A few months ago, an idea sparked in my heart: to honor Dr. Hector P. Garcia with a street designation in his hometown of Mercedes.
Tonight, I’m happy to share that the initiative has officially been approved.
This effort has been a true community project. What began as a proposal grew into meetings, letters of support, public input, a committee process, and ultimately a community conversation about how we honor one of our hometown heroes.
Dr. Hector P. Garcia was a World War II veteran, physician, civil rights leader, founder of the American GI Forum, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and a proud Mercedes High School graduate. His impact reached far beyond South Texas, but his story will always be connected to Mercedes.
I am grateful every member of the City Commission, my fellow sub committee members, the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Foundation, the Mercedes Memorial Library, everyone who participated in the public survey, and all those who supported this effort along the way.
This is a reminder that local government can do meaningful things when communities come together around a common purpose.
Now, we move on to the implementation phase and look forward to the day we officially unveil the designation and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Hector P. Garcia for generations to come.
Editor’s Note: The above guest column was penned by Skyler Howell, a member of the board of the Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation. The column first appeared on Howell’s social media pages.
Editor’s Note: Certified archivist and historian Priscilla Escobedo wrote about Dr. Hector P. Garcia, founder of the American GI Forum, for CultureFrontier. Click here to read her feature.
Editor’s Note: Since 2009 the third Wednesday of September has been observed as the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Texas State Recognition Day. On March 4th, 2010, Mercedes Memorial Library was renamed the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library. Here is an audio recording of an interview the Rio Grande Guardian secured with Skyler Howell last month about his initiative:
