Diálogo

Volume 4 Number 1 Article 6

2000

The American GI Forum

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Recommended Citation (2000) "The American GI Forum," Diálogo: Vol. 4 : No. 1 , Article 6. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/dialogo/vol4/iss1/6

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Latino Research at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in Diálogo by an authorized editor of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact [email protected]. photo by: Roberto Carmona h Aeia G Frm f h United the of Forum Gl American The they created an organization. an created they tts te ains is first nation's the States, a vtrn wr rciig rm a from receiving were veterans war war veterans found themselves short- short- themselves found veterans war grateful nation. The response of of response The nation. grateful shifted in the bounties they were were American they other which bounties and to the entitled in shifted ipnc a vtrn ws visionary: was veterans war Hispanic future their war actions had shaped and and shaped had actions war their future n hs ery otwr er. Hispanic years. post-war early those in illusive proved Dream American Butthe made possible. made n i cagd hm oee. Their forever. them changed it and significant role in the allied victory that victorythat allied inthe role significant by an intense optimism in the American inthe optimism intense by an marked was States United the to return made the United States the world's world's this, the knew They States nation. powerful United most the made Crosses, valor StarsBronzeSilver for and the American Dream. As soldiers, soldiers, As Dream. American the thousands of Hispanic war veterans veterans war Hispanic of thousands n obt Hsais lyd a played combat. in Congressional Service Distinguished Honor, awarded of Medals were many Among the millions of Gl's returning to to Gl'sreturning millionsof the Among came home looking for America and and America for looking home came civilian life after World War ll, tens of of tens ll, War World after life civilian uoe ad h Pcfc Mn died, Many Pacific. Africa, the North and Attu, Europe, Bataan, at battle: ipnc dsigihd hmevs in themselves distinguished Hispanics Y R 0 T S M U R 0 F h l G N A C I R E M The A American Gl Forum into national national into Forum Gl American together in common cause in thirty thirty in cause common in together American Gl Forum of the United United the of Forum Gl American states and five-hundred chapters. five-hundred and states eia-mrcn oie whose solider Mexican-American in burial the was however, prominence forged the chain which is today the the today is which chain the forged started Mexico Newand Then But the incident which catapulted the the catapulted which incident the But Within a year, 100 chapters of the the of chapters 100 year, a Within States, linking Hispanic veterans veterans Hispanic linking States, ea, h Aeia G Frm quickly Forum Gl American the , chapters, followed by and and Arizona by followed chapters, spread throughout the Southwest. Southwest. the throughout spread . One state after another another after state One California. 99 f rvt Flx ogra a Longoria, Felix Private of 1949 ae sad o te ihs f Hispanic of veterans. American as rights veterans the war for stand a take dcto aant ipnc eeas in veterans Hispanic against education raie iiily o obt discrim­ combat to initially Organized of theaters the European of and veteran African combat (a Ximenez Forum were formed in Texas alone. alone. Texas in formed were Forum operations and a major at war's end) to to end) war's at major a and operations ination in housing, employment and and employment housing, in ination Corps Medical Army the of veteran eeas raiain a fudd on founded was organization veterans during World War II, who rallied other other rallied II, who War World during ipnc a vtrn lk Vnet T. Vincent like veterans war a Hispanic Perez-Garcia, Hector Doctor by March 26, 1948 in Corpus Christi,Texas, Corpus in 1948 26, March Cicero, 60804. Phone:Outreach (708) Program, 863-7220 Inc.: 5933 W. 35th Street Fax: (708) 863-7267. For Veterans information more contact the worked consistently on behalf of of development. economic behalf on consistently worked education, civil rights, employment and and employment civil rights, education, the matter of Private FelixPrivate was Longoriaof matter the ic te, h Aeia G Frm has Forum Gl American the Since then, omr .. eao Lyndon B. Johnson, U.S. Senator of former help the with and old) year a than Hispanics in the areas of veteran's affairs, Hispanicsof veteran's areas in the When Dr. Garcia was informed of the the of informed was Garcia Dr. When nAlntn ainl Cemetery. National inArlington town's segregated "Mexican" cemetery cemetery "Mexican" segregated town's Congressman Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., and Jr., and Lloyd Bentsen, M. Congressman laid to rest by burying him (with honors) him(with by burying rest laidto of the chapel for the wake because because wake the for chapel the of Three Rivers, Texas, explained to private private Rivers, Three to Texas, explained resources of the American GlAmerican Forum(lessof the resources h we fte ie uea Hm in Home Rice Funeral the of owner The incident, he galvanized the meager meager the galvanized he incident, arrange for the soldier's burial in the the in burial soldier's the for arrange oa "hts wud o ie it.like not would "whites" local use allow requested, as not, would but overseas nearly four years after he was he after years four nearly overseas Longoria's widow that he would would he that widow Longoria's ild n cin nte Philippines. inthe action inkilled remains had just been returned from from returned been just had remains