Private Jacob Cruz Post Office

Floor Speech

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Mr. GOMEZ. Mr. Speaker, Latino servicemembers have been vital to the defense of our country, including the thousands who have made the ultimate sacrifice. It is important that our communities and our government pay tribute to the diverse history of Latinos in the United States military, which is why I am proud that the House passed my bill, H.R. 5900, honoring World War II hero, Private Jacob Cruz, an Angeleno and Boyle Heights resident, and a United States Marine Corps Reserve private.

Private Cruz was 17 years old and a junior at Roosevelt High School when he asked his single immigrant mother, Gracia Cruz, a custodian at White Memorial Medical Center, for permission to enlist. After initial training, Private Cruz shipped off to the Pacific where he gave his life running ammunition boxes to gunners amid enemy fire during the Battle of Tarawa in 1943.

Private Cruz's heroic devotion to duty posthumously earned him the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. Unfortunately, his remains were not recovered after he was killed. During a storm in 2019, Mother Nature brushed away a house where the battle took place, and the remains of Mr. Cruz were found. In 2020 they were identified, and in 2021 they were finally returned to Private Cruz' family for a long-awaited proper burial with full military honors.

In recognition of Private Cruz' service and sacrifice, the House passed H.R. 5900 designating the Boyle Heights Post Office as the Marine Corps Reserve Private Jacob Cruz Post Office.

I take a moment to give thanks to Private Cruz' family, including his brother, Isaac; his sister, Ruth; his nephews, Mike and Isaac; and his niece, Alta, who have kept Private Cruz' legacy alive in Boyle Heights for almost eight decades and never gave up the fight to bring him home.

As we approach Memorial Day, I urge the Senate to pass H.R. 5900 to honor Private Cruz' sacrifice and those of other Latino military heroes, both fallen and alive, in Los Angeles and across the country for decades to come.

Roosevelt High School, where Private Cruz attended, has a long history, as well as Garfield High School, in giving up boys to go to fight the World Wars. There is a football game called the East L.A. Classic between Roosevelt and Garfield. The 4 years during World War II were the only years that they couldn't field a team on either side. This is an honor of Private Cruz, but it is also an honor of all the Latino men who gave their lives during our conflicts, especially during World War II.

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