I am so sorry for your loss! I know Gino meant the world to all of you all. Adela's face would always light up when we spoke of him or when he would come to Red Lobster & surprise her. I'm very sorry I'm not able to attend services, my family & I are in Colorado this week. We know Heaven has gained an Angel with such a kind spirit. And know he will always look over all of you. God Bless your family & I pray God comforts you in such a hard time.

Where to begin? Luis you are an amazing person. Making each day brighter for those of us who are constantly battling life. Your smile and charm and the soothing way you talked...you truly will be missed. I know now you look down from above having left us with all the knowledge, compassion and love you could give us. I'm eternally grateful for you in my life. Until Valhalla brother. I love you

Getting the opportunity to begin every Monday and Wednesday morning with your joyful smile and caring soul was such a blessing this semester. You added so much energy and positivity to the classroom.  I am honored to call you my student.  God bless you, Luis.  You are sincerely missed.

Luis was a terrific student and class participant at Northwest Vista College. He was in my art appreciation class always ready to learn with a beautiful smile.
God bless you in your new journey Luis. God bless you and your family.
Raquel Bechner

Everywhere you'd go, you could hear and see countless laughs and smiles. You took the worst of the situation, and made it into something we could all smile and laugh to. You left too soon man, I haven't stopped thinking about all the memories the you made for the "Brotherhood". I miss you brother, your legacy will live on through all of your family and friends. Rest in peace Luis.

To my student and fellow vet, Luis "Gino" Garces.

There is an instant connection when one vet meets another. It's a connection that transcends differences in age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and pretty much every other index used to describe the human condition. Vets who have been in combat have a certain credibility with each other that is impossible to duplicate without that shared experience.


The sad reality is that, while there are billions of really nice people in this world, there will always be a few who do not play well with others, and just one of them can cause an awful lot of trouble.  When my kids were little, I told them that they must be strong enough to defend themselves and clever enough to do so without resorting to violence.  But in the real world, peace is not always possible.  The military has always been the key to the country's strength, leaving the cleverness to the politicians.  Just imagine your least favorite presidential candidate becoming Commander-in-Chief.  And the military will always stand strong to defend our citizens and our interests when existential threats are not amenable to resolution, even by the cleverest politicians.

Veterans want their service not only to be appreciated, but to be meaningful.  Yet, they do not want to be defined by it; like everyone else, they are complex individuals.  War is not theoretical to them.  Many have fought to protect the interests of the country, but their bravest deeds were done to protect each other.  A lost buddy is never just a numberone of the many casualties of the daybut rather a flesh-and-blood comrade whose flesh and blood have turned to dust too soon, but whose image remains forever young in the hearts of those who, mostly due to chance, survived events that others did not.  

Veterans trust that their service was appreciated, that those who did not come home intact will be healedespecially in their heartsand that those who did not come home alive will be honored, and will at least have died for something important, for while they did risk their lives, they did not give their lives, nor did they lose their lives, but rather their lives were ripped away from them, along with the stolen decades that their loved ones now must endure with only their memories intact.  Hopefully, those left behind will someday realize that the best way to honor someone's memory is not to be forever sad, but to live a great life, which is exactly what a lost loved one would want.

About veterans:

•        I have never met a vet who feels sorry for himself or herself.  While vets want understanding, they don't want pity.  They do not want to be viewed as one-dimensional.  They want the same thing everyone else wants:  to be understood and to have the best life possible.

•        Regardless of how injured they are, vets rarely talk about themselves, except to say that there are many others who are in worse shape.  After my injury in Vietnam, I spent the night in a field hospital.  Two feet from me lay a man who had just lost both of his legs.  I felt lucky.

•        The vets I meet at NVC are truly inspirational.  They are in school, which means they are not dwelling on the past, but preparing for the future, working hard to develop the tools necessary to have that better life.  Being in school means that they have hope.  Isn't that true of all of our students?  Without hope, we are lost.
Interacting with vets has been transformative for me personally.  When people teach, they are secretly learning.  Understanding what some of my veteran students have been through, I made a conscious decision to be a little more patient with them.  Then I realized that, not unlike the veterans, many of my other students also have serious challenges to deal with.  As a result, I decided to be a little more patient with all of my students.  I thank the veterans for that insight.

While today we honor all veterans for their service, and realize that most of them are not disabled or suffering from PTSD, we need only to look around our campus to see that veterans are disproportionately represented among those physically or psychologically injured.  To those vets, and others who are not quite healed, I offer a few thoughts.

•        In Vietnam, the last thing one of my buddies said to me was, I'll see you later.  Eleven minutes later, he stepped on a mine.  So, even after forty-six years, you'll never hear me say I'll see you later.  That does not make me crazy.

•        When your friends are dying, you pretend that it doesn't matter.  But of course it matters.  In order not to feel bad, you try to feel nothing at all.  

•        Some things are too hard to talk about, but those are precisely the things you need to talk about.  With the help of those who care, you will get your feelings back.

•        You will never forget, but you will continue to heal.

•        In combat, tragic events become the norm.  But ordinary life includes its share of tragedies as well.  Last year, for example, a student apologized for being absent; his mother and brother had been killed in an automobile accident.  Sometimes, learning algebra will have to wait.

•        The fact is, no one really knows what will happen today.  We are all on a journey that is uncertain.  And we are all travelling together.  




