Mario was born to Barbarita Pineda and Santiago Gonsalez in San Angelo, Texas. He attended San Angelo schools and was drafted into the U.S. Army in the winter of 1968. He was killed by an errant 105mm artillery shell that landed in the middle of his platoon while on night laager on March 5, 1970. He was posthumously promoted to Corporal. He is remembered by the Concho Valley Vietnam Memorial and by the Permian Basin Vietnam Veterans' Memorial located in Midland, Texas. May his sacrifice not be forgotten.