List of Puerto Rican recipients of the Medal of Honor
Encyclopedia
Puerto Rican recipients of the Medal of Honor |
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Puerto Ricans
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated in every conflict in which the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has been involved, from World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
to the Iraq War. The following five soldiers of Puerto Rican descent have made the ultimate sacrifice and were posthumously awarded the nation's highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, sometimes referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor is bestowed "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty, in actual combat against an armed enemy force." The medal is awarded by the President of the United States on behalf of the Congress.
PFC Fernando Luis García was the first Puerto Rican and the only one who was a member of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
to have been awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. The other four were members of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and were awarded the medal for their actions during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
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Medal of Honor
The Medal of HonorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
was created during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously.
Korean War
PFC Fernando Luis García*Fernando Luis García
Private First Class Fernando Luis García , a member of the United States Marines, was the first Puerto Rican, from a total of five, to be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.-Early years:...
(October 14, 1929 - September 5, 1952), born in Utuado, Puerto Rico
Utuado, Puerto Rico
Utuado is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central-western mountainous region of the island known as La Cordillera Central. It is located north of Adjuntas and Ponce; south of Hatillo and Arecibo; east of Lares; and west of Ciales and Jayuya. In land area it is the third-largest...
, was a member of the United States Marines and the first Puerto Rican who was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor citation:
In memory:
PFC Fernando Luis Garcia's remains were never recovered. There is a headstone with Garcia's name in the Puerto Rico National Cemetery
Puerto Rico National Cemetery
Puerto Rico National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Bayamón, in the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It encompasses of land, and as of the end of 2005, had 44,722 interments. It is the only National Cemetery in Puerto Rico, and the only one outside of the mainland...
in the city of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Vietnam War
PFC Carlos James Lozada*Carlos Lozada
Private First Class Carlos James Lozada , was a member of the United States Army who was one of five Puerto Ricans who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for their actions in combat.-Early years:...
(September 6, 1946 - November 20, 1967), born in Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas, Puerto Rico
Caguas , founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey....
, was a member of Company A, 2d Battalion, 503d Infantry of the 173d Airborne Brigade, United States Army who was killed in action in Vietnam and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor citation:
In memory:
PFC Lozada was buried with full military honors in Long Island National Cemetery located in Farmingdale, New York
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
. His name is located in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia, and those service members who were unaccounted for during the War.Its...
Wall Panel 30E-Row 045. His name is also inscribed in "El Monumento de la Recordación" (Monument of Remembrance), dedicated to Puerto Rico's fallen soldiers and situated in front of the Capitol Building in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. The Bronx honored him by naming a playground in his honor located behind 175 Willis Ave.
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Capt. Eurípides Rubio*
Euripides Rubio
Captain Eurípides Rubio , born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was a United States Army officer and one of five Puerto Ricans who were posthumously awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor — the Medal of Honor for actions on November 8, 1966 during the Vietnam War...
(March 1, 1938 - November 8, 1966), born in Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, was a United States Army captain. Rubio was a member of the U.S. Army, H&H Co., 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, RVN.
Medal of Honor citation:
In memory:
The U.S. Army Reserve Center in the Puerto Nuevo sector of San Juan, PR was named after Captain Eurípides Rubio. The Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Ponce, PR was also named in memory of Captain Eurípides Rubio. Capt.Eurípides Rubio's name is inscribed in "El Monumento de la Recordación" (Monument of Remembrance), dedicated to Puerto Rico's fallen soldiers and situated in front of the Capitol Building in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The name Eurípides Rubio is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial ("The Wall") on Panel 12E, Row 044.
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Specialist Four Héctor Santiago-Colón*
Hector Santiago-Colon
Specialist Four Héctor Santiago-Colón is one of five Puerto Ricans who have been posthumously presented with the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States...
(December 20, 1942 - June 28, 1968) was born in Salinas, Puerto Rico
Salinas, Puerto Rico
Salinas is a small municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Aibonito and Cayey; southeast of Coamo, east of Santa Isabel; and west of Guayama...
. Santiago-Colon was a member of the U.S. Army, Company B, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. He posthumously presented with the Medal of Honor, during the Vietnam War for saving the lives of his fellow comrades.