Arguing about differences religious and political beliefs will never succeed in changing another's beliefs. People believe what they believe, and that drives everything they do because belief is distinguishable from absolute truth. So instead of using harsh words, let's continue to love both those with whom we agree and those with whom we disagree.  After all:
The Earth is a young speck of dust in the Universe.

Mankind is a nascent breath upon the Earth.

A lifetime is a fleeting blink.

Soon, Earth and man and more will perish, perhaps morphing into only-God-knows-what.

Meanwhile, let us love one another.


                      Meanwhile
                     
No day goes by without some sad surprise,
A cherished gift with which we now must part.
A mother's love may vanish from her eyes,
A father's pride could freeze within his heart.
 
We know not when the sun will finally die,
Or how the moon will leave the earth in space.
The stars will vanish from the evening sky,
And planets shall dissolve without a trace.
 
If haters only knew that love, not hate
Can banish from this world each dreadful plight.
Then peace and love would be our joyous fate
And life for all would be forever bright.
 
From bitter strife the world would soon be spared,
If all could feel the love that should be shared.
 

All Aboard
    
Within our crystal ball we can't quite see,
As wave-by-wave, our journey is revealed.
We set our sails without a guarantee,
And know not when, or how, our fate is sealed.
 
A ship lies safe when not too far from shore,
In waters still, where ill winds seldom go.
But ships are sound and pine for so much more,
for oceans deep, where swifter breezes blow.
 
Upon the seas, at last our craft sets sail.
And spirits us beyond familiar sands.
As one, we parry storms, the winds, and hail
To taste the magic air in distant lands.
 
At journey's end, our grail lies not in wait,
But sails with usthe sailing is our fate.


Todos Abordo
Translación de Roberto Rodriguez y Pilar Damron
Dentro de nuestra bola de cristal, que claramente no podemos ver,
Mientras que ola por ola, nuestro viaje se revela.
Preparamos nuestras velas sin garantía,
ni de cuando ni de cómo nuestro destino desvelará.

Un velero está seguro cuando no está muy lejos de la costa,
En aguas calmadas donde los vientos violentos pocas veces van.
Los veleros son sólidos y suspiran para mucho más,
Para océanos profundos, donde las veloces brisas soplan.

Sobre los mares, al fin, nuestro velero zarpa,
y nos lleva más allá de las arenas conocidas.
Como uno de ellos, esquivamos tormentas, vientos, y granizo
para probar el aire mágico en tierras lejanas.

Al fin del viaje, nuestro grial no nos espera,
Porque navega con nosotros-el navegar es la travesía.

El viaje de David fue muy corto, pero fue lejos y ancho.

Luis we will miss you deeply.  Its going to be difficult not having you around, you always made us smile and laugh. We will never forget you, you'll always be in our hearts and memories. Love you so much Gino

Luis, you were an extraordinary person. My brother and I love and miss you so much. We have so many memories that I will hold close to my heart. And I never will forget how you always supported my choices, lifted me up, and took care of my brother when I was gone. You helped him in more ways you can imagine. These years have definitely flown by. I remember The guys would always talk about you and the good old days. You are and always will be a role model. Someone they look up to. Someone I look up to. I love you.. Rest in paradise. Doodoo & sel

Garces you will truly be missed. You were an amazing friend. You could make any time spent with you filled with laughter and joy.As I sit here finding the right words all theses memory come back and I start to laugh again thank you for that...you will be deeply missed.I hope to see you in another life my friend.
And my condolences to your fellow friends and family. You and your family with forever be in my prayers.

I`m so bless and thankful Luis or Forrest as I would call him was apart of my life and I was apart of his. He made every day so much brighter with his craziness, laughter, smile, and just him being him. I`ll never forget how much of a blessing he was. I love you forrest Gump, Till we meet again in heaven.

My condolences nd prayers to the garces family

Luis you were such a beautiful person! We all miss you so much! Now you are with God still smiling... One thing you had for everyone is unconditional love! You taught me so much battle buddy you will never be forgotten!

You always made me laugh, you truly will be missed. My deepest condolences to his family.

Luis, AKA uncle Gino was and absolute treasure to have in your life. I had the pleasure of calling him a friend and brother (fellow veteran). This is a deep loss for anyone that knew him and all I want is comfort for his friends and family members dealing with this great loss. He has the most contagious laugh and smile and could always brighten your day with his amazing sense of humor. We all love you Luis. Til Valhalla Brother! Ill see you again.

Our deepest heartfelt sympathy is extended to you and your family. We were so looking forward to meeting Gino at Chris and Brenda's wedding in a couple of weeks. May God be close to your family during this tragic time.
Bryan and Debbie Tharpe (Chris Tharpe's parents)  Ozark, Alabama

Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. My sincerest condolences for an incredibly great loss. I'll never forget Luis.

Gino led a life filled with love and laughter. He had such a great heart and will be sorely missed.

We're  so sorry  for  your loss. We pray that God give you  peace . God bless you  and all your family

We have so enjoyed being a part of Gino's life. From growing up helping us decorate our Christmas tree, being a fantastic uncle to our grandchildren, a loving son, and friend. Your memory will be treasured.
Ken and Jeanne Ehlert

On behalf of Cornerstone Church, Pastor John Garza, Youth Leader Nino Gonzales and the Garcia Family. We would like to give our heartfelt condolences to the family, sisters and cousins of the Garces family.

OBITUARY

Luis "Gino" Garces

May 16, 1992 – November 30, 2015

Funeraria del Angel Roy Akers

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