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A message from League of United Latin American Citizens
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View as web page:
[link removed]
May 29, 2023
Contact: David Cruz - (818) 689-9991 Mobile
[email protected]
LULAC REMEMBERS AND HONORS ALL OUR MILITARY FALLEN BRAVE THIS MEMORIAL DAY, NEAR
AND FAR
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Nation's Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Pauses to Salute
Those Who Gave All, Even Those America Deported
Washington, DC - The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) stands and
salutes on this Memorial Day to pay tribute to our military's brave men and women
who made the ultimate sacrifice. LULAC, since its founding, has always respected
and revered service to our country and holds patriotism in the highest esteem.
Noteworthy are all service members killed in combat, especially those who
received the nation's highest recognition for losing their lives while saving
others. They are among the more than 60 Latino Medal of Honor recipients [ [link removed] ] .
Please take a few minutes this Memorial Day to read the stirring account of the
valiant actions they undertook without regard for their own lives.
Today, nearly one-in-five service members in the military are Latino. Throughout
history, Latino men and women have laid down their lives in combat in every major
military conflict. LULAC salutes the unwavering commitment and dedication of
those lost in the line of duty and expresses its eternal gratitude for their
supreme sacrifice. Their gallantry and, ultimately, their lives were the price
paid so that all who reside in the United States can enjoy the freedoms and
privileges guaranteed under our nation's Constitution.
Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen [ [link removed] ]
died in a different type of combat, an innocent casualty of military sexual
trauma (MST) while serving at what was then Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. Brandon
Caserta [ [link removed] ] , a
Petty Officer 3rd Class assigned to the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 in
Norfolk, Virginia, fought against chronic bullying, harassment, and assaults
ignored by toxic commands up until his death by suicide in June 2018, a fatality
the military and country is acknowledging, as reported in People Magazine [ [link removed] ]
this week.
LULAC is proud to have led the work for passage into law of the I Am Vanessa Act [ [link removed] ]
and the Brandon Caserta Act [ [link removed] ] .
Yet, for deported veterans like Mario Arturo Rodriguez, who died in a Juarez,
Mexico hospital, their deaths are still statistics in a different, much longer
battle being waged. Senator Alex Padilla introduced proposed legislation [ [link removed] ]
to keep non-citizen veterans who offend and serve their sentences from being
deported and repatriating those who have been sent away. President Biden signed
an Executive Order [ [link removed] ] to assist deported veterans
and their families, but it is too late for some, like Rodriguez.
Photo Credit: Cosima Rangel / Puente Collaborative and Courtesy Moreno family
LULAC reminds all Americans that our solemn duty is to honor the brave by
upholding the highest principles of our civic duties and responsibilities. We
must ensure that we remain a nation where everyone is included, as our founders
intended. America's Declaration of Independence envisioned a country where all
are created equal, with rights that cannot be denied, including "life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness." Yet, just days after that document was written,
war followed, and sacrifices began to be exacted with it. For 248 years since
that beginning, the meaning of those words has been protected through the
sacrifices of countless individuals.
Latino service members have shed their blood and taken their final breath on
battlefields worldwide, far from their loved ones. Yet, on this Memorial Day,
their memory remains deeply embedded within our nation's consciousness and is
closer than ever in our hearts and minds. Their legacy will forever remind us of
the valor and selflessness that defines the American spirit. So does the
leadership of military leaders now gone, but not forgotten, such as Army General
Richard Cavazos [ [link removed] ] ,
the first Latino namesake for an American military installation.
May we cherish their memory forever and salute them with profound pride and
respect. LULAC calls upon all Americans to join us in honoring the fallen and
commit ourselves to upholding our nation's values. Let us stand together in
unity, ensuring that their sacrifice was not in vain and that their legacy
remains an enduring symbol of the strength and resilience of our great nation.
# # #
About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and
oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans
and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 1,000
councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and
advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of
today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org [ [link removed] ] .
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