Honoring the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military is the primary purpose of Memorial Day. On May 5, 1868, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), an organization of Union veterans led by Major General John A. Logan, formally established Decoration Day as a time to decorate the graves of Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. The GAR order placed the ceremonial observation on May 30 to ensure availability of “the choicest flowers of springtime” all over the country. Through the years, the event increasingly became known as Memorial Day, and the focus shifted from solely honoring the Civil War dead to commemorating all who have served and died in the military. Legislators enacted the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968, designating Memorial Day as a national holiday and moving it from May 30 to the last Monday in May. This became effective in 1971.
Kearny County Museum takes this opportunity to honor and remember one of our own. Tony Deluna Gonzalez was born at Lakin January 17, 1922. The son of Miguel Sr. (Mike) and Basilia Gonzalez, Tony enlisted in the United States Navy in 1942, and he received his basic training at Corpus Christi’s Naval Air Station in Texas. Tony asked his parents to save his monthly military checks so that they could make a down payment on a house of their own, something that the Gonzalez family had long yearned for.
In December of 1943, a letter from Tony stated that after graduating from gunner school, he was assigned to a bombing squadron of B-24’s. “Now I am one of the gunners in one of our plane crews . . . As for our crew we are ready to go any time and in perfect trim. We practice our shooting day in, day out. We hope to be a great success toward our goal of victory.”
Tony, an Aviation Machinist’s Mate Third Class, was aboard the PB4Y-1 Liberator when it took off from Morotai Island on October 23, 1944. On a patrol mission deep in enemy territory over the South China Sea, the bomber failed to return to base after being attacked by Japanese fighters. Tony’s parents were notified by telegram that he was missing in action according to a November 1, 1944 entry in his sister’s diary. On October 24, 1945, the Department of Defense officially declared the Liberator’s entire crew as missing in action. Each crew member is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. Although Tony’s remains were never recovered, a military headstone was also placed at the Lakin Cemetery.
Tony was awarded the Air Medal for distinguishing himself by meritorious acts and demonstrating heroism while participating in flight operations, and in May of 1946, he was honored with the Purple Heart for military merit and for wounds received in action which resulted in his death. In 1950, Tony’s parents accepted his Distinguished Flying Cross medal in a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Building. The honor was bestowed for Tony’s heroism and extraordinary achievement as an air-crewman in Patrol Bombing Squadron 101 during operations against enemy Japanese forces from June 1 to October 23, 1944. “Gonzalez rendered invaluable assistance to his pilot in carrying out hazardous long-range attacks against hostile planes, shipping and ground installation in the face of anti-aircraft fire and aerial opposition…Gonzales, by his skill and courageous devotion to duty throughout this period, upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.”
In addition to his parents and five siblings, Tony also left behind a wife, Jessie, whom he had married in 1943. Tony is the only Hispanic from Kearny County to lose his life in service to his country and one of approximately 79,000 Americans listed as missing in action at the close of World War II. This Memorial Day, let us remember Tony Deluna Gonzalez and others like him who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
SOURCES: Diggin’ Up Bones by Betty Barnes; History of Kearny County Vols. I and II; news.va.gov; PacificWrecks.com; findagrave.com; ancestry.com; Museum archives; and archives of the Lakin Independent, Hutchinson News-Herald and Garden City Telegram.