How Did An Illegal Alien From El Paso Earn The 2nd Highest Military Honor?

An illegal alien from El Paso volunteered to fight in WW I with the US Army, became Texas' most decorated veteran and the 1st Hispanic American to get a Distinguished Service Cross.

At the age of 20, Marcelino Serna snuck into Texas, looking to find a better life as a true, nationalized United States citizen. He lived and worked here illegally for a few years until he found himself detained by US Federal agents.

Rather than be deported, and to show his love for and desire to remain in the USA, he asked to join the US Army.

Volunteers weren't exactly everywhere so the Army took him up on it, sent him to boot camp and then Europe. Discovering that he was Mexican and not American, his superiors offered to let him off the hook but he declined, insisting he be allowed to serve.

Once overseas, despite 2 bullets bouncing off his helmet, he was able to lob several grenades into a German machine gun nest. 8 Germans surrendered, the rest were all killed. Then ...

While engaged with the enemy in France, Serna noticed a wounded German sniper and followed him back to his trench, where Serna threw three grenades, killing 26 enemy soldiers and capturing 24 more. Later, Gen. John J. Pershing awarded him with the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest U.S. military decoration. He was the first Hispanic American to receive the Distinguished Service Cross. - uso.org

He also racked up a French Croix de Guerre for bravery, (bestowed upon him by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Troops, Ferdinand Foch), as well as a British Medal of Honor, an Italian Cross of Merit and two purple hearts ... among other things.

Following his service, he came back to Texas and settled in El Paso where, in 1924, he was finally granted citizenship. He died in 1992 and is buried at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso.

The international port of entry in Tornillo, Texas was named in his honor in 2016.  Despite years of petitions and requests, he was never awarded the Medal of Honor but, in 2022, he was awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor.