Dying Vietnam Vet Says Goodbye to His Horses Outside San Antonio Hospital

dying vet and his horse
Lupe Hernandez/South Texas Veteran's Health Care System

Editor’s Note: This article was published originally on Wide Open Country. We reprint in part here.

On May 21, an ailing Vietnam veteran, Roberto Gonzalez of Premont, Texas, got to see his beloved horses for one last time. The horses, Sugar and Ringo, were brought to the doors of Audie Murphy Veterans Hospital in San Antonio so they could spend some time with Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is paralyzed from an injury he incurred while serving in Vietnam. Coincidentally, May 21 marked 46 years exactly since he was injured overseas. According to KSAT, he was initially taken to Audie Murphy Hospital for a back injury. However, once admitted, he suffered liver issues and his kidney’s began failing.

Not knowing how much time he had left, his wife Rosario Gonzalez arranged for him to say goodbye to his horses. As she says, “Horses are his life. We’ve been training and raising horses for 30, 40 years.” Gonzalez is actually one of the few disabled registered horse trainers in Texas.

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