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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]

POW/MIA flag

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

1992 painting depicting the Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment's bayonet charge against a Chinese division during the Korean War.
PFC Ramón Núñez-Juárez

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]

NameRankMIA date
Isaac AcevedoE4Corporal1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Héctor Alfaro AlfaroE1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
Hugo ÁlvarezE4Corporal1951-06-05June 5, 1951
Luis Amaro GarcíaE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Euripides Amy-ColonE3Private first class1952-02-06February 6, 1952
Lopus Andino FonsecaE1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
Jorge Berríos SantiagoE1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
Julio Bonilla VegaE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
José Burset MeléndezE1Private1952-09-24 September 24, 1952
A Caballero MorenoE3Private first class1954-04-01April 1953
Juan Calderón OsorioE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
A Calimano TexidorE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Benigno CaraballoE1Private1951-12-11December 11, 1951
Juan Caramot OrtizE1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
Miguel Cartagena ColónE1PrivateUnknownUnknown
Manuel Colon AponteE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Concepción ColónE1Private1952-07-31July 31, 1952
Luis Colón NegrónE1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
José Concepción LópezE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
James W. ConnorO3Captain1950-12-01December 1, 1950
Zenon Cordero CajigasE1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
Ángel Cortés OstolazaE1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
Francisco Cosme BáezE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Jesús Cruz BeltránE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
José Cruz CarreroE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Roberto Cruz EspinozaE1Private1951-06-04June 4, 1951
Nicolás Cruz PérezE4Corporal1953-06-10June 10, 1953
Jesús Cruz RamosE3Private first class1953-06-09June 9, 1953
Pablo Cruz RosasE3Private first class1952-11-25November 25, 1952
Ángel Cruz SánchezE3Private first class1952-09-10September 10, 1952
Carlos Dávila RiveraE1Private1952-09-14September 14, 1952
Wenceslao Delgado UbilesE1Private1952-10-19October 19, 1952
Luis Díaz AcevedoE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Demetrio Díaz AlgarínE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Fernando Díaz ColónE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Rafael Díaz CotoE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Saúl Droz CartagenaE3Private first class1952-12-15December 15, 1952
Carlos D. FelicianoE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Julio Feliciano NievesE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Bienvenido Feliciano OteroE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Luis Figueroa BarbosaE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Julio Flores NavarroE1Private1952-10-15October 15, 1952
Ismael García ClaraE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Cándido García RosadoE3Private first class1952-09-25September 25, 1952
Manuel González BernardE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Israel González NazarioE1Private1952-07-17July 17, 1952
Juan E. González OrtizE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Porfirio González RentaE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Ángel González RosarioE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Israel González SaezE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Santos GonzálezE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Isidro Hernández DonesE4Corporal1952-09-21September 21, 1952
Luis Hernández RodríguezE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Benjamín Hernández TorresE3Private first class1952-08-12August 12, 1952
O. Irizarry GerenaE1Private1951-12-16December 16, 1951
A. Jiménez OlivenciaE4Corporal1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Miguel Jiménez TosadoE3Private first class1953-07-09July 9, 1953
Maximian LacsamanaE4Corporal1950-12-03December 3, 1950
Jaime LaugierE4Corporal1952-02-16February 16, 1952
Luis López CronozE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Herminio Luciano RodriguezE1Private first class1952-12-09December 9, 1952
Israel Malaret JuarbeE7Sergeant first class1952-12-10December 10, 1952
Ramón Marquez De LeónE3Private first class1952-10-27October 27, 1952
Luis Martínez HernándezE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Ramon Martínez LandrónE1Private1952-09-21September 21, 1952
Luis MartínezE1Private1952-11-06November 6, 1952
Pedro Martínez OteroE4Corporal1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Francisco Matos GonzálezE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Alberto Meléndez MeléndezE3Private first class1952-10-23October 23, 1952
Marcial Meléndez NegrónE4Corporal1952-09-24September 24, 1952
Luis Méndez HernándezE4Corporal1952-07-19July 19, 1952
Salomé Mercado HernándezE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Carlos Miranda CottoE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Roberto Molina GarcíaE3Private first class1952-09-21September 21, 1952
Maximino Molina GerenaE4Corporal1952-02-06February 6, 1952
Sixto Montañez FrancoE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Alfredo Morales ReyesE4Corporal1952-08-14August 14, 1952
Nelson Moreno RosaE4Corporal1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Ramón Murga AmadorE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
José A. Napoleón EscuderoE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Jorge Negrón MartínezE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
José Negrón OrtizE4Corporal1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Arcadio Nieves LarryE4Corporal1952-09-24September 24, 1952
Ramón Núñez-JuárezE3Private first class1952-09-08September 8, 1952
Bartolomé PachecoE1Private1952-01-08January 8, 1952
Juan Peña AndújarE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Miguel PérezE3Private first class1952-01-08January 8, 1952
Pedro Pérez PérezE3Private first class1952-08-12August 12, 1952
Efraín Pérez RodríguezE4Corporal1952-07-20July 20, 1952
Luis Pérez VillegasE1Private1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Nicolás Pizarro MatosE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Pedro Pomales PomalesE1Private1952-09-21September 21, 1952
Pedro Angel Quiñones VelezE4Corporal1952-09-24September 24, 1952
Marino QuirindongoE1Private1951-12-16December 16, 1951
Marcos Reyes RodríguezE1Private1952-10-27October 27, 1952
William ReyesE1Private1951-06-05June 5, 1951
Juan Rivera CarrilloE3Private first class1952-10-28October 28, 1952
Roberto Rivera ClaudioE1Private1952-10-01October, 1952
Gilberto Rivera CruzE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Israel Rivera GalarzaE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Luis P. RiveraE3Private first class1952-09-26September 26, 1952
Raul Rivera RodríguezE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Rubén RiveraE1Private1952-09-24September 24, 1952
Enrique RodríguezE1Private1953-07-08July 8, 1953
Alberto Rodríguez LozadaE7Sergeant first class1951-06-04June 4, 1951
Pedro A. RodríguezE3Private first class1952-01-11January 11, 1952
Juan Rojas ReyesE3Private first class1952-09-20September 20, 1952
Ramón Roque PeñaE3Private first class1952-10-16October 16, 1952
José Rosado BravoE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Francisco Rosario MeléndezE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Ángel Salgado TorresE1Private1952-01-08January 8, 1952
Ángel S. SanabriaE3Private first class1952-01-28January 28, 1952
Rafael Sánchez LópezE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Angel L. SantiagoE1Private1951-06-03June 3, 1951
José Santiago OrtizE3Private first class1952-10-14October 14, 1952
Ramón Santiago RosarioE5Sergeant1952-02-06February 6, 1952
Norberto Santos RiveroE4Corporal1951-06-04June 4, 1951
Nicolás Santos RosarioE3Private first class1951-12-11December 11, 1951
José Torres CabánO2First lieutenant1950-09-29September 29, 1950
Jorge Torres GreenE1Private1952-07-19July 19, 1952
Samuel Torres RodríguezE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Jorge L. VázquezE5Sergeant1952-02-06February 6, 1952
Luis Vélez MontesE3Private first class1952-09-18September 18, 1952
Miguel Vélez SantiagoE1Private1951-12-23December 23, 1951
Miguel A. ZayasE3Private first class1952-02-06February 6, 1952

Their names are inscribed in El Monumento de la Recordación (The Wall of Remembrance) located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[14]

El Monumento de la Recordación

See also

References

Further reading

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