| David M. Gonzales | |
|---|---|
| Pvt. David M. Gonzales, Medal of Honor recipient |
|
| Born | June 9, 1923 Pacoima, California |
| Died | April 25, 1945 (aged 21) Luzon, Philippines |
| Place of burial | San Fernando, California |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1944 - 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 posthumously received the Medal of Honor — the United States' highest military decoration — for his 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 enemy machine gun fire, digging out fellow soldiers who had been buried in a bomb explosion.
Contents |
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 in March 1944.[1] In 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.
On February 1, 1945, Gonzales, 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 was dropped accidentally on the wrong hill by an American P-47 Thunderbolt.[2] The Army Air Corps was using a tactic called "skip bombing" and were fusing the bombs for delayed action detonation to destroy the labyrinth of Japanese caves and tunnels in the northern Luzon campaign. This fusing allowed the bomb to bury itself deeply into the ground prior to detonation. This event trapped five American soldiers in their standing foxholes.[3]
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 and was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, was the senior NCO at the time of the incident, wrote the initial account citing the efforts of David M. Gonzales on that day. The report resulted in the awarding of the Medal of Honor to David M. Gonzales.[4]
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 buried.[5]
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.[4]
|
||||
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.[6] 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.[6]
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.[7]
On March 20, 2007, Maribeth Kouts, daughter of William Walter Kouts, posted a message in Wikipedia asking for assistance in establishing contact with the Gonzales family while Kouts was still alive. With the help of a Wikipedia contributor, a meeting was arranged between Kouts and the son of the David Gonzales.[8]
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.[6]
Among Pvt. David M. Gonzales' decorations and medals were the following:
|
|
|
|
|
Purple Heart |
| Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two bronze stars | World War II Victory Medal | Philippine Liberation Medal |
Badges: