GONZALES, LUIS GARCIA JR.

COMBAT INFANTRYMAN'S BADGE, BRONZE STAR MEDAL, AIR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL, VIETNAM MILITARY MERIT MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF VALOR WITH PALM, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL

Luis was born in Lafierro, Texas. He was the third child born to Luis G. Gonzales and Maria Garcia Gonzales. He had an older sister and brother and a younger brother and sister. The family moved to Lamesa in 1957 when Luis was in the third grade, and he attended Lamesa schools. He last attended Lamesa High School, but dropped out his sophomore year and went to work for his father who had several produce trucks. Luis drove loaded and unloaded trucks.
He was drafted into the U.S. Army in August 1967 and completed basic and infantry AIT at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He began his tour in Vietnam on December 31, 1967, and was assigned as an infantryman with Company D, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment (Garry Owen), First Cavalry Division. He and two other soldiers were killed in an ambush as they scouted out a hostile area for the
He was awarded a posthumous Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Vietnam Military Merit Medal. He was buried with full military honors in the Lamesa Perpetual Garden's Cemetery in Lamesa, Texas. He was survived by his parents, his older sister, Olga; older brother, Arthur and his younger brother, Leon and his youngest sister, Ninfa, all of Lamesa, Texas.
His parents are now deceased, his mother died in 1993 and his father in early 1994. His sister, Olga Urias is now deceased. His older brother and younger brother Leon, continue to live Lamesa and his youngest sister, Ninfa Alvarado lives in Midland, Texas.