List of Puerto Ricans missing in action in the Korean War
The United States Department of Defense has estimated that approximately 61,000 Puerto Ricans served in the military during the Korean War, most of them volunteers.[1] A total of 122 Puerto Rican soldiers were among the 8,200 people listed as missing in action (MIA). According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, there are 167 who are unaccounted for.[2] This list does not include non-Puerto Ricans who served in the 65th Infantry, nor those who were "POW" (Prisoners of War) or "KIA" (Killed in Action). Nor does the total of this list include people of Puerto Rican descent who were born in the mainland of the United States.[3]
Spain officially ceded Puerto Rico to the United States under the terms of the 1898 Treaty of Paris which concluded the Spanish–American War. It is a United States territory and upon the outbreak of World War I, the Congress enacted the Jones–Shafroth Act, which gave Puerto Ricans American citizenship with certain limitations (for example, Puerto Ricans are not allowed to vote in presidential elections).[4]
Thousands of Puerto Ricans participated in these conflicts.[1] Many lived and returned to their homeland, others either died or have been listed as missing in action.[1] The term "MIA" dates from 1946 and refers to a member of the armed services who is reported missing following a combat mission and whose status as to injury, capture, or death is unknown. The missing combatant must not have been otherwise accounted for as either killed in action or a prisoner of war.[5] The Korean War was one of two major conflicts which accounted for the most Puerto Ricans missing in action, the other being the Vietnam War.[6]
Korean War
![](../I/Ram%C3%B3n_N%C3%BA%C3%B1ez-Ju%C3%A1rez.jpg.webp)
According to the online archive "All POW-MIA Korean War Casualties," the total number of Puerto Rican casualties in the Korean War was 732. Out of the more than 700 casualties suffered in the war, a total of 122 Puerto Rican men were listed as Missing in Action.[7]
It was during the Korean War that Puerto Ricans suffered the most casualties as members of an all-Hispanic volunteer unit: the 65th Infantry Regiment. One of the problems the unit faced was the language difference; the common foot soldier spoke only Spanish, while the commanding officers were mostly English-speaking.[8] In September 1952, the 65th Infantry was holding onto a hill known as "Outpost Kelly" until the People's Volunteer Army which had joined the North Koreans, overran the position. This became known as the Battle for Outpost Kelly. Twice, the 65th Regiment was overwhelmed by Chinese artillery and driven off. The Battle of Outpost Kelly accounted for 73 of the men missing in action from the total of 122.[9] Out of the 73 MIAs suffered by the regiment in the month of September, 50 of them occurred on the same day: September 18.[10]
According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency seven Puerto Ricans who were members of the United States Marine Corps, with the exception of PFC Ramón Núñez-Juárez and PFC Manuel Perez-Pizarro who were Killed In Action. PFC Enrique Romero-Nieves and PFC Ramón Núñez-Juárez were awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest medal after the Medal of Honor that can be awarded by the Department of the Navy. Ramón Núñez-Juárez, who was listed as MIA, was posthumously awarded the medal. Núñez-Juárez's remains have never been recovered and a symbolic burial with full military honors was held on October 25, 1970.[11] There is a headstone with his name inscribed above an empty grave in the Puerto Rico National Cemetery, located in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.[12] His name and that of the others are inscribed in El Monumento de la Recordación, a monument dedicated to the Puerto Ricans who have fallen in combat, located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[13][14]
Puerto Ricans missing in action
The following is a list with the names, ranks and the date in which 122 Puerto Ricans were listed as missing in action in the Korean War.[15]
All of these men served within the ranks of the United States Army with the exception of Ramón Núñez-Juárez and Francisco González Matías, who served in the United States Marine Corps.[7]
Name | Rank | MIA date |
---|---|---|
Isaac Acevedo | Corporal | September 18, 1952 |
Héctor Alfaro Alfaro | Private | September 24, 1952 |
Hugo Álvarez | Corporal | June 5, 1951 |
Luis Amaro García | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Euripides Amy-Colon | Private first class | February 6, 1952 |
Lopus Andino Fonseca | Private | September 24, 1952 |
Jorge Berríos Santiago | Private | September 24, 1952 |
Julio Bonilla Vega | Private | September 18, 1952 |