Medal of Honor citation:
In memory:
On July 1975, The Puerto Rican National Guard renamed their base "Camp Salinas", which is located close to Santiago-Colón's birth town, with the name "Camp Santiago" in his honor. He was the second Puerto Rican to be so honored. The first Puerto Rican who has a base named after him is Marine PFC Fernando Luis García. Santiago-Colón's name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located at Panel 54W Line 013. Santiago-Colón's name is also inscribed in "El Monumento de la Recordación" (Monument of Remembrance), dedicated to Puerto Rico's fallen soldiers and situated in front of the Capitol Building in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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Captain Humbert Roque Versace*
Humbert Roque Versace
Captain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace was a United States Army officer of Puerto Rican-Italian descent who was awarded the United States' highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his heroic actions while a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. He was the first member of...
(July 2, 1937-September 26, 1965) born in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, was a United States Army Captain of Puerto Rican-Italian descent who was awarded the United States' highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor - for his heroic actions while a prisoner of war (POW) during the Vietnam War. He was the first member of the U.S. Army to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions performed while in captivity in Southeast Asia.
Medal of Honor citation:
In memory:
On July 9, 2002, Secretary of the Army Thomas E. White
Thomas E. White
Thomas E. White, Jr. is an American businessman and former United States Army officer who served as senior executive at the now collapsed Enron and as the United States Secretary of the Army from May 31, 2001 until April 25, 2003.-Military career and education:In 1963 White graduated from Cass...
and Army Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff of the United States Army
The Chief of Staff of the Army is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is in...
General Eric K. Shinseki inducted Versace into the Pentagon Hall of Heroes
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
. Versace’s capture and execution was chronicled in the book Five Years to Freedom by Nick Rowe.
There is a statue with the likeness of Versace located in the Rocky Verace Plaza, made possible with a donation of $125,000 raised by the citizens of Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
. On Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
of 2007, Versace's name was inscribed in Puerto Rico's monument "El Monumento de la Recordacion".
El Monumento de la Recordación
The names of the first four Puerto Rican Medal of Honor recipients were among the original inscriptions in Puerto Rico's "El Monumento de la Recordación" (Monument of Remembrance) which is dedicated to the Puerto Ricans (both those who were born in the island and/or those who were born elsewhere, but are of Puerto Rican descent) who have fallen in combat as members of the Armed Forces of the United States. Versace's inscription was subsequently unveiled by then-Senate president Kenneth McClintockKenneth McClintock
Kenneth D. McClintock-Hernández is the current Secretary of State of Puerto Rico. Mr. McClintock served as co-chair of Hillary Clinton presidential campaign's National Hispanic Leadership Council in 2008, co-chaired Clinton's successful Puerto Rico primary campaign that year and served as the...
and then-Speaker José Aponte
José Aponte
Jose Fernando Aponte Hernández , is an accountant and former Speaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. He was born in San Juan and obtained a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras in 1980.Aponte is married to Aida I. Rodríguez Roig, and has...
. The monument, an initiative of then-Senate Majority Leader Charlie Rodríguez
Charlie Rodríguez
Charles "Charlie" Rodríguez is a New York City-born Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the New Progressive Party . He served as the eleventh President of the Senate of Puerto Rico from 1997 until 2000.-Early life:...
, erected during the Senate presidency of Roberto Rexach Benítez
Roberto Rexach Benítez
Roberto Rexach Benítez is a Puerto Rican politician, and former Senator and Representative. Rexach Benítez served as the tenth President of the Senate of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 1996...
, is located in front of the Capitol Building of Puerto Rico in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. There are paintings of each of the Puerto Rican Medal of Honor recipients, by the late Cuban-Venezuelan artist Estrella Díaz, inside the Capitol Building in Puerto Rico.
