| Notable Puerto Ricans who served in the military |
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The following are the names of notable Puerto Rican men and women or people of Puerto Rican descent who served in the military of Spain, Cuba, Venezuela, England, United States or of that of any other country and have gained fame through previous or subsequent endeavors, infamy, or successes:
A
- Joseph M. Acaba, U.S. Marine Corps - Astronaut, scientist, educator
First Puerto Rican astronaut - Johnny Albino, U.S. Army - bolero singer
- Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos, U.S. Army - Politician
President and principal leader of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party. - Dr. Carlos Albizu Miranda, U.S. Army - Psychologist, educator
First Hispanic Educator to have a North American University renamed in his honor and one of the first Hispanics to earn a Ph.D. in Psychology in the United States.
B
- Ray Barretto, U.S. Army - Percussionist, jazz and salsa leader
- Dr. Víctor Manuel Blanco, U.S. Army Air Force - Astronomer
In 1959, Blanco discovered "Blanco 1," a galactic cluster. Blanco was the second Director of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, which has the largest 4-m telescope in the Southern Hemisphere, In 1995, the telescope was dedicated in his honor and named the "Víctor M. Blanco Telescope" and is also known as the "Blanco 4m" - Dr. Frank Bonilla, U.S. Army - Academic of Puerto Rican descent
Bonilla became a leading figure in Puerto Rican Studies.
C
- Roberto Clemente, U.S. Marine Corps - Major League baseball player,
First native Puerto Rican to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. - Francisco J. Collazo, U.S. Army - Businessman
Founder of "COLSA Corporation", a first-rate provider of engineering and support services in Huntsville, Alabama.
D
- Dr. Carlos Del Castillo, U.S. Army - Scientist
Recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) award, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.
E
- Sixto Escobar, U.S. Army - Boxer
First Puerto Rican world champion and member of Boxing Hall of Fame. - Nicholas Estavillo, U.S. Marine Corps - Former Chief of Patrol, NYPD
In 2002, Estavillo became the first Puerto Rican and the first Hispanic in the history of the NYPD to reach the three-star rank of Chief of Patrol. - Noel Estrada, U.S. Army - Composer
Composer of "En Mi Viejo San Juan."
F
- Pedro Flores, U.S. Army - Composer
One of Puerto Rico's best known composers of Ballads and Boleros.
G
- Dr. Joxel García, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Physician
García is a former four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He served as the thirteenth Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH). - José Gautier Benítez, Spanish Army - Poet
Considered by many to be Puerto Rico's best poet of the Romantic Era. - Aníbal González Irizarry, U.S. Army - Journalist
Former newscaster for "Telenoticias en accion."
H
- Rafael Hernández, U.S. Army - Composer
Composer of "Preciosa" and "Lamento Borincano" - Lorenzo Homar, U.S. Army - Visual artist
Considered by many to be Puerto Rico's greatest graphic artist.
L
- Dr. Jacob Lozada, U.S. Army - Management Consultant
Nominated by President George W. Bush to be Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
M
- José "Aguila Blanca" (White Eagle) Maldonado Román, Cuban Liberation Army - Puerto Rican revolutionary
His controversial exploits in Puerto Rico have contributed to making him part of Puerto Rican lore. - Hugo Margenat, U.S. Army - Poet
Margenat was the founder of the political youth pro-independence organizations "Acción Juventud Independentista" and "Federación de Universitarios Pro Independencia" - Ángel Mislan, Spanish Army - Composer of Danzas
- William Miranda Marín, Puerto Rico Army National Guard PRNG - Politician
Miranda was the former mayor of Caguas, Puerto Rico from 1996 till 2010. He was also the Adjusting General (Mayor General) for the Puerto Rico National Guard from 1990 till 1992 and
P
- Antonio Paoli, Spanish Army - Tenor, opera singer
First person in history to record an entire opera - Pedro Pietri, U.S. Army - Nuyorican poet and playwright
Pietri co-founded the Nuyorican Poets Café.
R
- Sylvia Rexach, U.S. Women's Army Corps - Singer, composer
- Marie Teresa Ríos, U.S. Women's Army Corps - Author
Author of the novel "The Fifteenth Pelican," which was the basis for the popular 1960s television sitcom, The Flying Nun. - Tomás "Maso Rivera" Rivera Morales, U.S. Army - Composer
Composed over 1,000 instrumental compositions for the cuatro. - Juan "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez, U.S. Army - Professional golfer
He is the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
S
- Joe Sánchez, U.S. Army - Author and former New York City police officer
Sánchez is a highly decorated former New York City police officer, and author whose books give an insight as to the corruption within the department. - Daniel Santos, U.S. Army - Composer
Singer of boleros - Miguel Ángel Suárez, U.S. Navy - Actor, playwright, stage director
Acted in various films such as Stir Crazy and Under Suspicion. - Ray Suarez, U.S. Marine Corps - Politician
Alderman of the 31st ward in Chicago.
T
- Francisco Torralbo, Spanish Army - Politician
Torralbo served as Spanish acting governor of Puerto Rico on two occasions, 1789 and 1792–1793, both ad interim. - Guillermo José Torres, U.S. Army - Journalist
Television reporter and news anchorman - José "Chegui" Torres, U.S. Army - Boxer
Light Heavyweight Championship and member of Boxing Hall of Fame. - Rafael Tufiño, U.S. Army - Painter and printmaker
V
- Antonio J. Vicens, U.S. Army - Adjutant General of the Puerto Rico National Guard.
- Juan Emilio Viguié, U.S. Army - Pioneer movie producer who produced Romance Tropical, the first Puerto Rican film with sound.
Z
- David Zayas, U.S. Air Force - Theatrical, film, and television actor
He is most known for his roles as Angel Batista on Showtime's series Dexter and as Enrique Morales on the HBO prison drama Oz.
Read more about this topic: Puerto Rican Military Personnel
Famous quotes containing the words notable, served and/or military:
“Every notable advance in technique or organization has to be paid for, and in most cases the debit is more or less equivalent to the credit. Except of course when it’s more than equivalent, as it has been with universal education, for example, or wireless, or these damned aeroplanes. In which case, of course, your progress is a step backwards and downwards.”
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)
“For, the expectation of gratitude is mean, and is continually punished by the total insensibility of the obliged person. It is a great happiness to get off without injury and heart-burning, from one who has had the ill luck to be served by you. It is a very onerous business, this being served, and the debtor naturally wishes to give you a slap.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“There was somewhat military in his nature, not to be subdued, always manly and able, but rarely tender, as if he did not feel himself except in opposition. He wanted a fallacy to expose, a blunder to pillory, I may say required a little sense of victory, a roll of the drum, to call his powers into full exercise.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)