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Home Town San Juan, Puerto Rico
Date of Passing Jul 01, 1971
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Edmund Ernest García
Rear Admiral Edmund Ernest García (1905–1971) was a United States Navy officer who commanded the destroyer escort USS Sloat (DE-245) during World War II and participated in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, and France.
Edmund Ernest Garcia was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 27 March 1905, son of Mrs. Antonia Rumirez of San Diego, California, and the late Enrique Garcia. He attended high schools in Chillicothe, Ohio and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and after preparing for the US Naval Academy at Severn School, Severna Park, Maryland, entered that institution as a Midshipman on 14 June 1922. He graduated and was commissioned as an Ensign on 2 June 1927, and through subsequent promotions attained the permanent rank of Captain, on 1 July 1949, having served in that rank (temporary) from 3 May to 1 December 1947. He retired in 1955 as a Rear Admiral.
Early years
Garcia was born to Enrique García and Antonia Rumirez in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the capital city of the island. There he received both his primary and secondary education. Garcia was born into a family with a long tradition of military servitude. His father, Enrique Garcia, was a Captain in the United States Army. In 1922, Garcia graduated from high school and received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy from Emmet Montgomery Reily, who served as appointed Governor of Puerto Rico from (1921–1923).
Naval career
Garcia, was supposed to graduate from the academy in 1926, however he did not graduate and receive his commission of Ensign until June 17, 1927, because of his academic deficiency in mathematics.
Garcia's first assignment was aboard the USS Wyoming where he served as an artillery officer from 1927 to 1928. He was later assigned to the USS Galveston and in 1928 was trained as a naval aviator at Pensacola, Florida. Garcia received addition training in various military institutions which included the Torpedo School of San Diego, California.
World War II
In February 1942, Garcia assumed command of the USS Cormorant (AM-40) at the Navy Yard, in Washington DC.. In June 1943 he reported to the Brown Shipbuilding Co. in Houston, Texas where the USS Sloat was being built. The USS Sloat (DE-245) was an Edsall-classdestroyer escort which was launched on January 21, 1943 and commissioned on August 16, 1943, under the command of then Lieutenant Commander Garcia.
On November 11, the Sloat, was assigned to the Escort Division (CortDiv) 7, and sailed out of New York Harbor with convoy UGS-24 bound for Norfolk and North Africa. The convoy arrived at Casablanca on December 2, and returned to New York on December 25, 1943. On January 10, 1944, the Sloat sailed to Casablanca and returned to New York on March. That same month the Sloat joined a convoy, consisting of 72 merchant ships and 18 LST's, which was guarded by Task Force (TF) 64. En route to Bizerte, Tunisia, the convoy was attacked by the Luftwaffe on April 1, approximately 56 miles west of Algiers. Two planes were shot down and two damaged while only one ship in the convoy was damaged. The convoy arrived at Bizerte on April 3. Eight days later, Sloat joined another convoy and returned to New York on May 1. García was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with a "V" device for his actions. Part of the citation reads as follows:
"Meritorious achievement during operations against enemy forces while serving as Commander of a unit of ships of an escort group protecting trans-Atlantic Convoys during World War II...'
From June 15 to July 15, the Sloat operated in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean in search of GermanU-boats. Garcia, as commander of the destroyer escort USS Sloat saw action in the invasions of Africa, Sicily, and France.
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Awards and recognitions
Among Rear Admiral García's decorations and medals were the following:
Bronze Star with "V device" 2nd Nicaraguan Campaign Medal China Service Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with star device Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) National Defense Service Medal (Korean War)
Biography: Rear Admiral Edmund E. Garcia, US Navy
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Last Updated: Oct 27, 2011
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Rear Admiral Edmund E. Garcia, US Navy
1905 - 1971
Edmund Ernest Garcia was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 27 March 1905, son of Mrs. Antonia Rumirez of San Diego, California, and the late Enrique Garcia. He attended high schools in Chillicothe, Ohio and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and after preparing for the US Naval Academy at Severn School, Severna Park, Maryland, entered that institution as a Midshipman on 14 June 1922. He graduated and was commissioned as an Ensign on 2 June 1927, and through subsequent promotions attained the permanent rank of Captain, on 1 July 1949, having served in that rank (temporary) from 3 May to 1 December 1947.
After graduation from the Naval Academy, he was assigned to the USS Wyoming and served as a junior officer in the Gunnery Department of that battleship from August 1927 to June 1928. Transferring to the USS Galveston, he had duty during the next year in that cruiser's Engineering Department. In September and October 1929 he had flight instruction at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, and from November of that year until May 1933, he had successive service (gunnery and torpedo) in the destoryers Lawrence, Bernadou, Crowninshield and Tracy, with time out to attend the Torpedo School in San Diego, California, during the period February to May 1932.
When detached from the Tracy in May 1933 he joined the USS New Mexico to serve for two years in that battleship's Gunnery and Engineering Department. In July 1935, he returned to Annapolis, and completing the course in General Line at the Postgraduate School in May of the next year, was ordered to the Naval Air Station, Penscacola, Florida, for duty as an instructor. He was detached in February 1937 and in April joined the USS Heron, a seaplane tender of the Asiatic Fleet, as Executive Officer. Transferring to the USS Asheville, and later to the USS Tulsa, he remained on Asiatic Station, serving alternately as Gunnery and Damage Control Officer in those vessels until August 1939.
Upon his return to the United States in October 1939, he was assigned to Naval Ammunition Depot, Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania as Executive Officer, and served in that capacity until August 1941. He next assisted in fitting out the USS Hornet and was serving as Damage Control Officer of that aircraft carrier when the United States entered World War II in December 1941. Detached in February 1942, he assumed command of the USS Cormorant, which in November of that year was assigned special duty with the Bureau of Ordnance Experimental Mine Detachment, and operated out of the Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. and later from ports of Maryland and Virginia.
In June 1943 he reported to the Brown Shipbuilding Company, Houston, Texas, where the USS Sloat was building and commanded that destroyer escort vessel from her commissioning on 16 August 1943 until January 1944. During the period February 1944, throughout the remaining months of the war, and until November 1945, he commanded Escort Division 58, his pennant in the USS Price.
He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V," for "Meritorious achievement during operations against enemy forces while serving as Commander of a unit of ships of an escort group protecting trans-Atlantic Convoys during World War II..." The citation states that "Undeterred by enemy opposition and adverse weather conditions, Commander Garcia expeditiously directed the ships under his command in fulfilling difficult assignments, thereby contributing materially to the success of his group in this area of operations..."
On his return to the United States, he was ordered to the Naval Recruiting Station, New Orleans, Louisiana where he served as Officer-in-Charge from December 1945 until May 1949. He then assumed command of the USS Whitley, continuing in command of that attack cargo ship for sixteen months. In October 1950 he was given command of the Naval Station, Orange, Texas, and under orders of 20 May 1954, he was detached and designated Commander Sub Group 2, Charleston Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
While serving in the Navy, he was promoted to Rear Admiral. RADM Garcia died in 1971.
In addition to the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V," Rear Admiral Garcia has the Second Nicaraguan Campaign Medal; The China Service Medal; American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp; American Campaign Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one bronze star; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal, Asia Clasp; and the National Defense Service Medal.