TEXAS — Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, is working toward awarding Mexican American World War I hero Private Marcelino Serna with a posthumous Medal of Honor — the nation's highest military honor — this Hispanic Heritage Month.

Escobar reintroduced her 2021 bill, HR 5521, that would authorize President Joe Biden to award Serna with the Medal of Honor.

Serna was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, in 1896 and came to the U.S. at age 20. The U.S. declared war on Germany the next year. Despite not being required to enlist in the U.S. Army due to his immigrant status, Serna did so voluntarily.

Serna received several military honors in his lifetime, including the Purple Heart and the Croce al Merito di Guerra, awarded to him by the Italian government. He was also the first Hispanic soldier to receive the Distinguished Service Cross.

But Serna never received the nation's highest military honor: the Medal of Honor. It's a distinction he wasn't allowed to receive during his lifetime, apparently due to his limited English.

"Despite his eligibility for exemption from service due to his immigrant status, Serna chose to courageously fight on behalf of the United States during World War I. He single-handedly fought, killed, and captured numerous enemy fighters in the French Theatre," a statement from Escobar's office reads. "He further distinguished himself by demonstrating exemplary commitment to the laws of war, protecting prisoners of war from wrongful execution at the hands of his fellow soldiers."

It's not the first time Escobar has vouched for Serna's recognition. She also sent a letter to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth back in July in support of getting his the distinction.

"America’s biggest strength is our diversity. However, the people of color and immigrants that have contributed so much to our military have for too long been hidden in the shadows of dark times in our history," Escobar said in her letter.

Serna died in 1992 at the age of 96.