A Message from the President Military Women's Memorial

 

Phyllis Wilson

Dear Register Readers,               

Greetings. As we approach Veterans Day, the day the nation has set aside to honor all American Veterans, I am reminded of the words of writer and poet Maya Angelou who said, "How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!" Today some 19 million Americans - 1.9 million of them women - have the privilege of wearing the title “Veteran.” I, like many of you, am so very proud to be among them. To my fellow Veterans, “Thank you for your service.” We’ll be hosting our 24th annual Veterans Day program at 3:00 PM, November 11, and encourage those of you in the area to join us. 

Frances (Frankie) Gallegos
 

Longtime member Frankie Gallegos has passed away.  The family is in need of prayers at this time.

Frankie was a lifetime member of the AGIF and also devoted a lot of her time, energy, and money to the Forum for some 40+ years.  She was a member of the 5281 Chapter and also a former Office Manager for the National AGIF.  Frankie served in many offices while she was a member and also served on the Board for the National Veterans Outreach Program when it was located in Denver.  She also hosted many members in her home while they were in Denver.  When Dr. Garcia traveled to Denver, there were times when Frankie chauffeured him to his many meetings.

 

Thanks,

Laura Flores 

American GI Forum Awards Students Laptops in Essay Contest
By Vicky Camarillo, Corpus Christi Caller Times

World War II veteran, doctor and activist Hector P. Garcia made history in 1967 when he gave a statement to the United Nations General Assembly in Spanish. It was the first time an American representative had addressed the assembly in a language other than English.

Those kinds of actions helped cement Garcia as an advocate for Hispanic civil rights, according to essays written by local students.

Garcia founded the American GI Forum, a Hispanic veterans and civil rights organization, in 1948. For the fourth year, the forum's Beatrice T. Perez Robstown Women's Chapter held an essay contest to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.