JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Military funeral honors services for retired Army General Richard E. Cavazos took place Nov. 14 at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Cavazos died on Oct. 29 after a long illness. He was 88.
Cavazos, who served more than 33 years, became the Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. He retired in 1984 as the commanding general, U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort McPherson, Ga. Prior to that, Cavazos commanded at every level of the Army from platoon to Corps. He served in Central Texas on numerous occasions at Fort Hood. He was commissioned in 1951 from the Texas Tech University ROTC program.
Cavazos earned two Distinguished Service Crosses, the nation’s second highest award for valor in combat. Among his many awards and decorations are the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device with four Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
(Source: U.S. Army North Public Affairs)