FORT CAVAZOS, Texas(KXXV) — "His Dad served in the military, and his brother did as well— You know, as the education director under Ronald Reagan. A lot of things, a lot of doctoring that he wrote, set us up to fight the battle that we are fighting right now," Said Willie Keller, VFW Commander, Fort Cavazos.
- Biden gives 7 Medal of Honors.
- General Richard E. Cavazos recipient.
- First Hispanic 4-star general.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
President Biden honored these seven U.S. Army Veteran soldiers, including Retired General Richard E. Cavazos, for bravery and courage while serving in Korea as Company Commander in 1953.
"The president of the United States of America, authorized by the Congress on March 3, 1863, has posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to first lieutenant Richard E. Cavazos," President Biden said.
That name is very familiar to Central Texans after Fort Hood was renamed in his honor in 2023. Willie Keller is the current commander for VFW at Fort Cavazos.
"It is well honored and well overdue," Keller said. "Many people don't understand the history of what General Cavazos did."
On June 14, 1952, Cavazos led several men through enemy territory - evacuating casualties and directing troops to safety. He served in the army for over 40 years before becoming the first Hispanic 4-star general in 1984.
"Eventually, he was ordered to retreat, but he stayed rescuing wounded soldiers one by one until every one of them was evacuated," President Biden said.
Cavazos retired from the military in 1984 and died on October 29, 2017, in San Antonio at 88.
"We are the only nation based on an idea, and the idea is that we hold these 7 to be self-evident all men and women are created equal,” said President Biden.
"It's named after somebody that you can reach out and touch. You're still connected too, or it's not just somebody you read in the book named in the Civil War or something like that but also me being a minority and somebody of the minority that has done great things in the United States Military," Keller said.
The post has been named for General Cavazos since 2023. It had previously been Fort Hood, named after Confederate General John Bell Hood.
