WWII vet’s family enlist community to help fulfill dying wish of military burial amid gov’t shutdown
US World War II soldier Florencio Davila got his dying wish is being fulfilled after his family and community rallied to get him a funeral with full military honors. Family Photos
Florencio Davila of Waco, Texas, answered his country’s call during World War II, and now his family and community have come together to honor his service and fulfill his dying wish.
Davila, a former Army private first class who passed away on Oct. 21 at the age of 99, had hoped to be buried with full military honors. However, his family was recently informed that such funerals were on hold due to the congressional shutdown. “As we were making the preparations, we were told that due to the government shutdown, military funerals are not happening right now,” his granddaughter, Sonya Guerrero, told local ABC affiliate WNEP 16.
Guerrero said the Army did not respond to the family’s request to ensure her grandfather received a burial befitting his service. “I was devastated. That was his one and only request, and to hear that it was not going to take place, I couldn’t let it not happen,” she said.
Davila had enlisted at 18, joining the 632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion as a gunner and serving in the Philippines. Guerrero described him as a proud patriot. “He loved his country; he was a proud veteran,” she said.
Determined to honor his wish, Guerrero reached out to government officials, agencies, and her local community for assistance. Eventually, neighbors connected her with the Casualty Assistance Center at Fort Hood, which stepped in to help. “The community came together,” Guerrero said. “Fight for your loved one and what they wanted—their wishes. Make it happen for them. My grandfather will receive the military honors he wanted.”
Davila’s family remembered him as a selfless hero. “My dad was a person who cared about other people. He cared more about other people than himself,” said his son, Irie Cuevas.
Davila will be laid to rest at Oakwood Cemetery in Waco beside his wife Mary, to whom he was married for more than 60 years.
“The Bible says to give honor where honor is due. … He gave of himself to give to others. I’m grateful to those that helped,” Cuevas added.
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