LULAC MOURNS PVT. ISABELLA GONZALES AND HONORS LATINO SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF THE NATION
The nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization mourns a fallen daughter of the community and salutes the generations of Latinos who have given everything in defense of America.
WASHINGTON, DC — The League of United Latin American Citizens mourns the deaths of Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, North Carolina, who were killed in action while following this weekend's attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan
"Isabella Gonzales was a daughter of Texas, a daughter of our community and a daughter of this nation she loved enough to die for," said Roman Palomares, LULAC national president and chairman of the board. "For more than 97 years, LULAC has stood with the Latino patriots who wear this country's uniform, because our loyalty to America has never been in question. It is written in the blood of young men and women like her. We grieve with her family, and we ask the nation to honor her the way she honored all of us," states Palomares.
"As a combat veteran, I know that every mission begins with the hope of coming home,” says Livier J. Lazaro Chair, Deported Veterans Committee. “This past weekend, two American families received a knock on the door, the one military family fears, yet another family waits for their servicemembers safe return. Today, we mourn Pvt. Isabella Gonzales and 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan not only for their service and sacrifice, for the futures they will never have and the memories that will never be made. This is the true cost of war, let us never forget that. I extend our deepest condolences to their familias, their brothers and sisters in arms, and all communities grieving this tremendous loss,” she added.
LULAC has long advocated for the women and men who serve in the U.S. armed forces and continues to support active-duty service members, veterans and military families. We ask all Americans to keep the fallen, their families and everyone currently deployed in mind as the Department of Defense continues its recovery efforts and investigation.
"Pvt. Gonzales was barely out of high school when she chose to serve," said Lawrence "Larry" Romo, LULAC national vice president of military and veterans' affairs. "In her, the country saw what Latinos have shown in every generation and every war: that this is our nation, too, and we will defend it with our lives. From the battlefields of World War II to the deserts of the Middle East, Latino service members have carried more than their share of the burden of freedom. Today one of our own has paid its highest price," he added.
LULAC and its veteran members extend their deepest condolences to the families of Pvt. Isabella Gonzales and 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, and Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton. To the family of the service members still missing in action, LULAC remains hopeful and united in prayer until their loved one is safely brought home.
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About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation's oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization. Founded in 1929, LULAC is committed to advancing the rights and opportunities of Latino Americans through advocacy, community building, and education. With a growing network of councils nationwide, LULAC remains steadfast in its mission to protect and empower millions of Latinos, contributing daily to America's prosperity. For more information about LULAC and its initiatives, please visit www.lulac.org/.