Pat Tillman Foundation » Richard Garcia

Pat Tillman Legacy Summit Highlights

Pat Tillman Foundation — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:12:05 +0000

The inaugural Pat Tillman Legacy Summit held on June 8 and 9 in Washington, D.C. proved to be an amazing two days of awareness building for the Pat Tillman Foundation and the Tillman Military Scholars program.

The Summit provided a unique opportunity to highlight the needs and hardships faced by military families today. Pat Tillman Foundation Board Chair Marie Tillman was joined on Capitol Hill by Arizona Senator John McCain, Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor and inaugural Tillman Military Scholars Aaron and Bonnie Contreras, William “Spanky” Gibson, Richard Garcia, Jed Hefner and Dennis Robinson in an effort to shed light on the challenges military families face.

To see a a portion of Marie Tillman’s speech, click play here:

this link

For photos from the Summit, see below.

Tillman Military Scholars, PTF staff and Washington Redskins players visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Tillman Military Scholars on Capitol Hill.

Tillman Military Scholar Bonnie Contreras with husband and fellow Tillman Military Scholar First Lieutenant Aaron Contreras speaking on military family issues at the Pat Tillman Legacy Summit.

Pat Tillman Foundation Board Chair Marie Tillman introduces Arizona Senator John McCain.

Arizona Senator John McCain.

Tillman Military Scholar Corporal Richard Garcia.

Tillman Military Scholar Master Sergeant William “Spanky” Gibson.

Photos by Doug Kapustin

1st Meeting with Corporal Garcia: Guest Blogger

Pat Tillman Foundation — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:17:42 +0000

Guest Blogger: Pat Tillman Foundation Executive Director Kadi Tierney

He looked like any other college kid.

In his hooded sweatshirt and jeans, I met Richard Garcia at his gate at the Denver airport. It was November 9th and Richard had flown in to be interviewed on Monday Night Football.

He darted into the nearest men’s room for no more than 10 minutes and came out completely transformed. Not wanting to wrinkle during the flight, he was now wearing his Marine “dress blues.” This anonymous college kid was now stopped by strangers wanting to shake his hand. Business men nodded as they passed him, parents elbowed their kids and the children waved a hello.

Those folks at the airport were right – Richard Garcia is no average college kid. Born and raised in East L.A., Richard and his sister were raised by his truly amazing, deaf, immigrant mother. Richard grew up in many worlds, speaking sign language at home, Spanish in his neighborhood and English at school.

Richard could easily have chosen to become a bitter, angry young man, believing challenges he faced growing up outweighed any notion of believing in the American dream. Instead, Richard believed he owed his country and joined the Marines in January 2003. Richard completed two tours in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 during “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

His active duty is complete yet he is nowhere near done serving others. Richard is currently a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park. The legacy of Pat Tillman is helping to fund Richard’s education so he can complete a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology in order to devote his life to helping other deaf families. Now immersed in campus life, sometimes, he struggles to understand why his peers can’t make it to class on time. Richard is early to every class, everyday, because he’s a Marine.

The stadium of over 75,000 was roaring, yet Richard seemed calm and boy, did he look great in those dress blues. Sitting on a set next to Marie Tillman, fielding questions from ESPN’s Stuart Scott on live television, he nailed it. His family back in East L.A. was watching.
Because Richard is no average college kid, Richard Garcia is a Tillman Military Scholar.

Tillman Military Scholar – Corporal Richard Garcia

Pat Tillman Foundation — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:01:46 +0000

Corporal Richard Garcia

Biography:

Branch of Armed Services: Marine Corps
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Institution of Higher Learning: University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
Degree Sought: Bachelor of Arts in Sociology

Growing up in public housing in East Los Angeles, the son of two deaf parents, Corporal Richard Garcia found the Los Angeles Police Academy magnet program as his oasis. Through this program, Richard learned the values of service, education, and physical fitness, which eventually led him to join the U.S. Marine Corps.

After two deployments to the Middle East, Richard returned with a greater sense of self and adventure which drew him to pursue higher education at a location far from where he grew up – the University of Maryland – where he is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and upon completion plans to pursue a Master’s degree in hearing and speech. His family and the experiences he had as a Marine have led Richard to continue his role as a public servant where he aims to fight to remove the inequities faced by the deaf community.

Quotes from Richard:

“Growing up in east L.A., the life paths of many young men and women are tragic. Many never finish high school, become young parents, join gangs, become involved in drugs and overall fall victim to ‘street life.’ Only a few of us have ever ventured out of our community to experience what the world has to offer. I am that person and although I may have grown up poor, my life has been enriched with the experiences I have encountered and the challenges I have endured.”