, 83, served in the United States Army from July 1944 to April 1946, spending most of his time in Germany.
“My outfit went in as a relief for the other soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Bulge,” he said. “That campaign was pretty much over when we got there.”
As a young man working at a Nebraska airplane factory, he received government deferral from joining the military because his job was considered vital for the war effort, he said. But at 24, he decided to enlist in the Army.
“I could have probably stayed out of it all together,” he said. “But I said I would take my turn.”
Stewart said he saw “a few skirmishes” as World War II came to an end but did not see any heavy fighting. His company crossed the Rhine River and headed into central Germany and met with Russian troops at the Elbe River.
“I didn’t think too much about it,” he said, recalling his time as a soldier. “It was a job to do, and we did it to the best of our ability.”
Serving in the military has made Garcia aware of the goodness of America, he said. This country is special because it sends its young men to fight for the freedoms of other people in other parts of the world.
“I love the United States of America,” he said. “It is the place I love. This is what I did, and this is what I am because I love my country.”
Veteran’s Day is special to him because it is the occasion to honor those who have served in upholding America’s values and ideals, he said.
“Veteran’s Day means a lot,” he said. “It means we should honor the people who served our country, the United States of America.”
Veteran Stewart agrees with him.
“The old saying is, ‘Freedom isn’t free,'” he said. “And if it wasn’t for all the G.I.’s and all the men and women who went to war to preserve our way of life. … I think they need to be recognized for serving their country. It’s a good thing to recognize and honor the veterans for their sacrifices.”
