– Member Biography –
Gerald
Garcia
Jerry Garcia is a newly transplanted
Spokanenite from Portland, OR, retired US Army after spending some 43 plus
years in the US Army and really went around the globe. He even ran into his
brother, when reporting for duty at Wheelus Field, located in Tripoli, Libya,
on the coast of Mediterranean Sea, during 1955, as a member of the USAF, doing
Aircraft Gunnery Practice, on the Libyan Desert. On days off from firing
duties, he introduced the game of baseball to the natives of Tripoli, who had
never seen a baseball game. Jerry continues his love of baseball by coaching
a team of ten year olds in the Spokane
Pony League. As a 2000 Coach, his A's team won enough games to allow Jerry to
participate as a Spokane All-Star Game Coach, during playoffs conducted at Liberty
Lake Ball Stadium last August.
In
1957, Jerry married Marlys from St Cloud, Minnesota, and raised four children,
three of whom call Spokane their new home. One son, Scott, an ex-member of the
10th Mtn. Div., works in Hollywood performing stunt work and special effects
for movies we all have seen—movies such as Courage Under Fire, Clear &
Present Danger, 6 Days & 7
Nights, Message In a Bottle, This is the Army, and is now working on We were Soldiers Once and Young.
Jerry was issued the prestigious Legion of Merit, for his military accomplishments, then followed up his
education by completing classes at Portland Community College and is
anticipating classes at nearby Whitworth College, where Jerry is currently
working on a part time job in the College Cafeteria.
Garcia has been working on his
manuscript Lets Share Our
Patriotic Thread and has completed the first twenty eight
chapters. He hopes to complete the remaining eighteen chapters prior to May
this year.
Garcia says, “You see, each
individual who served in our military is an historian of a sort, and my quest
is to advise the American readers of the numerous veterans who all have a story
to tell. Our American veterans are leaving too soon, and in a short time, all
the true-gut wrenching stories will never be told.
Garcia is currently in touch with
two publishers who have advised him to rewrite some portions of this exciting
manuscript. He is still accepting additional 2 page essays as to “Why I Joined
the Military,” which could be considered for new chapters in his book.
& Self Publishers
Page revised 03/18/07 BSC
©2005 www.spokaneauthors.org