Resaca Elementary Hero

As a young boy, Ramon Garcia, used to tell his seven brothers and sisters that he would some day fly a plane.

“We didn’t think he would do it, but he did,” said Dr. Lino Garcia, Ramon Garcia’s older brother.

For this reason and others, Ramon Garica was a “hero” to his sister Frances Muñiz.

Now, Ramon Garcia, who is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., will be a “hero” for students at Resaca Elementary, which he attended for third and fourth grade.

On May 22, Dr. Garcia and Muñiz presented the school with a plaque and a picture of Ramon Garica in his Navy Captain uniform.

Ramon Garcia died of a heart attack on July 22, 1997, while visiting his mother in Brownsville.

At the time, he was taking care of Central American refugees’ needs through the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.

But, Ramon Garcia, who received a master’s degree from Harvard University and founded the Hispanic Naval Officers Association, always remembered his time at Resaca fondly, Dr. Garcia said.

Dr. Garcia said he still recalls walking with his siblings to school every day — skipping puddles when it rained — before the streets were paved.

With the exception of the eldest brother, Lupe, all eight Garcia children attended Resaca.

“He always said I was the more intelligent one — he was right — but he was more dedicated,” Dr. Garcia said.

“With my brother as an example, students at Resaca, and other Brownsville schools, will understand that no matter where you come from or what your name is, you can do whatever you set out to do,” Dr. Garcia said.