Biographies/People (86)
New Mexico Legend and Hispano Round Table Veteran Honoree Mr. Tony Garcia, 102 years old - passes on
Contributed by Jim Baca
It is with a heavy heart that the State of New Mexico lost one of our
heroes and legends on February 8th, 2014. Mr. Tony Garcia, Don Antonio Garcia, passed away yesterday after an incredible and full life. Mr. Garcia was born in 1912, within the same month New Mexico became a state.
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Mr. Garcia served in the US Army from 1930 - 1937 - before WWII started.
He was well known across the Southwest as a collector of the most rare
Spanish Colonial Artifacts. He wrote a book entitled "The Beginning of
The Casa San Ysidro in Corrales, New Mexico". He wrote in his book "I
went into every village and town and looked almost house to house
finding and buying the rarest and most historical Spanish Colonial
artifacts I could find to provide for Casa San Ysidro and make it what
it is today".
Mr. Garcia collected and assembled what is known as the largest
collection of New Mexico Spanish Colonial artifacts made in the 18th and
19th centuries. Mr. Garcia built, furnished and supplied La Casa San
Ysidro Museum in Corrales, New Mexico. It is a true New Mexico
Treasure.
During Hispanic Heritage Month in 2012, Mr. Garcia was invited to speak
to our Agency on Kirtland AFB. He was asked a question about his
fondest memory in his 100 years of life. People expected him to say
when he got married or when his children were born. Mr. Garcia being
who he was - a man who had a deep appreciation for history and humor
responded, "The most memorable day of my life is when I found Don Juan
De Oñate’s sword at Acoma Pueblo". The crowd got a great laugh out of
that one.
It is true. Mr. Garcia visited the Acoma Pueblo in his search for
Spanish Colonial Artifacts and he spoke to the Acoma Pueblo leadership
many times and visited the Pueblo many times until they finally gave him
Don Juan De Oñate's Sword. Mr. Garcia eventually donated the priceless
sword to the City of Albuquerque Museum.
Mr. Garcia once told me he gave priceless rare books to the Smithsonian
in Washington DC. He said he could have made a lot of money with the
rare artifacts and books he found and donated but he wanted to do all he
could to preserve our Spanish art and history.
The Hispano Round Table of New Mexico is very proud and honored and to
have honored Mr. Garcia at our 2012 Annual Tribute to Hispano
Legislators Dinner as our Military Honoree with our Hispano Round Table
of New Mexico Medal of Valor and Honor. His daughter and his niece told
me he loved and treasured that medal very much and often wore it while
sitting in his chair at home. Mr. Garcia was a widower for many years
and he had an extended family.
Rest in peace Don Antonio Garcia. You earned your place with the Angels
in heaven Hermano Mayor. So proud to call you my friend, un amigo con
mucho cariño y respeto.
Sinceramente,
Ralph Arellanes
Hermanos y Hermanas;
The Vietnam Veterans of America / Northern New Mexico Chapter has been asked to host "The Wall That Heals," It is a half scale replica of the Vietnam Wall in Washington D.C. The "Wall" is coming to Santa Fe, New Mexico on March 24, 2014. The memorial will be available for viewing 24 hours a day, through March 24th at 6:00 a.m. at Fort Marcy Ball Park, located just North of the Old Taos Highway and will be open to the public with no charge for admission. The "Wall" is scheduled to arrive in Santa Fe on March 18th, at approximately 1:00 p.m. Welcoming Ceremony scheduled for March 20th at 11:00 am. and Honoring Ceremonies scheduled for March 23, at 11:00 am. Other activities include: Taps at dusk, reading of the names on the wall, and a candlelight vigil. The Key note speaker for the Honoring Ceremony will be Jan Scruggs, Founder and President of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. During the ceremony Mr. Scruggs will pay tribute to the New Mexico Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans 'CALL FOR PHOTOS' Project. They will be recognized for their success in collecting the photographs of the 398 New Mexicans whose names are inscribed on the Wall. Mr. Scruggs will also acknowledge that New Mexico was the first to collect all the photographs of its Fallen Heroes. MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS ALL OF THEM.
Our Tia Mercedes Trujillo of Centinela/Chimayo
Contributed by Maria Montez-Skolnik
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For the last few days, my computer has been down and out, but all is alright now and we are friends again.
I want to congratulate all the Voces members who shared all the photographs of our Veterans with us; perhaps you may feel that you don't need to be thanked, however you have my sincere thanks for honoring this Brave and Honorable Veterans. I also want to say "muchas gracias con todo mi corazon" also to the Women who served Our Country in the military, including the 11,000 Women who served in Vietnam. The soldiers would say that the "best looking women in Vietnam was an Army Nurse"
God bless Army PFC Lori Piestwa, who was the first Native American Woman killed by enemy action. God Bless Capt. Christel A. Chavez, co-piolet of a MC-130H, transport aircraft. The aircraft crashed in Puerto Rico during poor weather, on a training mission. Capt. Chavez was a graduate of Albq. High School and the Air Force Academy class of 98. She was the daughter of Tom Chavez, Director of Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. May God Bless all of women warriors.
