HECTOR P GARCIA 1914 1996 CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST GARCIA HECTOR P 1914 1996 NATIONAL DEFENSE CIVIL RIGHTS/EQUALITY AMERICAN CULTURE U.S GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION HECTOR GARCIA HECTOR P GARCIA WAS BORN IN LLERA TAMAULIPAS MEXICO IN 1914 HIS FAMILY MOVED TO SOUTH TEXAS IN 1918 TO ESCAPE THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION HE GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL SCHOOL IN 1940 AND THEN SERVED IN THE ARMY DURING WORLD WAR II IN 1948 HE FOUNDED THE AMERICAN GI FORUM TO HELP MEXICAN AMERICAN VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II OBTAIN HEALTH CARE AND OTHER SERVICES THROUGH THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION UNDER GARCIA'S LEADERSHIP THE GI FORUM BECAME INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT IN TEXAS FOR HISPANIC CIVIL RIGHTS INCLUDING THE DESEGREGATION OF PUBLIC FACILITIES AND THE INCLUSION OF HISPANICS ON TEXAS JURIES IN 1967 PRESIDENT LYNDON B JOHNSON APPOINTED GARCIA TO SERVE AS ALTERNATE AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS TO IMPROVE U.S RELATIONS WITH LATIN AMERICA AND SPAIN THE FOLLOWING YEAR GARCIA BECAME THE FIRST HISPANIC TO SERVE ON THE U.S COMMISSION OF CIVIL RIGHTS GARCIA RECEIVED MANY AWARDS INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA MEDAL OF FREEDOM 1984 AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA MACLOVIO BARRAZA AWARD 1990 HE DIED IN CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS IN 1996
