East Chicago native Emilio Albert De La Garza Jr. received the nation’s highest honor after sacrificing his life to save fellow soldiers during the Vietnam War.
Veterans and community activists have pushed for years to get East Chicago, the city where he was born and raised, to honor the Mexican-American Medal of Honor recipient by naming a building or public space in his honor.
Now De La Garza is getting his due in his hometown.
On a blustery, chilly day, with a blanket of yellow and orange leaves crunching underfoot outside city hall, amid solemn ranks of veterans in crisp military dress uniforms, as ruddy-cheeked students in school uniform sweater vests sang patriotic songs, East Chicago dedicated the Emilio De La Garza Jr. Veterans Wall Memorial on Thursday morning.
De La Garza was killed in action 55 years ago on April 11, 1970, in Da Nang, Vietnam. He jumped on a grenade to save his platoon mates.
“It’s unfortunate it took 55 years to get this done,” his widow and high school sweetheart, Rosemary Gonzalez, said. “It’s beautiful to see it. It’s a permanent tribute.”
De La Garza, the son of a World War II veteran, had enlisted in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War shortly after graduating from Washington High School in Indiana Harbor and briefly working at Inland Steel.
He married Gonzalez a week before he shipped off to Vietnam and saw her and their daughter while on leave in Hawaii in 1970. A week later, soldiers with grave expressions and dress uniforms knocked on her door to tell her he had died in combat. His daughter was too young to remember what he was like as a person.
De La Garza earned a host of medals, including a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Navy Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation with a Gallantry Cross. American Legion Post 508 was named after him. Ivy Tech, the United Steelworkers Local 1010 union hall and the East Chicago Public Library all honor him with displays.
But veterans groups had to push for years to get him city recognition. It came in the form of a monument with silhouettes of soldiers, a stone monument, a fountain and a wall engraved with the names of East Chicago natives killed during all major wars. A plaque is being installed describing the “conspicuous gallantry” that earned De La Garza the Medal of Honor.
“It was a struggle,” Mayor Anthony Copeland said. “You can see it created something beautiful. Sometimes something can be chaotic. But once it goes smooth, it produces beauty. The reason we’re here today is because of the sacrifices that are being made.”
East Chicago illuminates the memorial at night to give it a dramatic lit-up appearance.
“The City of East Chicago came together, and this is what we came up with to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice so each and every one of these children can be free and can dream the highest dream,” Copeland said. “This is something that is bigger than all of us. We wanted to build it for generations after us to see the sacrifices that were made. If any of your loved ones are on that wall, I would tell you to run your fingers across it in remembrance of that person. You can see that sacrifice was made honorably and made for a purpose.”
De La Garza was the first Latino in Indiana to receive the Medal of Honor. He’s been a source of pride in East Chicago’s large Latino community.
“Our community stands together to reflect the courage, sacrifice and enduring legacy of the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Today is especially meaningful as we gather not only to honor our veterans but to dedicate this new memorial,” East Chicago Police Department Chief Jose Rivera said. “This monument that’s being unveiled today stands as more than just stone and metal. It’s a story. It’s our community’s story. Each name, each symbol represents a life dedicated to something greater than self. It will stand as a place of reflection and remembrance, a place where children can come to learn what service truly means and where we can all pause to give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy because others stood in our defense. As we go about our day, let us take a moment to thank a veteran. Not just today, but every day. Let us listen to their stories and learn from their examples and live in a way that honors our sacrifice. May we never forget what you have given us.”
East Chicago Redevelopment Director Frank Rivera said the memorial wall told the story of ordinary citizens who did extraordinary things.
“Each name is a reminder that freedom has never been free. It was earned through sacrifice, through valor and for the love of our great country,” Rivera said. “We as a community stand humbled and united in lasting gratitude. May this site serve as a place of reflection for future generations to come, and to serve as a commitment to ensure the stories of the past — whether of sacrifice, loss or achievement — can be understood and learned from those who came later.”
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