[Hector P Garcia Institute of Education, Integrity, Culture and Public Policy...

THANK YOU MR. ZUNIGA FOR FORWARDING THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE
CELEBRATION OF DR. HECTOR P. GARCIA'S RECOGNITION DAY. IT IS GOING TO
BE A JOYFUL WEEK FOR THE GARCIA FAMILY AS MANY COMMUNITIES NOT ONLY IN
CORPUS CHRISTI, BUT AROUND THE STATE OF TEXAS WILL BE REMEMBERING ALL
MY FATHER'S MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THE IMPACT HE MADE ON THEIR
LIVES. MY MOTHER MRS. HECTOR P. GARCIA WILL BE ATTENDING THE LUNCHEON
AT LA SIESTA CAFE WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE GARCIA FAMILY, INCLUDING
MYSELF, DR. CP GARCIA, AND DR. DALIA GARCIA. IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD,
WE WILL BE ATTENDING THE CELEBRATIONS AT JA GARCIA SCHOOL, AND MILLER
HIGH SCHOOL. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT SOME OF THE EVENTS.

THANK YOU.

CECILIA GARCIA AKERS

Esteemed Forumeers and Friends:

The American GI Forum of the US Central Committee of Corpus Christi cordially requests your presence during the week of 16-22 September to honor our founder Dr. Hector P. Garcia. Events start on Monday, 17 September 2007, at 9:00 a.m. at Seaside Memorial Park with a morning memorial service.

There will be a luncheon in honor of Dr. Hector P Garcia on the designated recognition day (19 Sept 2007) by the State of Texas at La Siesta Cafe from 11 AM - 1 PM, at 2331 Agnes St. (361-882-0814). Hosting Chapters are Beatrice Perez Robstown Women's Chapter and the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Founders Chapter.

There is a 75 seat capacity so please call Dr. Dalia Garcia at 993-6319 to RSVP.

The American GI Forum of Texas-Pvt. Felix Z. Longoria Chapter of Corpus Christi, Texas will be conducting ceremonies recognizing Dr. Hector P. Garcia per House Concurrent Resolution No. 273 as well as commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. on the grounds of Three Rivers City Hall.

Contact Santiago Hernandez, Civil Rights Chairman

American GI Forum-Pvt. Felix Z. Longoria Chapter, Corpus Christi, TX

Home Phone: (361) 851-0958

Cell Phone: (361) 249-5222

Email: Mariachi40@Grandecom.Net

Tentative Program Agenda

11:00AM Opening Remarks

Santiago R. Hernandez, Civil Rights Chairman

American GI Forum-Pvt. Felix Z. Longoria Chapter

Corpus Christi, Texas

11:05AM Posting of Colors

American GI Forum Members

11:10AM Pledge of Allegiance

Debbie Salazar, National Chairwoman

American GI Forum of the United States

Denver, Colorado

11:15AM Invocation

Sara Posas, Chaplain

American GI Forum-Pvt. Felix Z. Longoria Chapter

Portland, Texas

11:20AM Welcome Remarks

James Liska, Mayor

Three Rivers, Texas

11:25AM Hispanic Heritage Month

Moices Cortez, Hispanic Employment Program Manager

Federal Correctional Institution-Three Rivers, Texas

11:30AM Introduction of Guest Speaker

Willie Perez, Commander

American GI Forum-Pvt. Felix Z. Longoria Chapter

Corpus Christi, Texas

11:35AM Guest Speaker

Wanda Garcia, Daughter of Dr. Hector P. Garcia

Austin, Texas

11:50AM Closing Remarks

Paul Herrera, State Commander

American GI Forum of Texas

San Antonio, Texas

The Johnny Canales International Forum invites you to the Community Leaders Banquet to honor Dr. Hector P. Garcia. The event will be held on Wednesday 19 Sept 2007 at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown. There will be no tickets sold at the door. For more information call (361) 241-4535. The reception will start at 6:00 p.m. and the banquet will follow at 7:00 p.m. Honored guest are:

Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa Solomon Ortiz, Jr. Juan Garcia

State Senator State Representative State Representative

Abel Herrero Juan Manuel Escobar Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles

State Representative State Representative State Representative

Other Honored Guests:

Nelda Martinez Mikal Watts Baldemar Gutierrez

City Councilwoman Attorney Attorney

Roger Rocha Paul Herrera KZTV Channel 10

Texas State LULAC Commander

Director American GI Forum

of Texas

The Coastal Bend Area Women's Chapter will hold their event titled Mass in Remembrance of Dr. Hector P. Garcia for Gold Star & Blue Star Mothers on Thursday, September 20, 2007, at 5:30 P.M. Location: St. Patrick's Catholic Church at 3350 Alameda Street, Corpus Christi, Texas

Contact Person: Anna Guzman - (361) 994-8811 or (361) 774-4164

Pews have been reserved for all Gold Star & Blue Star Mothers attending including all Forumeers. Please come out and honor these women and their loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our rights and the rights of others unable to defend themselves.