Photo gallery
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| Garcia, Fernando Luis Fernando Luis García Private First Class Fernando Luis García , a member of the United States Marines, was the first Puerto Rican, from a total of five, to be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.-Early years:... |
Lozada, Carlos James Carlos Lozada Private First Class Carlos James Lozada , was a member of the United States Army who was one of five Puerto Ricans who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for their actions in combat.-Early years:... |
Rubio, Euripides Euripides Rubio Captain Eurípides Rubio , born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was a United States Army officer and one of five Puerto Ricans who were posthumously awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor — the Medal of Honor for actions on November 8, 1966 during the Vietnam War... |
Santiago-Colon, Hector Hector Santiago-Colon Specialist Four Héctor Santiago-Colón is one of five Puerto Ricans who have been posthumously presented with the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States... |
Versace, Humbert Roque Humbert Roque Versace Captain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace was a United States Army officer of Puerto Rican-Italian descent who was awarded the United States' highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his heroic actions while a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. He was the first member of... |
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans-Military
- Puerto Rican recipients of the Distinguished Service CrossPuerto Rican recipients of the Distinguished Service CrossPuerto Ricans have served as members of the United States Armed Forces and have fought in every major conflict in which the United States has been involved from World War I onward. Many Puerto Ricans, including those of Puerto Rican descent, have distinguished themselves during combat as members...
- Puerto Rican recipients of the Navy CrossPuerto Rican recipients of the Navy CrossPuerto Ricans have served as members of the United States Armed Forces and have fought in every major conflict in which the United States has been involved from World War I onward. Many Puerto Ricans, including those of Puerto Rican descent, have distinguished themselves during combat as members of...
- List of Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients
- El Grito de Lares
- Intentona de YaucoIntentona de YaucoThe Intentona de Yauco a.k.a. the "Attempted Coup of Yauco" of 1897, was the second and last major revolt against Spanish colonial rule in Puerto Rico, staged by Puerto Rico's pro-independence movement....
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- Military history of Puerto RicoMilitary history of Puerto RicoThe recorded military history of Puerto Rico encompasses the period from the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadores battled native Tainos in the rebellion of 1511, to the present employment of Puerto Ricans in the United States Armed Forces in the military campaigns in Afghanistan and...
- Puerto Rican CampaignPuerto Rican CampaignThe Puerto Rican Campaign was an American military sea and land operation on the island of Puerto Rico during the Spanish–American War. The offensive began on May 12, 1898, when the United States Navy attacked the archipelago’s capital, San Juan. Though the damage inflicted on the city was minimal,...
- Puerto Ricans in World War IPuerto Ricans in World War IPuerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States Armed Forces in every conflict in which the United States has been involved since World War I. One of the consequences of the Spanish-American War was that Puerto Rico was annexed by the United States...
- Puerto Ricans in World War IIPuerto Ricans in World War IIPuerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States Armed Forces in every conflict in which the United States has been involved since World War I. In World War II, Puerto Rican members of the U.S. armed forces guarded U.S...
- Puerto Ricans in the Vietnam WarPuerto Ricans in the Vietnam WarThousands of Puerto Ricans served in the Armed Forces of the United States during the Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War. Said war was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to April 30, 1975. Puerto Ricans served in different positions...
- Puerto Ricans Missing in Action - Korean WarPuerto Ricans Missing in Action - Korean WarThis is a list of Puerto Ricans Missing in Action in the Korean War. A total of 61,000 Puerto Ricans served in the military during the Korean War, most of them volunteers. A total of 121 Puerto Rican soldiers were among the 8,200 people listed as Missing in Action...
- Puerto Ricans Missing in Action - Vietnam WarPuerto Ricans Missing in Action - Vietnam WarThere were 18 Puerto Ricans Missing in Action in the Vietnam War, from a total of 2,338 people that were listed as Missing in Action. This total, with the exception of PFC...
- Puerto Rican Nationalist Party Revolts of the 1950sPuerto Rican Nationalist Party Revolts of the 1950sThe Puerto Rican Nationalist Party Revolts of the 1950s was a call for independence and uprising by the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party against United States Government rule of Puerto Rico and against the approval of the creation of the political status "Free Associated State" for Puerto Rico which...
- Puerto Rican women in the militaryPuerto Rican women in the militaryOne of the least known roles played by Puerto Rican women has been that of revolutionists and soldiers. This is a brief account of some the Puerto Rican women who have participated in military actions either as members of a political revolutionary movement or the Armed Forces of the United...
- 65th Infantry Regiment