Edmund Ernest García

Infobox Military Person
name=Edmund Ernest Garcia
born= 1905
died= 1971
placeofbirth= San Juan, Puerto Rico
placeofdeath=


caption=Rear Admiral Edmund Ernest Garcia
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch=
serviceyears=1927-?
rank= Rear Admiral
commands=USS "Sloat"
unit=
battles=World War II
awards=
laterwork=

Rear Admiral Edmund Ernest Garcia (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.

Early years

Garcia was born 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). [ [http://www.ansomil.org/home/YesterYearsHeroes.html ASNO] ]

Military career

Garcia, was supposed to graduate from the academy in 1926, however he did not graduate and receive his commission of Ensign until 1927, because of his academic deficiency in mathematics. [ [http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/PUERTORICO/1999-07/0931655867 Our Roots] ]

USS Sloat

The USS Sloat (DE-245) was an Edsall-class destroyer 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, 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. [http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/245.htm USS Sloat (DE-245)] ]

From June 15 to July 15, the Sloat operated in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean in search of German U-boats. [http://www.navsource.org/archives/06/245.htm USS Sloat (DE-245)] ]

Later years

Rear Admiral Garcia, who as commander of the destroyer escort USS Sloat saw action in the invasions of Africa, Sicily, and France, died in 1971.

Awards and recognitions

Among Rear Admiral Garcia's decorations and medals were the following:

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ee also

*Puerto Ricans in World War II
*List of notable Puerto Ricans

References