Rafael Celestino Benitez
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral Rafael Celestino Benítez (March 9, 1917 – March 6, 1999) was a highly decorated submarine
commander who led the rescue effort of the crew members of the during the Cold War
. After retiring from the Navy, he was Pan American World Airways
' vice president for Latin America
. He was associate dean at the University of Miami Law School
and Dean of the university's Graduate School of International Studies.
, where he received his primary and secondary education. After he finished high school he was accepted in the United States Naval Academy
by appointment of the Honorable Santiago Iglesias
, Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner. He graduated from the academy in 1939 and was assigned to submarine duty. During World War II
, Benítez saw action aboard submarines and on various occasions weathered depth charge
attacks. For his actions, he was awarded the Silver Star
and two Bronze Stars
. On January 29, 1946, Lieutenant Commander Benítez was given his first submarine command, the . Benítez, inspired by his father who was a judge, attended Georgetown Law School and earned his law degree in June 1949.
Era, Benítez was given the command of the submarine USS Cochino. On August 12, 1949, the Cochino, along with the USS Tusk
, departed from the harbor of Portsmouth, England. Both diesel submarines were reported to be on a cold-water training mission. However, according to Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage
, the submarines — equipped with snorkel
s that allowed them to spend long periods underwater, largely invisible to an enemy, and with electronic gear designed to detect far-off radio signals — were part of an American intelligence
operation.
The mission of the Cochino and Tusk was to eavesdrop
on communications that revealed the testing of submarine-launched Soviet
missiles that might soon carry nuclear warheads. This was the first American undersea spy mission of the cold war.
On August 25, one the Cochinos 4,000-pound batteries caught fire, emitting hydrogen gas and smoke. Unable to receive any help from the Tusk, Commander Benítez directed the firefighting. He ordered the Cochino to surface and had dozens of crew members lash themselves to the deck rails with ropes while others fought the blaze. Benítez tried to save his ship and at the same time save his men from the toxic gases. He realized that the winds were about to tear the ropes and ordered his men to form a pyramid on the ship's open bridge, which was designed to hold seven men.
The Cochino suffered two casualties, Lt. Cmdr. Richard M. Wright, who survived despite the fact that he was severely burned and Robert Philo, a civilian sonar
expert, who attempted to reach the Tusk on a raft to report on the conditions of the Cochino, but was knocked overboard along with 11 of the Tusks crew members. As a result, Philo and six of the Tusk's crew perished.
The ocean waters became calmer during the night and the Tusk was able to approach the Cochino. All of the crew, with the exception of Commander Benítez, boarded the Tusk. Finally, the crew members of the Tusk convinced Benítez to board the Tusk, which he did two minutes before the Cochino sank off the coast of Norway
.
In 1952, Benítez was named chief of the United States naval mission to Cuba
, a position which he held until 1954. In 1955, Rear Admiral Benítez was given the command of the destroyer . The Waldron resumed normal operations along the east coast and in the West Indies under his command after having completed a circumnavigation of the globe. Rear Admiral Rafael Celestino Benítez was the recipient of two Silver Star Medals.
" and suggested that it had been seeking military information. On September 23, President Harry S. Truman
, confirming fears that had led to Commander Benitez's mission, announced that the Soviet Union had detonated its first nuclear device".
' vice president for Latin America. He taught international law and was associate dean at the University of Miami Law School
and Dean of the university's Graduate School of International Studies. During his years at University of Miami Law School, Benítez founded the Graduate Program for Foreign Lawyers, now known as the LL.M. Program in Comparative Law. He also inaugurated the "Lawyer of the Americas" (the predecessor of the Inter-American Law Review) and started the Masters Program in Inter-American Law for U.S. Lawyers. In 1978, he served as a board member of the US Foundation of the University of the Valley of Guatemala, located in Delaware
. Benítez was also the author of Anchors (ISBN 1-884878-05-9), a compilation of ethical and practical maxims, published on August 1996. On March 15, 2000, the University of Miami School of Law launched a Rafael C. Benítez Scholarship Fund to support the studies of foreign graduate students.
Benítez resided in Easton, Maryland
with his wife and three children, a son and two daughters. On March 6, 1999, he died at the Memorial Hospital located in Easton.
Badges:
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
commander who led the rescue effort of the crew members of the during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. After retiring from the Navy, he was Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
' vice president for Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. He was associate dean at the University of Miami Law School
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
and Dean of the university's Graduate School of International Studies.
Early years
Benítez was born in Juncos, Puerto RicoJuncos, Puerto Rico
Juncos is one of the 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico located in the eastern central region of the island, south of Canóvanas and Carolina; southeast of Gurabo; east of San Lorenzo; and west of Las Piedras. Juncos is spread over 9 wards and Juncos Pueblo...
, where he received his primary and secondary education. After he finished high school he was accepted in the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
by appointment of the Honorable Santiago Iglesias
Santiago Iglesias
Santiago Iglesias Pantín , a supporter of statehood for Puerto Rico, was the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in the U.S...
, Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner. He graduated from the academy in 1939 and was assigned to submarine duty. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Benítez saw action aboard submarines and on various occasions weathered depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
attacks. For his actions, he was awarded the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
and two Bronze Stars
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
. On January 29, 1946, Lieutenant Commander Benítez was given his first submarine command, the . Benítez, inspired by his father who was a judge, attended Georgetown Law School and earned his law degree in June 1949.
Cochino incident
During the latter part of 1949, in the era which is commonly known as the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
Era, Benítez was given the command of the submarine USS Cochino. On August 12, 1949, the Cochino, along with the USS Tusk
USS Tusk (SS-426)
USS Tusk , a , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for the tusk, an alternate name for the cusk, a large edible saltwater fish related to the cod. Her keel was laid down on 23 August 1943 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by the Cramp Shipbuilding Company. She was launched on 8...
