Statement from Congressman Joaquin Castro on Gen. Richard E. Cavazos
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement ahead of President Biden’s planned ceremony this evening to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to General Richard E. Cavazos, a trailblazing Texas soldier who made history in 1982 as the U.S. Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. Cavazos, who was born in Kingsville, lived the final days of his life in San Antonio and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Today’s award ceremony begins at 5:00 pm Eastern and will be livestreamed here.
“General Richard E. Cavazos was an exceptional soldier, a proud Texan, and a remarkable man,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro. “Tonight’s Medal of Honor presentation is a long-deserved award for a heroic man who dedicated his life to our country and the soldiers under his command. Latino and Hispanic servicemembers have a long and decorated history in our nation’s Armed Forces, but those sacrifices have too often gone overlooked. I hope this award is a marker of greater progress in our country’s efforts to recognize the heroism of servicemembers from all walks of life.”
Background
Richard E. Cavazos was born into a Mexican American ranching family in Kingsville, Texas. After attending Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University), he followed in the footsteps of his father, a World War I veteran, and commissioned in the U.S. Army. After training, Cavazos deployed to Korea, where he became the platoon leader of a regiment primarily composed of Puerto Rican and other Spanish-speaking soldiers. Cavazos, who spoke both English and Spanish, earned the trust of his troops through his steady leadership and bravery under fire.
As a young officer in Korea, Cavazos earned the Distinguished Service Cross in recognition of his valiant efforts to save missing and wounded troops during one of the final battles of the Korean War. This week’s Medal of Honor honors Cavazos’s actions during this battle. In the commendation accompanying the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army wrote:
“Lieutenant Cavazos three times led the company through the heavy barrage in assaults on the enemy position, each time destroying vital enemy equipment and personnel. When the United Nations element was ordered to withdraw, Lieutenant Cavazos remained alone on the enemy outpost to search the area for missing men. Exposed to heavy hostile fire, Lieutenant Cavazos located five men who had been wounded in the action. He evacuated them, one at a time, to a point on the reverse slope of the hill from which they could be removed to the safety of the friendly lines. Lieutenant Cavazos then made two more trips between the United Nations position and the enemy-held hill searching for casualties and evacuating scattered groups of men who had become confused. Not until he was assured that the hill was cleared did he allow treatment of his own wounds sustained during the action.”
After American troops withdrew from Korea, Cavazos deployed to Vietnam, where he earned a second Distinguished Service Cross for “exceptionally valorous actions.” Lauded as an inspiration by generations of soldiers, including future Secretary of State Colin Powell, Cavazos would break barriers throughout the 1970s and early 1980s as the first Hispanic Brigadier General and the first Hispanic four-star general.
In 1984, Cavazos retired from the U.S. Army after 33 years of service. In retirement, he served in various positions of public leadership, including on the Board of Regents for Texas Tech University. He died in San Antonio, Texas in 2017 at the age of 88 and was buried with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
In 2023, following action by Congress and a recommendation from the federal Naming Commission, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin renamed the Army’s premier training and deployment installation in honor of Gen. Cavazos. Located near Killeen, Texas, Fort Cavazos is one of the largest military bases in the United States. Fort Cavazos is home to more than 33,000 active-duty servicemembers and serves nearly 600,000 retirees, survivors, and military families.