José Burset Meléndez | Private | September 24, 1952 |
A Caballero Moreno | Private first class | April 1953 |
Juan Calderón Osorio | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
A Calimano Texidor | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Benigno Caraballo | Private | December 11, 1951 |
Juan Caramot Ortiz | Private | September 24, 1952 |
Miguel Cartagena Colón | Private | Unknown |
Manuel Colon Aponte | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Concepción Colón | Private | July 31, 1952 |
Luis Colón Negrón | Private | September 24, 1952 |
José Concepción López | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
James W. Connor | Captain | December 1, 1950 |
Zenon Cordero Cajigas | Private | September 24, 1952 |
Ángel Cortés Ostolaza | Private | September 24, 1952 |
Francisco Cosme Báez | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Jesús Cruz Beltrán | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
José Cruz Carrero | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Roberto Cruz Espinoza | Private | June 4, 1951 |
Nicolás Cruz Pérez | Corporal | June 10, 1953 |
Jesús Cruz Ramos | Private first class | June 9, 1953 |
Pablo Cruz Rosas | Private first class | November 25, 1952 |
Ángel Cruz Sánchez | Private first class | September 10, 1952 |
Carlos Dávila Rivera | Private | September 14, 1952 |
Wenceslao Delgado Ubiles | Private | October 19, 1952 |
Luis Díaz Acevedo | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Demetrio Díaz Algarín | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Fernando Díaz Colón | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Rafael Díaz Coto | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Saúl Droz Cartagena | Private first class | December 15, 1952 |
Carlos D. Feliciano | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Julio Feliciano Nieves | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Bienvenido Feliciano Otero | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Luis Figueroa Barbosa | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Julio Flores Navarro | Private | October 15, 1952 |
Ismael García Clara | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Cándido García Rosado | Private first class | September 25, 1952 |
Manuel González Bernard | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Israel González Nazario | Private | July 17, 1952 |
Juan E. González Ortiz | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Porfirio González Renta | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Ángel González Rosario | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Israel González Saez | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Santos González | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Isidro Hernández Dones | Corporal | September 21, 1952 |
Luis Hernández Rodríguez | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Benjamín Hernández Torres | Private first class | August 12, 1952 |
O. Irizarry Gerena | Private | December 16, 1951 |
A. Jiménez Olivencia | Corporal | September 18, 1952 |
Miguel Jiménez Tosado | Private first class | July 9, 1953 |
Maximian Lacsamana | Corporal | December 3, 1950 |
Jaime Laugier | Corporal | February 16, 1952 |
Luis López Cronoz | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Herminio Luciano Rodriguez | Private first class | December 9, 1952 |
Israel Malaret Juarbe | Sergeant first class | December 10, 1952 |
Ramón Marquez De León | Private first class | October 27, 1952 |
Luis Martínez Hernández | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Ramon Martínez Landrón | Private | September 21, 1952 |
Luis Martínez | Private | November 6, 1952 |
Pedro Martínez Otero | Corporal | September 18, 1952 |
Francisco Matos González | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Alberto Meléndez Meléndez | Private first class | October 23, 1952 |
Marcial Meléndez Negrón | Corporal | September 24, 1952 |
Luis Méndez Hernández | Corporal | July 19, 1952 |
Salomé Mercado Hernández | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Carlos Miranda Cotto | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Roberto Molina García | Private first class | September 21, 1952 |
Maximino Molina Gerena | Corporal | February 6, 1952 |
Sixto Montañez Franco | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Alfredo Morales Reyes | Corporal | August 14, 1952 |
Nelson Moreno Rosa | Corporal | September 18, 1952 |
Ramón Murga Amador | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
José A. Napoleón Escudero | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Jorge Negrón Martínez | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
José Negrón Ortiz | Corporal | September 18, 1952 |
Arcadio Nieves Larry | Corporal | September 24, 1952 |
