Pedro Rodríguez (soldier)

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. 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.

Early years

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.

World War II

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 Marseille, France, and marched north into Germany without any major incident.

Korean War

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.

Military awards and decorations

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| colspan="3" align="center" |alt=A metal device depicting a blue bar with a rifle, in front of a wreath of silver leaves.|center|254x254px

! align="center" |

| align="center" |

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

!Badge

| colspan="3" |Combat Infantryman Badge

!1st row

|Silver Star

|Bronze Star Medal

|Purple Heart

!2nd row

|Army Commendation Medal

|Navy Commendation Medal

|Army Good Conduct Medal

!3rd row

|American Defense Service Medal

|American Campaign Medal

|European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

!4th row

|World War II Victory Medal

|Army of Occupation Medal

|National Defense Service Medal

!5th Row

|Korean Service Medal

|United Nations Service Medal Korea

|Korean War Service Medal

!Unit Awards

|Presidential Unit Citation

|Meritorious Unit Commendation

|Korean Presidential Unit Citation

Later years

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. 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.