+
upworthy
Joy

102-year-old woman discovers that she's a surviving member of special WWII unit

Crescensia Garcia is getting the recognition she deserves.

army, 102-year-old woman, twitter, crescensia garcia
CBS Mornings/YouTube

A 102-year-old woman's family learned something about her past military service thanks to Twitter.

You never know when you have a legend in your family. Two years ago, a woman named Tara Garcia reached out to "CBS Mornings" correspondent David Begnaud to share a story. Her grandmother, Crescensia Garcia, had just turned 100 and had recently survived COVID-19, only having to briefly use oxygen. Begnaud shared the story of the elder Ms. Garcia with his followers on Twitter, including some pictures Tara had sent him. Little did they know, a bigger story was about to unfold.


Edna Cummings, a retired Army colonel, saw Begnaud's tweet. One of the pictures Tara had sent him was of her grandmother in her military uniform. Cummings told "CBS Mornings" that seeing the photo of Crescensia "was like being in a casino and hitting the jackpot." Why? Turns out Crescensia was part of a very special military unit during World War II.

Cummings needed to know Crescensia's dog tag numbers to confirm her suspicions, so she reached out to Tara. After receiving them, Cummings was able to confirm that Crescensia was part of a burn unit located near Birmingham, England, which treated wounded soldiers due to a shortage of people in the area who could perform those procedures. She may not have thought much of it at the time (it was her military duty after all), but Crescensia Garcia was part of something special.

The SixTripleEight was an 855-member unit that was all Black and all women. Of course, the unit was segregated, but that didn't stop the members from serving their country. Crescensia Garcia, who is now 102 years old, is one of only six surviving members of the unit. And her family had no idea.

"They're the only military women's unit to receive a congressional gold medal," Cummings told "CBS Mornings." "They are part of an elite group of less than 200 recipients. The first being General George Washington." In addition to receiving the congressional gold medal, the family learned that Crescensia's name is on a World War II monument along with other veterans, in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

When Tara Garcia found out this information, "I looked at my parents and said, 'I think we just opened Pandora's box here,'" she said. The revelation certainly led to some very cool opportunities, including meeting first lady Dr. Jill Biden.

Both Crescensia and Tara Garcia sat down with David Begnaud on "CBS Mornings" to talk about their family and it was truly the sweetest thing. Although she's beginning to show signs of her age, Crescensia is still pretty sharp and a truly beautiful soul.

Crescensia was born in Puerto Rico in April 1920, before women even had the right to vote. At that time, a loaf of bread was less than 20 cents! She moved to New York City in her youth, and at the age of 24 she enlisted in the Army because the bombing of Pearl Harbor made her so enraged that she felt it was her civic duty to serve and protect. She was immediately put in an all-Black unit for her basic training in Texas.

"They put me in the Black section and there is a White section. That's America to you. See? That's America to you and it's very sad, very sad," she told Begnaud. After the segment, he explained to the news desk that the reason she was able to become a medic was due to her light skin color. She was able to "pass" as white, which earned her privilege.

Social media post helps woman discover her grandmother's World War II past

Much like others who have served in war, Crescensia doesn't seem to think her time in the Army was anything special. She told Begnaud that she was "just" a medic and was only doing her job tending to the injured.

"I am proud to be an American," she said.

After the war, she went back to New York City, settling in the Bronx and getting married and having three children. She became a seamstress, working in Manhattan's Garment District. Now, she is living her best life and sharing her story with the world.

During their interview, Begnaud explained that he had a surprise for both women. He had gotten in touch with the White House and arranged for Dr. Jill Biden to call and FaceTime with them.

"You are one incredible woman and I can't thank you enough for all your service to our country," Dr. Biden said warmly.

"And I salute you. Keep it up. Keep up the good work," Crescensia said, raising her hand to salute the first lady.

At 102, her memory isn't what it used to be, but, according to Tara, her presence of mind during the interview and conversation with the first lady is something neither of them will forget.

