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The Early Years Hector P. Garcia: A Texas Legend

 
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Family Picture

Garcia was born in Llera, a small town in south central Tamaulipas, Mexico, Hector Garcia was still a small child when his family crossed over into Texas, fleeing from the chaos of  Mexico’s Great Revolution. In 1936, he graduated with a B.A. from the University of Texas. Garcia was influenced by his parents who were teachers and by an older brother Jose Antonio, who also went to medical school in Galveston. In the coming years, four more Garcias--two brothers and two sisters--would graduate from medical schools for a total of six Garcia physicians.

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Intern

Garcia entered the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and received his M.D. in 1940. Garcia often "thumbed" to get from his home town of Mercedes, Texas to Galveston. After two years of general and surgical internship at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Creighton University in Omaha Dr. Garcia entered the military service. Garcia often said he went into medicine instead of education (his first love) because of the freedom of action he would have to pursue his various causes.

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Captain H. P. Garcia

Captain Garcia entered the U.S. Army, serving as an officer in the Infantry, engineer Corps and Medical Corps in the European theater and attained the rank of major. For his services he was awarded a Bronze Star and six Battle Stars. He met an married his wife, Wanda Fusillo in Naples, Italy a month after she finished her doctoral studies in liberal arts.