ANGEL ZUNIGA
Chair, Central Committee

Hector Garcia celebration is made official

By Mary Ann Cavazos (Contact)
Saturday, September 15, 2007

U.S. Army Pvt. Felix Z. Longoria

Dr. Hector P. Garcia (1968)

CORPUS CHRISTI — Area schools and local American GI Forum chapters will recognize Dr. Hector P. Garcia on Wednesday, the first official state holiday celebration for the civil rights leader.

A resolution passed during the 80th legislative session designated the third Wednesday of September to remember the doctor's life and legacy, but is not a mandatory day off for Texans.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins today, runs through Oct. 15.

Garcia, who founded the American GI Forum in 1948, worked tirelessly for the rights of area Hispanic veterans who were being denied educational, medical and housing benefits promised under the GI Bill of Rights. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan awarded Garcia the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to a civilian by the president. Garcia died in 1996.

Both J.A. Garcia Elementary School, named for Garcia's brother, and Miller High School will have assemblies on Wednesday to honor him. Garcia's daughter, Cecilia Garcia Akers, and Rep. Juan Garcia, D-Corpus Christi, who both pushed for the legislation, will attend.

The Community Leaders Banquet, presented by the Johnny Canales American GI International Forum, also will pay tribute to Garcia along with several state lawmakers.

Joe Ortiz, the chapter's commander, said the holiday will further educate others, especially students, about Garcia's civil rights efforts.

"I'm glad it's going to schools," Ortiz said. "It's about time more people know about Dr. Garcia."

For the past two weeks, students at Garcia Elementary School have been learning more about Garcia and his contributions, said principal Norma A. De Leon.

"Even though they're very young, I know that it's going to have meaning in their lives," De Leon said.

The school will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year.

The Dr. Hector P. Garcia Founder's Chapter and the Beatrice T. Perez Women's Chapter will join Wednesday for a luncheon.

The Pvt. Felix Z. Longoria Chapter will have a ceremony Wednesday on the Three Rivers City Hall grounds.

"A lot of us wouldn't be where we are today if not for him," said Santiago R. Hernandez, the chapter's civil rights chairman. "He fought, he persevered, and we want to honor him for that."

The chapter's namesake was a U.S. Army soldier killed in the Philippines in 1945. When his body was returned to his hometown of Three Rivers, a funeral home declined to host a wake because he was Hispanic, Longoria's family members have said.

After Garcia and then Texas Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson intervened, Longoria was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. The event was highly publicized and helped to cement the American GI Forum as a major civil rights organization.

Contact Mary Ann Cavazos at 886-3623 or cavazosm@caller.com

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Comments

Posted by luckybryan on September 15, 2007 at 6:13 a.m. ( Suggest removal)

A promise, kept, is a beautiful thing to see.

Lots of work by soo many people - successful at last.
Thank you, Cecilia Garcia Akers, daughter of Dr. Hector
Thank you, Rep. Juan Garcia, advocate for Dr. Hector
Thank you, Mr. Santiago Hernandez, advocate for Dr. Hector

Posted by intheknow on September 15, 2007 at 7:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Last checked the bill passed out of the senate not the house. Sen. Hinojosa is the one who did the work. Please give Sen. Hinojosa due credit.

Posted by claudedunger on September 15, 2007 at 7:25 a.m. ( Suggest removal)

To everybody who made this work, congratulations. From those who had the good fortune to be familiar with Dr. Hector's work, understand his love for human dignity, or had the good fortune to have made his acquaintance, thank you.

Posted by camaradas on September 15, 2007 at 1:25 p.m. ( Suggest removal)

Thank you for all involved to have this happen. I still hold on dearly to comments and advice given to me by him. Very early on in my teaching career I dedicated teaching my students about him and the great work he helped accomplish. It is so wonderful to know that now even more students will have that knowledge. He was an awesome gentleman.

Posted by luckybryan on September 15, 2007 at 7 p.m. ( Suggest removal)

Commander Joe Ortiz, what an awesome role model and leader. Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, a Vietnam veteran, gets it done for Dr. Hector P. Garcia, a WW II veteran. The wonderful students of J. A. Garcia Elementary School have achieved Perfect Attendance one! maybe two!! times since school started Aug. 27, 2007. Roy Miller High School is the home school of more US military service personnel through the years than any other school in Texas, possibly USA. Its tribute exhibit makes viewers extra-prouder to be Texans first and Americans always.

Thank you, Sen. Juan Hinojosa, advocate for Dr. Hector.
Thank you, Norma De Leon, and Garcia school community.
Thank you, Delia McLerran, principal, and Miller school community.
Thank you, Joe Ortiz, Chapter, and especially to the Ladies Auxiliary.

What a nice thing to do for Dr. Hector. The KEDT-TV movie -- You gotta see it to get the big picture of how it was and how it is. Stay in school. Get an education. Work hard. Get rich. God bless America. Support our Troops. Call your Mother.

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Posted By Jaime Kenedeño to Hector P Garcia Institute of Education, Integrity, Culture and Public Policy at 9/19/2007 01:29:00 AM

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Kenedeno & Associates