H.R. No. 2416
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Family and friends will forever treasure their
memories of Gregorio C. Barrera of Rio Grande City, who died on
April 16, 2015, at the age of 98; and
WHEREAS, Born in Rio Grande City on March 12, 1917, to Antonio
and Genoveva Barrera, Gregorio Barrera was a proud veteran of the
U.S. Army who survived one of the most harrowing episodes in World
War II, the Bataan Death March; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Barrera volunteered for the army in 1941, and he
was already serving in the Philippines when the Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor; in April 1942, he was one of 76,000 American and
Filipino soldiers who had no choice but to surrender to the Japanese
Army at Bataan; the prisoners were forced to march 70 miles in six
days through brutal heat with little food or water, and
approximately 10,000 of them died of disease or were killed by their
captors; the stronger of the survivors, including Mr. Barrera, were
shipped to a POW camp in Osaka, Japan, where many more perished
because of forced labor, starvation, and the denial of medical
care; and
WHEREAS, Relying upon his strong religious faith and his
indomitable will, Mr. Barrera survived until Japan was defeated and
the camp was liberated in 1945; he recuperated at military
hospitals in the Philippines and San Antonio before returning to
civilian life in Rio Grande City, where for many years he shared the
details of his ordeal with only a few people; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Barrera was joined in matrimony to Teresa
Hernandez in 1949, and they enjoyed their lives together until her
death in January 2015; he was the father of five children, Gregorio,
Sylvia, and Ruben, as well as Juan Jose and Irma, who preceded him
in death; later in life, he was blessed with 13 grandchildren, 17
great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grandchild; and
WHEREAS, After working as a janitor for a time, Mr. Barrera
joined the U.S. Postal Service in 1957, and he served as a postal
carrier until his retirement; he was a member of the Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church and the Rio Grande City chapter of the
Knights of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, In 1988, Mr. Barrera's wartime sacrifice was
recognized when the City of Rio Grande named a plaza in his honor,
and in 2013, the plaza was renovated and rededicated in his honor;
and
WHEREAS, A loving husband, a devoted father, and an American
hero, Gregorio Barrera survived the darkest trials of war and came
home to create a rich and fulfilling life for himself and his family
and to inspire others with his bravery and determination; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Gregorio C. Barrera
and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his
children, Gregorio Barrera Jr. and his wife, Cynthia, Sylvia De La
Garza and her husband, Eduardo, and Ruben Barrera and his wife,
Silvestra; to his 13 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and 1
great-great-grandchild; and to his other relatives and friends;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Gregorio C.
Barrera.
Guillen
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2416 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 21, 2015.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House