Family of WWII veteran says shutdown confusion nearly ruined military honors at funeral
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Private First Class Florencio Davila served in the Army during WWII where he deployed to the Philippines before being stationed in Hawaii for the remainder of his 4 years of service.
His family shared a video of him telling his life story in 2021.
“I was drafted,” said Pfc Florencio Davila in the 2021 video. “When I turned 17, I asked my mother to sign a release so I could join at 17. She said no. I told her, mom you can get some money. She said, I don’t want no money, I don’t need it. She did need it but she wouldn’t sign for me.”
He did enlist at 18 and served in the 632 Tank Destroyer Battalion.
That determination and honor is something his family says he never lost.
“For several years, we’ve been taking him to the veterans parade and getting him on his wheelchair, the walker, just to get him there was pretty difficult but, when the flag passed by, my dad would do everything in his power to get up a salute the flag,” said Irie Cuevas, PFC. Davila’s son.
PFC Davila passed away at the age of 99, but before he died, he told his family he wanted a military funeral.
Something they were told might not happen because of the Government shutdown.
“We weren’t taking ‘no’ for an answer,” said Sonya Guerrero, PFC Davila’s granddaughter. “He was a fighter so were going to fight for him. We sent out emails to a lot of government officials, to news stations, and this morning, the Facebook post had been shared 340-something times. ”
They were able to get in touch with officials at Fort Hood and after getting they right paperwork to them, the issue was resolved and his granddaughter credit him.
“I want to thank you because the same fight that you have in you, I have. I was not going to let your funeral service not be what you wanted,” said Guerrero.
A service fit for an American hero who said it best in his own words for that 2021 video.
“I don’t think I have any regrets of anything,” said Pfc Florencio Davila in the 2021 video. “I think I’m satisfied with my life. I went in the service and came out fine. It was hard in the beginning but after that, it came out okay.”
The family says he wouldn’t have given up on them so they weren’t going to give up on him and this coming Monday, Private First Class Florencio Davila will be buried with the military honors he earned for his service in WWII.
If a veteran family member has passed and would like military honors at their service, the funeral director should be able to coordinate that.
You can also reach out to veteran’s organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion for help.
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