American GI Forum Unsung Heroes Initiative

Manuel Martinez
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Sgt. Manuel F. Martinez (US Army) 

Sgt. Rafael Peralta (USMC)

Dr. Hector P. Garcia's Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded in 1984, for the AGIF Unsung Heroes Initiative.

The California American GI Forum has formed a committee with members from various California chapters to pursue the " AGIF American Unsung Heroes Initiative".  The initiative grew out of the Mid-Year Conference in Oceanside and the purpose of the initiative is to elevate awareness of the need for review and reconsideration to receive the Medal of Honor by Sergeant Manuel F. Martinez (Vietnam) and Sergeant Rafael Peralta (Iraq).  The initiative is supported by the membership and is being sponsored by our State commander, Willie Galvan. The American GI Forum Committee consists of members from across the state and is chaired by John J. Lopez of the Los Angeles Chapter.

The Committee has engaged in developing plans that include action items such as writing a Committee Mission Statement, creating a web-page on the California AGIF web-site that covers all the pertinent initiative facts and a sample e-mail /letter campaign effort directed at the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Congress as well as to President Barrack Obama. Our strategic action plan will offer our fellow veterans, friends and family members the opportunity to make their concerns/views known in written form on this critical issue to the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Congressional Representatives as well as to President Barrack Obama. Our goal is to express our concerns in writing and by other means to the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Congress, President Obama, and to all Americans. In doing so, we join other groups that have raised the same concerns and will follow-up with requests for an audience with President Barrack Obama.

Our State Commander Willie Galvan and the American Unsung Heroes Initiative Committee encourages you to take action by taking a few moments of your time to write an e-mail/letter to your elected officials expressing your concerns /views regarding support for the " AGIF American Unsung Heroes Initiative". Please keep in mind that we are pursuing this initiative to preserve the Dignity and Honor of those who have displayed acts of bravery and conspicuous gallantry at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty.

How Can You Support the " AGIF American Unsung Heroes Initiative?" Many of you have expressed concern as to why Sgt. Rafael Peralta and Sgt Manuel F. Martinez have not received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their acts of bravery and heroism. The California American G I forum has responded with this Initiative and further advises that; we should familiarize ourselves with the pertinent facts by visiting the AGIF California Web-site and follow the  "AGIF American Unsung Heroes Initiative" links. Also, we should share and distribute this information with others including local elected officials, fellow veterans, friends and family members who are willing to take action supporting the " AGIF American Unsung Heroes Initiative" e-mail/letter campaign effort.

------John J. Lopez

062010 Unsung Heroes (Download link 1)
AGIF Unsung Heroes Letters 2010 (Download link 2)
Letter to Congressman Baca: Medal of Honor--Sgt. Martinez (Link 3)