Congressman Castro Presents Purple Heart and Other Military Service Medals to Army Specialist Alfredo Gutierrez

Congressman Castro Presents Purple Heart and Other Military Service Medals to Army Specialist Alfredo Gutierrez

SAN ANTONIO, TX - Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) presented the Purple Heart, among other military service medals, to United States Army Specialist Alfredo Gutierrez, a resident of San Antonio.

Congressman Castro presenting Specialist Alfredo Gutierrez with the Purple Heart and other military service medals.

"It's my honor to recognize the achievements and the medals earned by Specialist Gutierrez," said Congressman Castro. "We're very proud of him as a San Antonian and of his contributions to the United States."

In addition to receiving the Purple Heart, the oldest military award still presented to servicemembers awarded to thosewho have been wounded or killed in battle, Specialist Gutierrez received the Expert Badge with Pistol Bar, Marksman Badge & Auto Rifle Bar & Rifle Bar, Combat Infantryman Badge 1ST Award, National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with Device (1960), and Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze service stars.

Background:

Alfredo Gutierrez was born on March 10, 1950. He was born to Alfredo Gutierrez and Guadalupe Casarez Gutierrez in San Antonio, Texas. He moved to California when his parents got divorced and attended elementary school in Los Angeles, California. He moved back to San Antonio, Texas where he attended high school. He is a 1968 Graduate of Holy Cross High School in San Antonio, Texas. He attended college at Cerritos College in Los Angeles, California for a year. He was then drafted in September of 1969 the Army where he spent a one-year tour in Vietnam. He was in the Army from 1969 to 1975. On August 28, 1971, he married Diane Gutierrez.

While on patrol in the spring of 1970 between, he and a sergeant were attacked outside of Camp Evans in the wee hours of the night. He was sitting outside of a foxhole when he and a sergeant were attacked by the South Vietnamese. Specialist Gutierrez, positioned in the foxhole, began firing the M60 Machine Gun. When he jumped into the gun, an explosion occurred. Specialist Gutierrez had a piece of shrapnel lodged into his body. He has lived with this piece of shrapnel for 56 Years. It would be more dangerous to attempt to recover the shrapnel than it is for the shrapnel to stay in place.

After Vietnam he was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, where he taught noncommissioned officers and those in officer candidate school. Then he was sent to Fort Hood for the remainder of his time in the Army. He moved back to San Antonio in 1979.

Following his time in the United States Army, Specialist Gutierrez worked as a cab driver for 25 years. Together with his wife, Specialist Gutierrez had seven children-Leticia Marie Ledesma, Diana Gloria Eppert, Raquel Guadalupe, Gabriel Antonio Gutierrez, the late Alfredo Cipriano Gutierrez, Alycia Yvette Gutierrez, and Stephanie Gutierrez-17 grandchildren, and now six great grandchildren.

His current ranking E4 Specialist. He is a member of VFW 76 & 9186 Purple Hearts, and a member of the American Legion 579.