Ramon Lopez Garcia – Captain, United States Navy Reserve INS Official

From a contemporary news report:

Ramon Lopez Garcia, 59, a senior humanitarian refugee relief program manager with the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s Community Relations Service, died July 22, 1997 in Brownsville, Tex., after a heart attack. He was a resident of Chantilly, and he was in Texas on business.

Dr. Garcia had worked for the government in Washington since 1972 and with the Justice Department for the last eight years. He began his government career with the old Health, Education and Welfare Department, then the Education Department, and finally, the Department of Health and Human Services, where he was a scientific peer review applications manager. Over the years, much of his work had involved government humanitarian projects for migrants who were poor or disabled. Among his work was the unification of families and the settling of migrants in this country.

He served in the Navy from 1961 to 1964 and was a carrier flight officer. He was recalled to active duty during the Persian Gulf War, serving at the Pentagon. Altogether, he spent 24 years in the Navy Reserve before retiring with the rank of captain, and he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and two National Defense Service Medals.

He was a founder and president of the American Naval Services Association, working to promote the recruitment of sailors and officers in the Navy.

A former Florida elementary and high school teacher, he had taught courses in early childhood development as a Montgomery College adjunct professor for the last 13 years.

Dr. Garcia, a native of Brownsville, was a 1961 graduate of the University of Texas. He received two master’s degrees, one in education from Rollins College in Florida, and the other in public administration from Harvard University. He received an education doctorate from the University of Florida.

He is survived by his wife, Beatriz Calderon Garcia of Chantilly; two daughters, Kelly Rae Garcia-Confer of Sterling and Danielle Rae Garcia of Chantilly; his mother, Felipa Garcia of Brownsville; seven sisters and brothers; and a granddaughter.

Note:  He was granted a waiver for burial in Arlington National Cemetery.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard