At long last 101-year-old Black WWII veteran receives overdue recognition, honor.
"I think this is a tribute to Black Americans. They showed up and they fought every time that America called upon them,” Monsky says.
Born in Puerto Rico, Garcia came to New York for a better life and says she found it. After the 1941 deadly attack on Pearl Harbor Garcia felt the calling, “All the girls were going to the Army, so I said 'Why Can’t I?' So I joined,” she says. For her family service is a tradition. Her husband, an Army sergeant, survived an attack on the HMT Rhona, the deadliest attack at sea leaving more than 1000 dead. They named their daughter after the ship.
Cresencia Garcia, who was part of Unit 6888, center, had sons who both served, Corporal Angel Garcia of the Marine Corps, left, and Spec 5 Esteban Garcia III of the U.S. Army, right.“The fact that she served so blindly, it’s just a testament to who she is but also a reminder to me to make sure that this story is told and shared,” Tara says.
Garcia even survived Covid last year. A different kind of fight on a much different battlefield. Today, family and friends of the 6888th are lining up sponsors to urge Congress to honor the battalion with a Congressional Gold Medal. “Even though what I did was change beds, clean and feed patients, I never got any stripes but I got pride,” Garcia says.