Pedro Rodriguez (soldier)
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Master Sergeant Pedro Rodriguez (January 3, 1912 – October 19, 1999) born in Lajas, Puerto Rico, earned two Silver Star Medals within a seven day period during the Korean War.
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Rodriguez was born into a poor family. His father owned an ox cart and earned a living by delivering goods to the town's merchants. Rodriguez didn't have a formal education and would rise early in the morning to help his father. Together they would go to the railroad station, where they would load the goods onto their ox cart and then proceed to deliver 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 U.S. Army. He made $21 (dollars) a month with 3 meals a day.
Rodriguez was assigned to the 65th Infantry, the all Puerto Rican Regiment and was stationed in Panama. When World War II broke out, the 65th Infantry was sent to North Africa. On September 1944, his company landed in Marseilles, France and marched north into Germany without any major incident.
After the war, the 65th Infantry was stationed in Puerto Rico. The 65th was deployed to Korea, upon the outbreak of the Korean War on August 26, 1950. By the time the "Borinqueneers", as the 65th was known, reached Korea, Rodriguez had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Sgt. Rodriguez was a member of Company F and on March 24, 1952, he led his unit to secure Hill 476. A camouflaged enemy machine gun opened fire on them and Sgt. Rodriguez led a squad with fixed bayonets on an assault on the area from which the gunfire came from. The enemy fled leaving their supplies behind. For his actions, Sgt. Rodriguez was awarded his first Silver Star Medal.
A week later on March 31, his company was defending Hill 398, near Choksong-Myon, when they came under an enemy mortar barrage. The enemy attack pinned down and inflicted heavy casualties on the lead platoon. Sgt. Rodriguez was ordered to assist the stalled unit and led his platoon in an assault that routed the enemy. Sgt. Rodriguez was awarded a second Silver Star Medal.
Sgt. Rodriguez retired from the Army with the rank of Master Sergeant and went to work as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Puerto Rico. He was married to Asuncion Toro with whom he had five children.
In 1979, Rodriguez went to live at the Soldier's and Airmen's Retirement Home in Washington, D.C. He suffered a stroke and lost his left leg in 1997.
Master Sergeant Pedro Rodriguez 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.
[edit] Military awards and decorations
Among Rodriguez's decorations were the following:
Silver Star Medal with bronze star