, departed from the harbor of Portsmouth, England. Both diesel submarines were reported to be on a cold-water training mission. However, according to Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage
Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage
Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage , published in 1998 by Sherry Sontag, Christopher Drew, and Annette Lawrence Drew, is a non-fiction book about U.S. Navy submarine operations during the Cold War...
, the submarines — equipped with snorkel
Submarine snorkel
A submarine snorkel is a device which allows a submarine to operate submerged while still taking in air from above the surface. Navy personnel often refer to it as the snort.-History:...
s that allowed them to spend long periods underwater, largely invisible to an enemy, and with electronic gear designed to detect far-off radio signals — were part of an American intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
operation.
The mission of the Cochino and Tusk was to eavesdrop
Eavesdropping
Eavesdropping is the act of secretly listening to the private conversation of others without their consent, as defined by Black's Law Dictionary...
on communications that revealed the testing of submarine-launched Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
missiles that might soon carry nuclear warheads. This was the first American undersea spy mission of the cold war.
On August 25, one the Cochinos 4,000-pound batteries caught fire, emitting hydrogen gas and smoke. Unable to receive any help from the Tusk, Commander Benítez directed the firefighting. He ordered the Cochino to surface and had dozens of crew members lash themselves to the deck rails with ropes while others fought the blaze. Benítez tried to save his ship and at the same time save his men from the toxic gases. He realized that the winds were about to tear the ropes and ordered his men to form a pyramid on the ship's open bridge, which was designed to hold seven men.
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
expert, who attempted to reach the Tusk on a raft to report on the conditions of the Cochino, but was knocked overboard along with 11 of the Tusks crew members. As a result, Philo and six of the Tusk's crew perished.
The ocean waters became calmer during the night and the Tusk was able to approach the Cochino. All of the crew, with the exception of Commander Benítez, boarded the Tusk. Finally, the crew members of the Tusk convinced Benítez to board the Tusk, which he did two minutes before the Cochino sank off the coast of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
In 1952, Benítez was named chief of the United States naval mission to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, a position which he held until 1954. In 1955, Rear Admiral Benítez was given the command of the destroyer . The Waldron resumed normal operations along the east coast and in the West Indies under his command after having completed a circumnavigation of the globe. Rear Admiral Rafael Celestino Benítez was the recipient of two Silver Star Medals.
Aftermath of the Cochino incident
According to the New York Times of April 5, 1997, "On September 20, 1949, the Soviet publication Red Fleet said the Cochino had been "not far from MurmanskMurmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
" and suggested that it had been seeking military information. On September 23, President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
, confirming fears that had led to Commander Benitez's mission, announced that the Soviet Union had detonated its first nuclear device".
Post-Navy career
Benítez retired from the Navy in 1959, and became Pan American World AirwaysPan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
' vice president for Latin America. He taught international law and was associate dean at the University of Miami Law School
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
and Dean of the university's Graduate School of International Studies. During his years at University of Miami Law School, Benítez founded the Graduate Program for Foreign Lawyers, now known as the LL.M. Program in Comparative Law. He also inaugurated the "Lawyer of the Americas" (the predecessor of the Inter-American Law Review) and started the Masters Program in Inter-American Law for U.S. Lawyers. In 1978, he served as a board member of the US Foundation of the University of the Valley of Guatemala, located in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. Benítez was also the author of Anchors (ISBN 1-884878-05-9), a compilation of ethical and practical maxims, published on August 1996. On March 15, 2000, the University of Miami School of Law launched a Rafael C. Benítez Scholarship Fund to support the studies of foreign graduate students.
Benítez resided in Easton, Maryland
Easton, Maryland
Easton, founded 1710, is a town within the Easton District of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,708 at the 2000 census, and 14,677 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Talbot County. The primary ZIP Code is 21601, and the...
with his wife and three children, a son and two daughters. On March 6, 1999, he died at the Memorial Hospital located in Easton.
Awards and recognitions
Among Rear Admiral Benítez's decorations and medals were the following:
Silver StarSilver StarThe Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
with a Gold Star in lieu of a second award,
Bronze StarBronze Star MedalThe Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
,
American Campaign MedalAmerican Campaign MedalThe American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
,
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalThe Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...
,
World War II Victory MedalWorld War II Victory MedalThe World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
Badges:
Submarine Officers Warfare insigniaSubmarine Warfare insigniaThe Submarine Warfare Insignia is a uniform breast pin worn by enlisted men and officers of the United States Navy to indicate that they are qualified in submarines. The Submarine Warfare Insignia is considered one of the Navy's three major warfare pins along with the Surface Warfare Badge and...
See also
- Hispanic Admirals in the United States NavyHispanic Admirals in the United States NavyHispanic Admirals in the United States Navy can trace their tradition of naval military service to the Hispanic sailors, who have served in the Navy during every war and conflict since the American Revolution. Prior to the Civil War, the highest rank reached by a Hispanic-American in the U.S. Navy...
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- 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...
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- Hispanics in the United States NavyHispanics in the United States NavyHispanics in the United States Navy can trace their tradition of naval military service to men such as Lieutenant Jorge Farragut Mesquida, who served in the American Revolution. Hispanics, such as Seaman Philip Bazaar and Seaman John Ortega, have distinguished themselves in combat and have been...
- Hispanics in the United States Naval AcademyHispanics in the United States Naval AcademyHispanics in the United States Naval Academy account for the largest minority group in the institution. According to the Academy, the Class of 2009 includes 271 minority midshipmen. Out of these 271 midshipmen, 115 are of Hispanic heritage...