ORANGE, Texas — A flag flown over the Texas Capitol building was given to the family of a Southeast Texas hero at the VFW Post 2775 in Orange on Thursday.
Staff Sergeant Patrick Aguilar was previously the longest-living Mexican-American World War II veteran in the Southeast Texas area.
He died on Wednesday, December 14, 2022. Those who knew him described him as a, "humble man who loved his family and served his country when he was called."
On Thursday, SSgt Aguilar's military brothers and sisters wanted to recognize him for his heroic actions.
Members of the VFW shook hands with SSgt Aguilar's three children, whom accepted the award on his behalf.
"Truly an honor for him to come here and present that to us, you know we are just so honored and proud of our dad as well," SSgt Aguilar's daughter Patricia Muñoz said.
A flag that was flown over the Texas Capitol along with a certificate of authenticity was given to the family a small token to honor SSgt Aguilar.
This honor came from the office of 76th Speaker of the Texas House Dade Phelan.
Senior District Director Cole Michalk made the trip from Austin to Orange Thursday for special ceremony.
"It's a very large deal for the VFW Post 2775 to include us in this and speaker Phelan would love to if he could of been here today to present it himself," Michalk said.
It was an emotional ceremony as SSgt Aguilar's children learned the extent of some of their father's heroic actions for the first time.
"Then all of that came up, I was just shocked. Really proud of our dad, of things that I didn't know he had done when he was in the service," Muñoz said.
RELATED: Family mourns loss of last-living Mexican-American World War II veteran in the Southeast Texas area
SSgt Aguilar served in the Ninth Air Force. His story begins in San Antonio, where he was born in a boxcar on St. Patrick’s Day in 1923.
His parents migrated from San Luis Potosi, Mexico where a revolution was taking place. The revolution brought many Mexicans to Southeast Texas for a better life and better job opportunities in a booming oil industry.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, then 18-year-old Patrick Aguilar was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Forces on October 8, 1942.
“They wanted 20 gunners and about an hour later they canceled it, and I said, ‘Well, I will go wherever they send me,’” SSgt Aguilar previously told 12News.
SSgt Aguilar's mother, Melquiadez Aguilar, walked on her knees to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Port Arthur. She went there to pray that all of her sons would return home safely from the war.
The veteran was trained as a radio operator. He was transported to England and earned a ribbon as a rifle sharpshooter and carbine expert.
SSgt Aguilar was one of two Mexican Americans in his squadron. He said he never felt any discrimination from his comrades and that they all got along.
That camaraderie was needed in Cherbourg, where the Ninth Air Force was tasked to build an airfield and set up command near the peninsula’s west side. SSgt Aguilar delivered support services to aid squadrons across Europe.
After the Allies successfully took back the port city of Cherbourg and Normandy, SSgt Aguilar cleaned up the death. The Ninth Air Force moved to Reims, France to continue their war efforts.
After the war ended, there was no parade for Mexican-American troops and no women waiting to kiss Mexican-American soldiers. It was a quiet walk home from the bus stop.
SSgt Aguilar simply got back to life in Port Arthur.
“And nothing, I mean, people weren’t there to welcome you home,” SSgt. Aguilar previously told 12News. “You just come and be walking down the street. You got home. We were lucky. Five brothers and we all made it home.”
SSgt Aguilar worked as a laborer at Gulf Oil Refinery. He later went back to serve during the Korean War, where he obtained the rank of staff sergeant.
He got out after a year to take care of his growing family. Mayor Thurman Bartie previously signed a proclamation honoring November 25 as SSgt Patrick Aguilar Day.
