Sergeant Candelario Garcia, Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 28, 1963. On December 8, 1968, while serving in Vietnam, he took part in a battle that earned him a nomination for the Medal of Honor, which was awarded posthumously in 2014. During the attack, he fought heroically and saved his entire platoon. His unit was under heavy fire, and several men were wounded and trapped. Ignoring the raining bullets, he crawled within 10 meters of a machine gun bunker. According to U.S. Army officials, while firing his rifle, he ran toward the enemy and killed them all. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and numerous other commendations. He died on January 10, 2013.