Ramón Núñez-Juárez | Private first class | September 8, 1952 |
Bartolomé Pacheco | Private | January 8, 1952 |
Juan Peña Andújar | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Miguel Pérez | Private first class | January 8, 1952 |
Pedro Pérez Pérez | Private first class | August 12, 1952 |
Efraín Pérez Rodríguez | Corporal | July 20, 1952 |
Luis Pérez Villegas | Private | September 18, 1952 |
Nicolás Pizarro Matos | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Pedro Pomales Pomales | Private | September 21, 1952 |
Pedro Angel Quiñones Velez | Corporal | September 24, 1952 |
Marino Quirindongo | Private | December 16, 1951 |
Marcos Reyes Rodríguez | Private | October 27, 1952 |
William Reyes | Private | June 5, 1951 |
Juan Rivera Carrillo | Private first class | October 28, 1952 |
Roberto Rivera Claudio | Private | October, 1952 |
Gilberto Rivera Cruz | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Israel Rivera Galarza | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Luis P. Rivera | Private first class | September 26, 1952 |
Raul Rivera Rodríguez | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Rubén Rivera | Private | September 24, 1952 |
Enrique Rodríguez | Private | July 8, 1953 |
Alberto Rodríguez Lozada | Sergeant first class | June 4, 1951 |
Pedro A. Rodríguez | Private first class | January 11, 1952 |
Juan Rojas Reyes | Private first class | September 20, 1952 |
Ramón Roque Peña | Private first class | October 16, 1952 |
José Rosado Bravo | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Francisco Rosario Meléndez | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Ángel Salgado Torres | Private | January 8, 1952 |
Ángel S. Sanabria | Private first class | January 28, 1952 |
Rafael Sánchez López | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Angel L. Santiago | Private | June 3, 1951 |
José Santiago Ortiz | Private first class | October 14, 1952 |
Ramón Santiago Rosario | Sergeant | February 6, 1952 |
Norberto Santos Rivero | Corporal | June 4, 1951 |
Nicolás Santos Rosario | Private first class | December 11, 1951 |
José Torres Cabán | First lieutenant | September 29, 1950 |
Jorge Torres Green | Private | July 19, 1952 |
Samuel Torres Rodríguez | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Jorge L. Vázquez | Sergeant | February 6, 1952 |
Luis Vélez Montes | Private first class | September 18, 1952 |
Miguel Vélez Santiago | Private | December 23, 1951 |
Miguel A. Zayas | Private first class | February 6, 1952 |
Their names are inscribed in El Monumento de la Recordación (The Wall of Remembrance) located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[14]
![](../I/El_Monumento_de_la_Recordacion.jpg.webp)
See also
References
- "Historic Review on the 65 Infantry Regiment" (PDF). Retrieved May 29, 2011.
- POW/MIA Accounting Agency
- "Korean War–Cold War". Advocacy & Intelligence Index For POWs–MIAs Archives. Archived from the original on 2007-06-24. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- "Jones-Shafroth Act". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- "Definition of MIA". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- "CNN". Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
- "All POW-MIA Korean War Casualties: Puerto Rico". Advocacy & Intelligence Index For POWs-MIAs Archives. Archived from the original on 2007-06-09. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- "History of the 65th infantry regiment – Korean War". Valeros.com. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- Outpost Kelly: A Tanker's Story, by Jack R. Siewert, Publisher: Fire Ant Books, ISBN 978-0-8173-5341-4
- "The 65th Infantry Regiment on Kelly in September 1952". Mervino.com. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- The Outpost War: US Marines in Korea Vol. 1 1952, By Lee Ballenger, Published 2000 Brassey's, p. 107, ISBN 1-57488-373-9
- Image of Núñez-Juárez's headstone
- "Puerto Rico National Cemetery". Interment.net. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
- "Monumento de la Recordación". Rootsweb.com. Archived from the original on 2007-08-18. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
- Source of data: the Korean War Extract Data File, as of April 29, 2008, of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Files, part of Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. You can view the full DCAS record for an individual named in the list via the Access to Archival Databases resource, or AAD. The link to the AAD main page is as follows: www.archives.gov/aad
Further reading
- Puertorriquenos Who Served With Guts, Glory, and Honor. Fighting to Defend a Nation Not Completely Their Own; by Greg Boudonck; ISBN 978-1497421837
- Historia militar de Puerto Rico; by Hector Andres Negroni; Sociedad Estatal Quinto Centenario (1992); ISBN 84-7844-138-7