Today we honor Joseph A. Garcia of Ely, Nevada, who fell on January 31, 1968. His friends and relatives from Ely and White Pine County proudly remember him with love and respect: "Joseph is memorialized as one of the “Ely 15”. Ely/White Pine County, NV suffered the highest per capita losses of the VN war. While serving in Vietnam Joseph was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery and heroism.. “Distinguished Service Cross Awarded for actions during the Vietnam War The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918 (amended by act of July 25, 1963), takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Specialist Fourth Class Joseph Andrew Garcia (ASN: US-56648165), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, while serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry, 2d Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. Specialist Four Garcia distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous actions on 31 January 1968 as a member of an infantry unit conducting search and destroy operations near Tan Son Nhut Air Base. His platoon, the lead element of the company, was suddenly subjected to intense machine gun, automatic weapons and small arms fire from an insurgent force of unknown size. Serving as point man, Specialist Garcia remained completely exposed to the ravaging enemy fusillade to provide covering fire for his comrades as they deployed in defensive positions. During the ensuing firefight, he located a Viet Cong machine gun emplacement that had inflicted several casualties to his unit. With complete disregard for his safety, Specialist Garcia armed himself with a light anti-tank weapon and crawled across an open field toward the hostile position. He was severely wounded by a burst of enemy automatic weapons fire as he maneuvered forward. Heedless of the hail of bullets continually striking around him, he fearlessly rose to one knee and fired his weapon from point-blank range at the machine gun, destroying it and killing its crew. As he fired his weapon, Specialist Garcia was mortally wounded by an enemy sniper's bullet. Specialist Four Garcia's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, at the cost of his life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army." General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Army, Vietnam, General Orders No. 2410 (May 21, 1968)

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