LULAC HONORS THE FALLEN THIS MEMORIAL DAY AND REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO DEFEND THE VALUES FOR WHICH THEY GAVE THEIR LIVESThe Nation's Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Pledges Continued Advocacy for the Safety, Dignity, and Rights of Those Who ServeWASHINGTON, D.C. — The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) today honors the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who gave their lives in combat in defense of this country. It reaffirms its loyal commitment to defend the values for which they sacrificed everything: the civil rights and human rights of every person, and the promise of an America that protects all who live here. "On Memorial Day, we honor the Americans who gave their lives so that the rest of us could live in freedom," said Roman Palomares, LULAC National President and Chairman of the Board. "Many of them were Latino. All of them belonged to us. The most faithful way LULAC can honor their sacrifice is to defend, including the right to vote, receive a quality public education, have equal access to healthcare, housing, and employment, and ensure the safety of every individual," said Palomares. Latinos have answered the call to serve in every American conflict, from the Civil War, when Joseph H. DeCastro was the first Hispanic recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, to the present day. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Latinos comprise approximately 18 percent of the active-duty force, and roughly one in four active-duty Marines is Hispanic, making Latinos one of the fastest-growing segments of the United States Armed Forces. More than 1.3 million Latino veterans live in the United States today. LULAC stood with the family of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén, murdered at Fort Hood in 2020, in the fight that culminated in the passage of the I Am Vanessa Guillén Act. LULAC supported the Brandon Act, named for Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Caserta, which created confidential mental health referral protection for service members in crisis. And LULAC continues to press Congress and the United States Navy for full accountability and transparency in the death of Navy Culinary Specialist Angelina "Angie" Resendiz, a 21-year-old sailor from Texas who was last seen at her barracks at Naval Station Norfolk on May 29, 2025, and whose body was recovered on June 9, 2025; a fellow sailor has since been charged with premeditated murder. "Latino men and women have served faithfully in every American war, and far too many have come home in flag-draped coffins," said Lawrence "Larry" Romo, LULAC National Vice President for Military and Veterans Affairs. "We owe them more than gratitude. We owe them a military in which every service member is safe within the ranks, in which sexual assault and harassment are met with real accountability, and in which the death of a sailor like Angelina Resendiz is met with full transparency and justice. LULAC will not stop pressing until that is the standard, not the exception," added Romo. 
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