These two Latino World War II veterans fought for the American dream in Fort Worth

When Sam Garcia arrived to Fort Worth in 1958, his encounter with Gilbert Garcia (no relation) turned his business and cultural fortunes around.

Like Gilbert, Sam was a World War II veteran, having served as a medic in Africa, Southern France and Italy. On his return to his hometown of Pittsburg, Oklahoma, he gained his U.S. citizenship, but failed in several business enterprises.

Gilbert Garcia enlisted in the Army in 1941 and hoped to marry Linda Balderas in Fort Worth. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where he was stationed, torpedoed those plans. During the next four years, Gilbert fought in six major Pacific battles. Two months after returning to Fort Worth, in August 1945, he married Linda.

Another WWII veteran, Dr. Hector P. Garcia (no relation) from Corpus Christi, having fought in the European Theater, formed the American GI Forum, a veterans civil rights organization in 1948. Although an estimated 500,000 Latinos and Latinas served in the armed forces during WWII, they fought post-war battles against social, political and educational discrimination.

After attending a Forum convention in San Antonio, Gilbert Garcia founded a Fort Worth chapter, and traveled throughout Texas organizing. He spent most of his spare time from his dry cleaning business recruiting Latino veterans. GI Forum members, impressed with his leadership, elected him as Texas state chairman.

Gilbert recalled in his Texas travels with Dr. Garcia, a restaurant denying them service and police often escorting them out of town. He worked as Fort Worth campaign manager for Texas State Sen. Henry B. Gonzales’ run for governor in 1958. When the campaign crew went to a downtown restaurant, they were told no seating was available. They surmised the presence of a Black campaign worker prompted the obvious lie.

Gilbert took Sam under his wing and introduced him to many Fort Worth Latino veterans, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Sam opened a successful building company S&G Construction and edited the Community News and Events newspaper for 10 years.

Together, they helped form the Fort Worth Mexican Chamber of Commerce, League of United Latin American Citizen chapter, New Year’s Eve charity dances, Hispanics of the 80s and 90s, the Hispanic Business Directory and the Chicano Luncheon. They challenged the city and school district to hire more Latinos and Latinas and to award more contracts to minorities.

The duo raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships and encouraged young Latinos and Latinas to seek education, start businesses, and enter politics. Justice of the Peace Sergio De Leon, Precinct 5, called Sam a mentor and a friend in his political career.

Although Sam was born in Mexico, he lost his Spanish-speaking skills and native culture through assimilation. Over 6 feet tall, he explained to people who thought him Native American, his Mexican parents had died from tuberculosis when he was young — a disease he also contracted but survived. With Gilbert’s assistance, Sam immersed himself in many Latino cultural events to reclaim his heritage.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram selected Sam Garcia as Man of the Year in 1999. The United Hispanic Coalition created an annual Gilbert Garcia Amigo Award, bestowed to a non-Latino ally.

Gilbert Garcia died on March 4, 1993. He was 74. Sam Garcia passed away on June 11, 2014. He was 91. Together, the Garcias fought for the American Dream to the end.

Author Richard J. Gonzales writes and speaks about Fort Worth, national and international Latino history.