"The fact that she knew who that was. Yeah, and she felt that acknowledgment just now. That's all I needed. That's all I needed. I just want her to remember, that's all," Tara said.

We salute Crescensia Garcia and thank her for being who she is.

True

After over a thousand years of peaceful relations, European semi-superpowers Sweden and Switzerland may finally address a lingering issue between the two nations. But the problem isn’t either country’s fault. The point is that the rest of the world can’t tell them apart. They simply don’t know their kroppkakor (Swedish potato dumpling) from their birchermüesli (a Swiss breakfast dish).

This confusion on the European continent has played out in countless ways.

Swedish people who move to the United States often complain of being introduced as Swiss. The New York Stock Exchange has fallen victim to the confusion, and a French hockey team once greeted their Swiss opponents, SC Bern, by playing the Swedish National Anthem and raising the Swedish flag.

Skämtar du med mig? (“Are you kidding me?” in Swedish)

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Mom comes out to her 7-year-old as a sexual assault survivor. The discomfort was worth it.

Sometimes speaking our truth can help history from repeating itself.

Canva

Almost all the important conversations are uncomfortable

Sarah Shanley Hope's story is frighteningly common.

As a kid, she went over to her neighbor's house one day to play with her best friend. While there, her friend's older brother sexually assaulted both of them.

Hope was only 6 years old.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Mom uses fruit analogy to teach her daughter a lesson in self-confidence

With a dragon fruit, a banana and two peppers, she explained why we shouldn't change ourselves based on other people's opinions.

Screenshot via Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States/Facebook

A mom explains the difference between opinion and fact using a dragon fruit and a banana.

Every human being is unique, and yet we seem to be hardwired to want to fit in with others. Sometimes, that longing for a sense of belonging can cause us to put too much stock in people's opinions of us and lead us to change who are to please others.

One mom has taken that tendency to task in a viral video in which she uses fruit to teach her daughter a lesson in being herself. In a video shared on Facebook by the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., a Chinese mom and her daughter speak to the camera while using a dragon fruit, a banana, and two different colored peppers as props.

First, they over the difference between a fact and an opinion. "This is a dragon fruit," is a fact. "A dragon fruit is tastier than a banana," is an opinion. Simple enough.

"Similarly, if a kid tells you your drawing is not good or that your hairstyle doesn't look nice, that's just their opinion. It doesn't mean it's a fact," the mom says. "We don't need to feel sad or unhappy because of someone else's opinion."

Keep ReadingShow less

It all can happen at just the right time.

Media outlets love to compile lists of impressive people under a certain age. They laud the accomplishments of fresh-faced entrepreneurs, innovators, influencers, etc., making the rest of us ooh and ahh wonder how they got so far so young.

While it's great to give credit where it's due, such early-life success lists can make folks over a certain age unnecessarily question where we went wrong in our youth—as if dreams can't come true and successes can't be had past age 30.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mental Health

The danger of high-functioning depression as told by a college student

Overachievers can struggle with mental health issues, too.


I first saw a psychiatrist for my anxiety and depression as a junior in high school.

During her evaluation, she asked about my coursework. I told her that I had a 4.0 GPA and had filled my schedule with pre-AP and AP classes. A puzzled look crossed her face. She asked about my involvement in extracurricular activities. As I rattled off the long list of groups and organizations I was a part of, her frown creased further.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Her boyfriend asked her to draw a comic about their relationship. Hilarity ensued.

The series combines humor and playful drawings with spot-on depictions of the intense familiarity that long-standing coupledom often brings.

All images by Catana Chetwynd


"It was all his idea."

An offhand suggestion from her boyfriend of two years coupled with her own lifelong love of comic strips like "Calvin and Hobbes" and "Get Fuzzy" gave 22-year-old Catana Chetwynd the push she needed to start drawing an illustrated series about long-term relationships.

Specifically, her own relationship.

Keep ReadingShow less