Slain War Hero Honored--40 Years Later

It took 40 years, 2,000 petition signatures and dogged persistence, but a Valley war hero finally got his just dues.

On June 1, 1990, officials from the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission formally added the name of David M. Gonzales to the Pacoima Recreation Center.

Gonzales, the first Los Angeles resident to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II, was born in 1924 and spent his short life in Pacoima. The eldest of 14 children, he often played baseball on an nearby empty lot on 10943 Herrick Ave., his sister, Carmen Amper, recalled in a March 1990 Times interview.

Fighting in the Pacific Theater in the Philippines, Gonzales rescued three companions who were buried under debris from an enemy bomb attack in the battle of Luzon in April 1945. He was hit by enemy gunfire and died at age 21.

Frank M. Reehoff, a technical sergeant in Gonzales’ unit, was quoted in a book, “Among the Valiant” by Raul Moren that Gonzales’ action was “the bravest thing I have ever seen a man do.”

In June 1950, the city’s Recreation and Parks Commission dedicated a new community recreation center on the Herrick Avenue site. The building was named the Pacoima Recreation Center and a plaque in Gonzales’ memory was set up at the park’s entrance. However, as years passed, many residents assumed that the whole park was named for Gonzales.

As the 40th anniversary of the park dedication approached, Pacoima native Francisco Flores and Gonzales’ son, David Jr., led a local petition drive to rename the recreation facility after Gonzales. After discussion, park commissioners agreed to the name change.

Gonzales Jr., who was 1 when his father was killed, told The Times in 1990 that he was pleased the park would finally receive his father’s name.

“We get kind of put down because we live in Pacoima. We want people to know good people come from Pacoima too.”