Pedro Rodríguez (soldier)

Pedro Rodríguez
Master Sergeant Pedro Rodríguez c. 1979 Earned two Silver Star Medals in one week
Born	(1912-01-03)January 3, 1912 Lajas, Puerto Rico
Died	October 19, 1999(1999-10-19) (aged 87) Washington D.C., U.S.
Buried	Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance	United States of America
Service / branch	United States Army Army National Guard
Years of service	1937–1979
Rank	Master Sergeant
Unit	65th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division
Battles / wars	World War II Korean War
Awards	Silver Star (2) Purple Heart

Master Sergeant Pedro Rodríguez (January 3, 1912 – October 19, 1999) was a U.S. Army soldier from Puerto Rico who earned two Silver Stars within a seven-day period during the Korean War.^[1] He is one of the few U.S. Army soldiers and perhaps the only Puerto Rican soldier other than Brigadier General Antonio Rodríguez Balinas, Second Lieutenant Vidal Rodriguez-Amaro, and Sergeant First Class Felix G. Nieves to receive more than one Silver Star during the Korean War. Rodríguez served in the 65th Infantry Regiment during both World War II and the Korean War; the 65th Infantry was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2014.

Rodríguez was born Lajas, Puerto Rico, on January 3, 1912, into a poor family. Rodríguez did not have a formal education. His father owned an ox cart and earned a living by delivering goods to the town's merchants. Rodríguez rose early in the morning to help his father. Together they went to the railroad station, where they loaded the goods onto their ox cart and then delivered them. When he was 14 years old, his father died and he had to take over the ox cart and the financial responsibility of his family. The economic situation became so bad that in 1937, when he was 25 years old, he joined the Puerto Rico National Guard.^{[citation needed]}

Rodríguez was assigned to the 65th Infantry Regiment, the all Puerto Rican regiment and was stationed in Panama. When World War II broke out, the 65th Infantry was sent to North Africa. In September 1944, his company landed in Marseilles, France, and marched north into Germany without any major incident.^[2][3]

After the war, the 65th Infantry was stationed in Puerto Rico. The 65th was activated to the U.S. Army was deployed to Korea attached to the 3rd Infantry Division, upon the outbreak of the Korean War on August 26, 1950. By the time the "Borinqueneers", as the 65th was known, reached Korea, Rodríguez had been promoted to the rank of sergeant.^[2][3]

First Silver Star

Sgt. Rodríguez was a member of Company F and on March 24, 1951, he led his unit to secure Hill 476. When a camouflaged enemy machine gun opened fire on them, Rodríguez led a squad with fixed bayonets in an assault on the area from which the gunfire came from. The enemy fled leaving their supplies behind. For his actions, Rodríguez was awarded his first Silver Star Medal.^[3]

2nd Silver Star Medal

A week later on March 31, his company was attacking Hill 398, near Choksong-Myon, when they came under an enemy mortar barrage. After, the enemy pinned down and inflicted heavy casualties on the lead platoon, Rodríguez was ordered to assist the stalled unit and led his platoon in an assault that routed the enemy. For his actions, he was awarded a second Silver Star Medal.^[4][3]

Other U.S. Army soldiers and officers to receive more than one Silver Star for actions during the Korean War include First Lieutenant Romeo H. Bucknell Jr., First Lieutenant Smith B. Chamberlain, Second Lieutenant Robert H. Coldren, First Lieutenant Charles H. Fleming, Colonel David Haskell Hackworth, First Lieutenant Jerimiah V. Hayhurst, First Lieutenant Raymond W. King, Captain Edward A. Konek, Sergeant First Class Felix G. Nieves, Second Lieutenant Hans G. Olsen, Second Lieutenant Vidal Rodriguez-Amaro, Brigadier General Antonio Rodríguez Balinas, and Lieutenant Colonel Howard B. Sinclair.^[5]

Among Rodríguez's decorations were the following:

Foreign Medal The Bravery Gold Medal of Greece was given by the Government of Greece to the 65th Infantry Regiment and to the members of the regiment who fought in the Korean War.

•   Chryssoun Aristion Andrias (Bravery Gold Medal of Greece)

Congressional Gold Medal

External videos
You can see a video of President Barack Obama awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Borinqueneers on YouTube

On June 10, 2014, President Barack Obama, signed the legislation known as "The Borinqueneers CGM Bill" at an official ceremony. The Bill honors the 65th Infantry Regiment with the Congressional Gold Medal.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Rodríguez retired from the Army with the rank of Master Sergeant and went to work as a mail carrier for the United States Postal Service in Puerto Rico. In 1979, Rodríguez went to live at the Soldier's and Airmen's Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. In 1977, he had a stroke and other medical complications including the loss of his left leg.^[3][12] Rodríguez died on October 19, 1999, at the age of 88, from a heart attack. He was buried with full military honors at the Arlington National Cemetery. He was married to Asuncion Toro with whom he had five children.^[3][12]

• List of Puerto Ricans
• List of Puerto Rican military personnel
• 65th Infantry Regiment
• Puerto Ricans in World War II
• Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal

• Puertorriquenos Who Served With Guts, Glory, and Honor. Fighting to Defend a Nation Not Completely Their Own, Greg Boudonck; ISBN 1497421837; ISBN 978-1497421837

• Pedro Rodríguez