It’s been over 25 years since I last saw Dr. Hector Garcia in person and its time I told the story.
If you don’t know, Dr. Hector P. Garcia was a Mexican-American physician, surgeon, World War II veteran, civil rights advocate, and founder of the American G.I. Forum.
Well it was in the late eighties, I was a leader in the AGIF National Youth, and the conference was held in Omaha, Nebraska. Our Founder, Dr. Garcia, was (is) revered by all in the Forum including its youth organization. We knew the story of the founder and the effort and sacrifice he made for the civil rights of Latino veterans and people. Whenever we got a chance to meet him it was meeting a living Hero and legend.
So, at the conference us youngsters swiped some brew and organized a little party of invited guest that included some youth leaders (16-18 years old), the state pageants queens and other sorts. These little get togethers were common place where we would play poker, drinking games and other things. Rarely did they ever get out of control since we were upstanding young leaders but we had fun too.
So, as the party assembled in my room our assigned doorman let people in and turned away the younger kids. The brew was put in the bath tub with loads of ice and was filled to the rim. As usual, I was bad at poker and lost most of my clothes but my underwear. I wasn’t the only one though. It was also typical that the pageant queens were just as bad at poker. The party was great with good jokes, laughs, and raging hormones.
At about 2:00 am, we got a call from an uninvited youth that told on us security was on its way up. The panic ensued. Clothes went back on and people began running out of the room. I begged my close compadres to stay behind to help me ditch the remaining beer (at least 3 cases). In my underwear, I gathered the beer with two friends began dumping the beer down the trash chute in the hallway. Soon than later I was alone in the task. We'll, since there was no one to hold the door I was locked out of the room without my key.
I stood aloneiIn my underwear in the hallway and dread began to set. There was no house phone on the floor. Ugg! Pacing and in a little panic I began figuring out my options. I could go down to the lobby in my skivvies and ask for a key? Nope. Maybe I could knock on one of my neighbor’s door and ask them to call the front desk for me? Embarrassing, but what if it turns out to be a nasty person?
As I stood there considering my options, I could hear a faint TV news program on down the hall. Hmm?
I walked down the hall past the elevators four to five doors down. The TV news program was coming from a room with the door cracked open by that latch used to make ice runs that I didn’t think of doing earlier. This could be my break!
I knocked lightly on the door and I braced myself for the worse. In my mind I was through stories to tell explaining my situation. Should I be honest and confess to the party or just give a simple lockout story?
The door opened. My jaw dropped to the ground and my heart stopped. I froze. It was our Founder Dr. Hector P. Garcia with his Freedom medal and Forum cap on wearing a white muscle shirt, stripped boxer shorts, and black sock suspenders held up by his then white calves. "Get in here Mendez!", said the Founder. Oh shit, I thought. Of all people.
I began quickly to confess and apologize for the party and for any disturbance. I'm really sorry Founder. He looked at me and said that he was disappointed. My head and eyes fell looking at the rooms dark stripped short shag carpet. He continued, “You had a party and didn’t invite me, he said. I looked up to his wise cracking smile and I smiled too. “You had some alcohol and our queens there too, ha?” Yes, founder. I did. “It's great to be young Mendez, enjoy it while you can”, he said.
We sat in our underwear talking. I mostly listened. Eventually, he called the front desk and someone brought me a new key. No questions asked.
“Get some sleep Mendez; we have a long day tomorrow.” Yes Founder, good night.
Walking back I wondered, how did he know my name? How could he possibly know who I was? I was both perplexed and relieved that the Founder pulled me out of that mess.
I will always remember that night and the image of the Founder answering the door in his stripped boxer shorts, muscle shirt, sock suspenders wearing his Medal of Freedom and American GI Forum cap.
"Education is our freedom, and freedom is everybody’s business." - Dr Hector P. Garcia
link: History of the American GI Forum
Thank you Jerry Jaramillo (RIP) and Ruben Treviso for mentoring and guiding me all these years!
