David M. Gonzales

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David M. Gonzales
June 9, 1923 (1923-06-09) – April 25, 1945 (aged 21)
Pvt. David M. Gonzales, Medal of Honor recipient
Place of birth	Pacoima, California
Place of death	Luzon, Philippines
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1945
Rank	Private First Class
Unit	127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War II, *Battle of Luzon
Awards	Medal of Honor Bronze Star Purple Heart

Private First Class David M. Gonzales (June 9, 1923–April 25, 1945) was a United States Army soldier who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor — the United States' highest military decoration — for his heroic actions during World War II. On April 25, 1945, at age 22, PFC Gonzales was killed in action in the Philippines while, in the face of fierce enemy machine gun fire, digging out fellow soldiers who had been buried in a bomb explosion. For over 60 years, the surviving son of Gonzales, David Jr. wondered about the men his father had saved, unaware that one of the men, William W. Kouts was also searching for the family of the person who saved his life. Finally, the search came to an end on May 2007 with the help of Tony Santiago, an editor in Wikipedia.

1 Early years
2 World War II
3 Medal of Honor citation
4 Controversy
5 Reunion between the Gonzales and Kouts families
6 In memory
7 Awards and recognitions
8 See also
9 Notes
10 External links

[edit] Early years

David Gonzales, born in Pacoima, California, was one of 14 children born to Mexican immigrants. He joined the U.S. Army at the recruiting station in his hometown at the outbreak of World War II. On December 1944, he was assigned to Company A, 127th Infantry, 32nd Infantry Division and sent to combat in the Philippines. He left behind his family, which included his mother Mrs. Rita Gonzales Duarte, his wife Steffanie and his newborn son David Jr.

[edit] World War II

Lt. William W. Kouts

On February 1, 1945, Gonzales, after only a few weeks with his division, was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge. On April 25, 1945, Gonzales' company found itself engaged in combat against Japanese forces at Villa Verde Trail on Luzon island in the Philippines. A 500-pound bomb smashed into the company's perimeter, burying alive five men. Gonzales and his commanding officer rushed to the buried men's rescue. The commanding officer was killed by enemy machine gun fire while Gonzales was digging out the men using a shovel and his bare hands. In an attempt to dig faster, Gonzales stood up, exposing himself to enemy fire. With his actions, he was able to rescue three of the men before he was hit and mortally wounded. The third soldier saved by Gonzales' actions was Sgt. William Walter Kouts. Kouts, who later received a field commission of Lieutenant, was the senior NCO at the time of the incident, wrote the initial account citing the heroic efforts of David M. Gonzales on that December day. The report resulted in the awarding of the Medal of Honor to David M. Gonzales.^[1]

On December 8, 1945, President Harry S. Truman, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Gonzales, presenting the medal to his surviving family. On February 2, 1949, Gonzales' body arrived in a funeral train to San Fernando, California where he was laid to rest.^[2]

[edit] Medal of Honor citation

Pvt. David M. Gonzales Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 127th Infantry, 32d Infantry Division. Place and date: Villa Verde Trail, Luzon, Philippine Islands, 25 April 1945. Entered service at: Pacoima, California Birth: Pacoima, California G.O. No: 115, 8 December 1945. Citation:

He was pinned down with his company. As enemy fire swept the area, making any movement extremely hazardous, a 500-pound bomb smashed into the company's perimeter, burying 5 men with its explosion. Pfc. Gonzales, without hesitation, seized an entrenching tool and under a hail of fire crawled 15 yards to his entombed comrades, where his commanding officer, who had also rushed forward, was beginning to dig the men out. Nearing his goal, he saw the officer struck and instantly killed by machinegun fire. Undismayed, he set to work swiftly and surely with his hands and the entrenching tool while enemy sniper and machinegun bullets struck all about him. He succeeded in digging one of the men out of the pile of rock and sand. To dig faster he stood up regardless of the greater danger from so exposing himself. He extricated a second man, and then another. As he completed the liberation of the third, he was hit and mortally wounded, but the comrades for whom he so gallantly gave his life were safely evacuated. Pfc. Gonzales' valiant and intrepid conduct exemplifies the highest tradition of the military service.^[1]

[edit] Controversy


This photo was erroneously displayed in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes and was replaced with the photo shown in the infobox

In 1999, David Gonzales, Jr. and his wife Bea attended a ceremony for war heroes in Santa Ana, California. There they discovered that the picture the Army was sending out to military ceremonies was not of his father, but of someone else. Gonzales Jr. wrote to the Army in Washington, D.C. to tell them of their mistake, but did not receive a response. He then wrote to Congressman Howard Berman, who in turn referred the letter to his aide Fred Flores. Flores, who was also from Pacoima, California, immediately called Pentagon officials and had them correct the mistake. However, Flores found out that the family had only been presented with a Medal of Honor and a duplicate Purple Heart — the original one was stolen — and he realized that Gonzales had earned many other medals.^[3] During a November 7, 2002 ceremony at Los Angeles Mission College, Congressman Berman presented David Gonzales, Jr. the following medals earned by his father: the Bronze Star , the Purple Heart, the World War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, the Philippine Liberation Medal, the World War II Honorable Service Lapel Button, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Expert Rifle Badge. Finally he presented the Gold Star Lapel Button, which identifies the next of kin of members of the military who lost their lives while engaged in action.^[3]

The photo of a soldier who was not Gonzales, but identified as that of the medal winner, had been erroneously displayed in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes. This was removed and replaced with a correct one of Gonzales after the renovations of the Pentagon — made necessary by the 9/11 attack — were completed on March 31, 2003.^[4]

[edit] Reunion between the Gonzales and Kouts families

(L-R)Tony the Marine, W.Kouts and D.Gonzales, JR.

On March 20, 2007, Maribeth Kouts, daughter of William Walter Kouts posted the following message in Wikipedia:

"my father, William Kouts, was the soldier David M. Gonzales was digging out when he was shot and killed by sniper fire. My Dad is 85 and in ill health and we want to get into contact with the Gonzales family before Dad's passing so that Dad can tell David Jr. of his father's heroics firsthand.Mbkouts"^[5]

Tony Santiago^[6] responded to the message and told Maribeth that he would try to help her in their quest. Santiago, who is a contributor in Wikipedia sent e-mails to Congressman Howard Berman and telephoned every David Gonzales in the Los Angeles area without any luck.^[7] He then placed a message in "Somos Primos", a Hispanic heritage cultural magazine, and on April 11, 2007, Santiago made contact with Ernestine Gonzales, cousin of David Gonzales Jr. and, as a result, both families met in the Atlanta suburb of Powder Springs, Georgia for the first time on May 24, 2007.^[8] The event brought closure to over 60 years of searching for the relatives of David M. Gonzales on behalf of William W. Kouts. Said Beatrice Gonzales, David's daughter-in-law, "We feel so much peace because David's father died to save a very good man who lived a good life."^[8] We owe so much to Mr. Santiago," said Maribeth Kouts.^[9]

[edit] In memory

In honor of David M. Gonzales, Pacoima Park in Los Angeles County, California was renamed David M. Gonzales/Pacoima Recreational Center. The local Army recruiting station there also carries his name, as does a county Probation Department camp in Malibu.^[3]