After over 30 years of waiting, a Mercedes military family say one of their own is finally at peace.

U.S. Army Private First Class Francisco Gonzalez was drafted to serve in World War II in 1943, and left the Army two years later.

Gonzalez’s daughter — Martha Gonzalez — said her father never received his medals because his service records were lost in the 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center.

“I know it was very important for him," Martha said. 

Even after Gonzalez died in the ‘90s, Martha said she kept trying to get his service record and medals.  

“I went to the VA, they told me no. I went to McAllen, they told me no,” Martha recalled. “I was disappointed."

In 2023, Gonzalez decided to reach out to her local congressman — Vicente Gonzalez.

“We were able to talk to the department of defense, the veterans administration — it was a process, but we were successful,” Congressman Gonzalez said.

At a Tuesday ceremony to receive the medals, Martha said she felt her father was at peace.

“Now I can go to the cemetery and tell him, ‘dad, I have everything we wanted,’" Martha said.

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