Sgt. Kendra Garza Is Grand Marshal for Rodeo
Sgt. Kendra L. Garza, United States Army, retired, will be the Grand Marshal for the Shady Dale rodeo parade scheduled for Saturday, June 8, at 3 p.m. in Shady Dale.
Everyone knows Sgt. Garza as Kendra Lou. She was raised by her mother in Monticello. The middle child of three children. Kendra always knew that she wanted to make a better life for herself but it wasn’t until she watched the horrific events of 9-11 that she would know exactly what she wanted to do.
Shortly after high school Kendra joined the United States Army as a Combat Military Police Paratrooper. She went on to complete top in her class at the Military Police Academy located at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. She then went on to train at Fort Benning, where she became a paratrooper.
After earning her maroon beret she was stationed in Bamberg, GE with the 173D Airborne Brigade. Kendra went through rigorous training becoming highly efficient in ground movements, suppressive firing, hand to hand combat and the list goes on. Learning to administer first aid would soon be life saving for her.
Kendra deployed to Charkh, Afghanistan attached to the 1-91 CAV Scouts. She helped train Afghan Police, conduct presence patrols, and provide ground support for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (EOD).
On May 11, 2014 Kendra’s team was selected to provide an escort. While on this mission Kendra noticed that the usually busy bazaar was extremely empty. As they continued to push forward Kendra was approaching an alleyway on her left side. As she was taught during training Kendra’s body hugged the outer wall of the mud house alongside their route. Little did Kendra know that her true strength was about to be tested.
As she prepared to clear left, taking a step forward with her right leg, Kendra was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). As she began to fall her training never skipped a beat.
Upon hitting the ground, Kendra started scanning her body. That’s when she was faced with the reality that her left leg was no longer there. Kendra quickly applied pressure with both of her hands to slow the bleeding down until the medic arrived.
That day Kendra had to make a choice to either sink in depression, pain and hopelessness or to swim in strength, pride, and determination. She chose to swim. Kendra was awarded the Purple Heart for the injuries she sustained that day. Kendra is well on her way to becoming a World Renowned Motivational Speaker.
She now travels sharing how she has turned her trials into triumphs. She teaches us that beauty and strength comes from within. Kendra says that if she knew today what would happen then, she would still raise her right hand to ensure that America is safe from terrorists.
