Here I am standing, waiting to receive my award. I bet that nobody in my family nor my friends and relatives expected for me to get this far. Right now I am receiving my 11 awards. Isn’t that a lot, like I even didn't imagine I would get this far. Well anyways, leaving all that aside, I’m gonna tell you about my life and how I got this far. But first I’m gonna tell you where I was born and raised. I was born in 1929, January 1st at Kingsville Texas. I was raised on a ranch and spent most of my life there.

I have one older brother , his name is Lauro Cavazos. He went to Texas tech university and Iowa state university for education. He’s worked as a politician, medical scientist, and educator in the United States. But he also became the first Hispanic minister to serve as Secretary of Education from 1988 to 1990 from the Ronald Reagan administration to the George HW Bush administration. Also being knowledgeable in zoology and physiology, he has authored several books on medical science and medical education as university president and professor.

That's enough information about my older brother, next is more about me. For education I went to Texas Technological College now Texas tech university in 1951, where I played on the football team as a distinguished graduate of the Reserve Officers Training corps program. I also received further military education at the Command and General staff college, the British Army Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff college , and the United States Army War college. Then I received basic officer training at Fort Benning,Georgia, followed by training at Airborne school, then I deployed to Korea with the 65th Infantry. Then I distinguished myself by extraordinary heroism in action against enemy aggressor forces in the vicinity of Saginak, Korea, on the night of 14 June 1953. On that date, I led my group of men in a raid on the entrenched enemy upon whom heavy casualties were inflicted. When a heavy barrage was laid on the position by the enemy, I had to withdraw the company and regroup my men. When the United Nations element was ordered to withdraw,I remained alone on the enemy outpost to search the area for missing men. Exposed to heavy hostile fire, I finally located five men who had been wounded in the action. I then evacuated them, one at a time, to a point on the reverse slope of the hill from which they could be removed to the safety of the friendly lines. Then I made two more trips between the United Nations position and the enemy-held hill searching for casualties and evacuating scattered groups of men who had become confused. Only until I was assured that the hill was cleared did I allow treatment for my own wounds sustained during the action. After this I also participated or was ordered to fight in the Vietnam war too.

After Vietnam, I served as commander of the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, and commander, 9th Infantry Division. Then In 1976, I became the first Hispanic to reach the rank of brigadier general in the United States Army. In 1980, I became commander of III Corps — and was recognized for my innovative leadership of the Corps. Then in 1982, again I made military history by being appointed the army's first Hispanic four-star general. The same year, I was assumed command of the United States Army Forces Command. My early support for the National Training Center and my involvement in the development of the Battle Command Training Program enormously influenced the war fighting capabilities of the United States Army.

On June 17, 1984, after thirty three years of distinguished service, I retired from the United States Army.