Candelario Garcia was an acting Team Leader for Company B, 1st Battalion, 2d Infantry, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division during combat operations against the enemy in Lai Khe, Republic of Vietnam, on December 8, 1968. Their reconnaissance revealed an enemy camp, and as they approached they came under heavy fire. Garcia rescued two soldiers, and continually returned closer to camp to destroy fortifications and kill seven enemy combatants. He initially earned the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions.
Candelario Garcia passed away in January 2013. In March 2014, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Garcia the Medal of Honor. “Sergeant Garcia’s extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army,” according to the citation.
This bottle of Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 whisky made in commemoration of Candelario’s Medal of Honor was donated to the museum in 2016.