On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott posthumously awarded U.S. Army Pvt. Marcelino Serna the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor.
Serna was born in 1896 near Chihuahua City and came to the U.S. looking for work near the start of World War I, according to El Paso Times archives. In 1917, Serna, who was a Mexican citizen, volunteered to join the U.S. Army.
During the war, Serna killed 32 enemy soldiers in two battles in France and single-handedly captured 24 Germans on Sept. 12, 1918.
When Army officers realized that Serna was a Mexican national, they offered him the chance to return home. A friend translated his answer — a firm “no.” Serna decided he would stay and fight for the United States.
Uncommon valor
He carried out his duties with uncommon valor. Army records state that Serna killed three dozen enemy soldiers and captured nearly the same number.
Serna received a medal for bravery from the French government, the Croix de Guerre, the British Medal of Honor, the Italian Cross of Merit, and two purple hearts, among other awards. But the U.S. Medal of Honor, the rarest and most prestigious military decoration, eluded him.
Serna served valiantly in World War I and returned to Texas a military legend, but his advocates say he was bypassed for America’s highest military decoration because of his heritage and the fact that he spoke little English. Instead, Serna received the second-highest medal, the Distinguished Service Cross, along with two purple hearts and numerous other medals for combat valor, many from foreign countries.
Gen. John J. Pershing presented Serna with the Distinguished Service Cross in September 1918. The citation read in part: “Pvt. Serna displayed exceptional coolness and courage in single-handedly charging and capturing 24 Germans.”
Following the March award ceremony at the state capital, state Sen. César Blanco, who’s nomination made the honor possible, issued the following statement:
“As a fellow El Pasoan and veteran, it was my honor and privilege to successfully nominate Pvt. Serna for the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor. As Texas’ most decorated soldier from World War I, this recognition is long overdue for Pvt. Serna.”
He added: “I am proud of Texas for taking the lead on righting an injustice and honoring Pvt. Serna for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. I appreciate Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Patrick, the Legislative Medal of Honor Committee, fellow veterans, and most of all the Serna family, for uplifting and honoring the legacy of U.S. Army Private Serna. I urge Congress to follow Texas’ lead and award Pvt. Serna the Congressional Medal of Honor.”
In June of 2021, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, introduced legislation that would authorize President Joe Biden to posthumously award Serna the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Port of entry honors hero
In 2017, the U.S.-Mexico port of entry in Tornillo was named in his honor.
This April 20, 2017, article by Victor R. Martinez described the ceremony:
TORNILLO — A son of Mexico who became an American hero during World War I was honored Wednesday as federal officials unveiled the blue lettering bearing his name that now greets commuters at the U.S.- Mexico port of entry in Tornillo.
Three months after the port of entry between Tornillo and Guadalupe, Mexico, opened, U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, whose district includes parts of El Paso County, introduced a bill that would rename it the Marcelino Serna Port of Entry. The legislation was approved by the U.S. House and Senate and signed by President Barack Obama in September.
On Wednesday, the anticipated renaming of the port of entry became official.
“Today we honored a man who immigrated to the United States and risked his life repeatedly to protect the safety of his fellow soldiers,” Hurd said. “The Marcelino Serna Port of Entry will not only honor this extraordinary man’s service to our nation, it will serve as a reminder of the countless Hispanic-American immigrants who have fought valiantly to keep our nation safe.”
More: Claudia Ordaz Perez to represent District 79 in Texas House after defeating Art Fierro
First Hispanic awarded Distinguished Service Cross
U.S. Army Pvt. Serna’s dedication and bravery saved many lives. He was honored by the U.S. Army with two Purple Hearts and was the first Hispanic to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Serna, who became a U.S. citizen in 1924, died in 1992 at the age of 95. He was buried with full military honors at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.
“He is someone we should all know and be thankful for,” Hurd said. “He is one example of the countless number of Hispanic Americans who have protected our country.”
Hurd pointed to several instances in which Serna displayed bravery during the war.
Among them was a confrontation in which Serna volunteered to scout ahead after 12 soldiers from his unit were gunned down. He eventually killed six German soldiers with four grenades and captured the eight remaining enemy soldiers. In another instance, Serna single-handedly captured 24 German soldiers.
More: Environmentalists say El Paso can lead on climate change with city charter on November ballot
Family overwhelmed
Gloria Serna was overwhelmed by the honor bestowed upon her father.
“I don’t have words to describe just how proud I am of my father,” she said. “My father was a serious man, very strict but a good father. He walked a straight line. He was very protective of me. That’s what I remember the most about him.”
Gloria Serna was surrounded by family from all parts of the country during the 45-minute ceremony that included a color guard from the Vietnam Veterans of America and members for the 1st Armored Division Band from Fort Bliss.
“He will always be in my heart and in my soul,” she said. “I will never forget him. I will never forget the advice he gave me and the example he set for me. For that, I am grateful. I talk to him a lot. I know he is in heaven looking down right now. He had a heart of gold.”
A son of Mexico and an American hero
Wednesday’s ceremony was the result of more than two years of hard work initiated by veterans Greg Vera and Ray Rivera, who Hurd pointed out during his speech.
“Because of the relations between the U.S. and Mexico, we thought we could bring the two countries together for a moment of peace,” Rivera said.
“This is a son of Mexico and an American hero. We thought he would be a great role model for both sides, not just Americans but for the youth in Mexico. We felt it was a perfect match, a perfect way to unite the two countries.”
Vera said it was like accomplishing an almost impossible mission.
“We ran into several obstacles and several naysayers,” he said. “A lot of people believed we were wasting our time and efforts. We did the research. We did the paper work. We made the phone calls and we finally came to the conclusion that this place was perfect to make it the Marcelino Serna Port of Entry in his honor.”
Stacy Rafferty, Serna’s great-granddaughter, made the trip from Nebraska.
She said her great great-grandfather would have been honored.
“He would have felt really proud, but I don’t think he would have wanted the attention,” she said. “He was a very humble person. Whenever he was invited to go to a parade, he would go and he would always say how much he loved his country and what he did for it was nothing special. He would say he was only doing his job.”
Trish Long may be reached at tlong@elpasotimes.com or 915-546-6179.
