Macario Garcia TX6227

Macario García was born on January 2, 1920, in Villa de Castaño, Mexico, to Luciano and Josefa García. The family moved to Fort Bend County, Texas, in 1923 to pick crops in Sugar Land. In 1942, Macario García was drafted into the U.S. Army to fight in World War II. He was wounded in action at Normandy in June 1944 but recovered and rejoined his unit, Company B, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. In November 1944 at Grosshau, Germany, García destroyed two German machine-gun emplacements; although wounded, he secured his company's position. For his actions, García received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman in a White House ceremony on August 23, 1945. He also received other commendations, including the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart and the Medal Mérito Militar, the Mexican equivalent of the U.S. Medal of Honor. In Texas in September 1945, García was denied service at a local restaurant because he was Hispanic. He was ultimately arrested. Indicative of the treatment many minority veterans received following military service, García's case became highly visible in the early years of the American Civil Rights movement, and several groups including LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) came to his aid. On June 25, 1947, García became a U.S. citizen. He worked for the Veterans Administration for 25 years and served in the U.S. Army Reserves, attaining the rank of Command Sergeant Major. He died in a car accident in 1972 and is buried in the Houston National Cemetery. A Houston Army Reserve Center and a school is Sugar Land are also named in his honor.

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Marion County Veterans Memorial IL508
VETERANS MEMORIAL
For All Wars
Dedicated to
the Veterans
of
Marion County
on Memorial Day 1997.

Day is done. Gone the sun.
From the lake, from the hill,
From the sky, All is well,
Safely rest, God is nigh.

MARION COUNTY, ILLINOIS
CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

Marcellus J. Newman............Civil War
Elbridge Robinson..............Civil War
James L. Hull...........Spanish American
Robert H. McCord....................WWII
Robert L. Wilson....................WWII

In memory of Kenneth C. Carpenter
Without whom this Memorial would still be a dream.

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General William Dean IL478

General Dean, a native of Carlyle was a prisoner of War for three years during the Korean War. Honored by the United States, General Dean received the Distinguished Service Medal and the Congressional Medal of Honor.

In 1973, the General William Dean Suspension Bridge was added to the Federal Register of National Historic Places.

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Wayne County Veterans Memorial IL419
[separate plaques for each conflict, same inscription of each]

World War I
World War II
Korean War
In Honor of those men and women of
Wayne County who served during
the [specific war], the following names, being
those who were killed in action or
died in service during the period
of hostilities, are here inscribed.

VIETNAM WAR
In honor and memory of these men from Wayne County who died
while serving their country during the period of
hostilities.

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

IN MEMORY OF
KENNETH M. KAYS
1949 - 1991
Congressional Medal of Honor
Class of 1967.

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Pvt. Billie Gene Kanell MO252
Dedicated to the memory of
PVT. BILLIE GENE KANELL
35th Infantry Regiment
25th Infantry Division - Company I
Korean War
Awarded the
Congressional Medal Of Honor

* * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
And to all the servicemen
of Butler County Missouri
who made the supreme sacrifice
for Democracy.

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Red Cloud Park WI68
This park, on the site of a Winnebago village, commemorates an heroic descendant of those people, Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr. Fighting in Korea in 1950 as a member of the 34th Army division, Corporal Red Cloud bravely held off an enemy attack with machine gun fire until his death, thereby saving the lives of many of his comrades. Posthumously he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Part of this area once was owned by "Buffalo Bill" Cody, famous frontier scout, and his friend White Beaver (Dr. Frank Powell), who served four terms as mayor of La Crosse in the 1880's and 1890's. Dr. Powell received the name White Beaver from Sioux Chief Rocky Bear for saving the life of his daughter. He was made chief Medicine Man of the Winnebago Nation in 1876 after successfully treating Chief Wee-Noo-Sheik.

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Melvin O. Handrich WI484
Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient

Master Sergeant Melvin O. Handrich of the U.S. Army was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his courageous action in battle near Sobuk San Mountain, Korea on August 25-26, 1950.

Handrich was born in Manawa, Wisconsin on January 26, 1919 and received the country's highest military award for his conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty in battle.

Near midnight on August 25, 1950 the enemy attempted to infiltrate Handrich's company's perimeter. Despite heavy enemy fire, he left the safety of his position and moved forward to direct artillery fire against the enemy. At the peak of the action, he observed his company preparing to withdraw. He made his way across the fire-swept terrain to reorganize the men to continue the fight. Despite being severely wounded, Handrich refused to be evacuated and continued to direct artillery fire. His position was eventually overrun and he was mortally wounded.

Master Sergeant Melvin O. Handrich's bravery, courage and self-sacrifice reflect glory upon himself and the heroic tradition of the military service.

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Major 'Dick' Bong WI64
It was here that Major Richard 1. Bong was born, received his education, and grew to manhood. After attending Superior State College where he received his first pilot training, he joined the u.s. Army Air Corps on May 29, 1941. Assigned to the New Guinea combat theater of operations on September 5, 1942, he quickly proved his mastery in the air by shooting down two enemy aircraft in his first air battle. By destroying a total of forty enemy aircraft in air combat he became America's leading air ace of all time. Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by a grateful government and winner of many other military decorations, he lost his life testing a jet plane in August, 1945, and lies buried nearby.

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Boyhood Home of General Funston KS53
Frederick Funston, five feet four and slightly built, went from this farm to a life of amazing adventure. Youthful exploring expeditions in this country were followed by two years in the Arctic from which he returned down the Yukon River 1,500 miles by canoe. After ventures in Latin America he served 18 months with Cuban Insurgents, fighting in 22 engagements and reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. Invalided home shortly before the Spanish-American War, Funston was made colonel of the 20th Kansas infantry. In 1901 he planned and executed the capture of Aguinaldo, commander of the Filipino army.  he received a Congressional Medal of Honor and at 35 was made a brigadier general in the regular army.  in 1914, during intervention in Mexico, he commanded Vera Cruz as a military governor and was that year made a major general. He died in 1917.  This was the home of his father, Edward H. Funston, a member of Congress, 1884-1894.

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45th Infantry Division at Camp Barkeley TX4064

The 45th Infantry Division, comprised of National Guard units from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, was one of the first four divisions ordered into federal service by Congress' joint resolution in 1940. Initially stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, the 45th was relocated to Camp Barkeley in early 1941. The "Thunderbirds" found Abilene's citizens welcoming, but Camp Barkeley was as yet little more than a tent city on undrained prairie. The new arrivals nicknamed their quarters "Camp Smokey Okie" and began rigorous training at once. In April 1942 the 45th was ordered to Fort Devens, Massachusetts. After another year of training in three more states they departed for North Africa and Sicily. World War II took the 45th far from Taylor County. They saw fierce combat in Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany, culminating in the liberation of the concentration camp at Dachau in April 1945. After 511 days in combat and 3,650 men lost, the 45th Infantry was one of the most distinguished military units of the war. Eight Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded to its members, who won the admiration of Allies and Axis powers alike. The division was released from active duty in November 1945. Hundreds of 45th Infantry soldiers came back to Abilene to marry and make their homes, their love for the city recorded in their letters and their lives. The 45th was again called to active duty during the Korean conflict, suffering 834 casualties. One "Thunderbird" was posthumously awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for his Korean service.

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