List of Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients
Vietnam War
Table:
Image

Name

Rank

Branch

Unit

Place of action

Date of action

Notes/Reference

Leonard L. Alvarado

Specialist four

Army

Company D, 2d Battalion, 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division.

Phuoc Long province, South Vietnam

Aug. 12, 1969

[18]

Roy P. Benavidez

Master sergeant

Army

Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces

Loc Ninh, Vietnam

May 2, 1968

[23]

Felix M. Conde-Falcon

Staff sergeant

Army

Company D, 1st Battalion, 505th Infantry, 3d Brigade, 82d Airborne Division.

Ap Tan Hoa, South Vietnam

April 4, 1969

[18]

Emilio A. De La Garza*

Lance corporal

Marine Corps

Company E
2nd Battalion, 1st Marines

Da Nang

April 11, 1970

[23]

Ralph E. Dias*

Private first class

Marine Corps

1st Battalion, 7th Marines

Quang Nam Province

November 12, 1969

[23]

Jesus S. Duran

Specialist four

Army

Company E, 2d Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).

South Vietnam

April 10, 1969

Mounting a log, he fired directly into the enemy's foxholes and eliminated four of them and several others as they fled.[18]

Santiago J. Erevia

Specialist four

Army

Company C, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 501st Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

Tam Ky

May 1969

[24][25]

Daniel Fernandez*

Specialist four

Army

Company C, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry (Mechanized) 25th Infantry Division

Hau Nghia Province

February 18, 1966

[23]

Candelario Garcia

Sergeant

Army

Lai Khe, South Vietnam

Dec. 8, 1968

[18]

Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez*

Sergeant

Marine Corps

Company A
1st Battalion, 1st Marines

Hue City

February 4, 1968

[23]

Jose Francisco Jimenez*

Lance corporal

Marine Corps

Company K
3rd Battalion, 7th Marines
1st Marine Division

Quang Nam Province

August 28, 1969

[23]

Miguel Keith*

Lance corporal

Marine Corps

III Marine Amphibious Force

Quang Ngai Province

May 8, 1970

[23]

Carlos Lozada*

Private first class

Army

Company A, 2nd Battalion, 502d Infantry, 173d Airborne Brigade

Dak To

November 20, 1967

[23]

Alfred V. Rascon

Specialist four

Army

Reconnaissance Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne),
503rd Infantry,173d Airborne Brigade

Republic of Vietnam

March 16, 1966

[26]

Louis R. Rocco

Sergeant first class

Army

Advisory Team 162, United States Military Assistance Command

Northeast of Katum, Republic of Vietnam

May 24, 1970

[26]

Jose Rodela

Sergeant first class

Army

Detachment B-36, Company A, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces.

Phuoc Long Province, South Vietnam

September 1, 1969

For actions during combat operations against an armed enemy .[18]

Euripides Rubio*

Captain

Army

Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division

Tay Ninh Province

November 8, 1966

[26]

Hector Santiago-Colon*

Specialist four

Army

Company B, 5th Battalion, 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (airmobile)

Quang Tri Province

June 28, 1968

[26]

Elmelindo Rodrigues Smith*

Sergeant first class

Army

Company C, 2d Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division

Republic of Vietnam

February 16, 1967

[26]

Jay R. Vargas

Captain

Marine Corps

Company G
2nd Battalion, 4th Marines
9th Marine Amphibious Brigade

Dai Do

April 30, 1968–May 2, 1968

[26]

Considering the following table along with the supplementary paragraphs listed at the end.

Solve the question: The highest-ranking Marine recipient retired at what rank ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

Leonard Louis Alvarado ( February 13 , 1947 - August 12 , 1969 ) was a U.S. Army posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War . Alvarado joined the Army in 1968 , and served as a specialist four . While on an exercise to rescue a trapped American platoon in Phuoc Long Province , Alvarado 's company was attacked by the besiegers , and it was pinned down . Alvarado was wounded several times , but took out several enemy gun positions . While in the process of covering suppressing fire , Alvarado died of his wounds . He was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor in 2014 .
The United States Army ( USA ) is the land warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces . It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services , and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution . As the oldest and most senior branch of the U.S. military in order of precedence , the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army , which was formed ( 14 June 1775 ) to fight the American Revolutionary War ( 1775-1783 ) - before the United States of America was established as a country . After the Revolutionary War , the Congress of the Confederation created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 to replace the disbanded Continental Army . The United States Army considers itself descended from the Continental Army , and considers its institutional inception to be the origin of that armed force in 1775 . As a uniformed military service , the U.S. Army is part of the Department of the Army , which is one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense . The U.S. Army is headed by a civilian senior appointed civil servant , the secretary of the Army ( SECARMY ) and by a chief military officer , the chief of staff of the Army ( CSA ) who is also a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . It is the largest military branch , and in the fiscal year 2017 , the projected end strength for the Regular Army ( USA ) was 476,000 soldiers ; the Army National Guard ( ARNG ) had 343,000 soldiers and the U.S. Army Reserve ( USAR ) had 199,000 soldiers ; the combined-component strength of the U.S. Army was 1,018,000 soldiers . As a branch of the armed forces , the mission of the U.S. Army is to fight and win our Nation 's wars , by providing prompt , sustained land dominance , across the full range of military operations and the spectrum of conflict , in support of combatant commanders . The branch participates in conflicts worldwide and is the major ground-based offensive and defensive force of the United States .
Master Sergeant Raul Perez Roy Benavidez ( August 5 , 1935 - November 29 , 1998 ) was a member of the United States Army Special Forces ( Studies and Observations Group ) and retired United States Army master sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for his valorous actions in combat near Lộc Ninh [ disambiguation needed ] , South Vietnam on May 2 , 1968 .
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries .
Félix Modesto Conde Falcón [ a ] ( February 28 , 1938 - April 4 , 1969 ) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the Medal of Honor . Born in Juncos , Puerto Rico , he joined the United States Army in April 1963 in Chicago , Illinois . He was killed during combat operations in Ap Tan Hoa , South Vietnam , on April 4 , 1969 . He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama in a March 18 , 2014 ceremony in the White House . The award comes through the Defense Authorization Act which called for a review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans from World War II , the Korean War and the Vietnam War to ensure that no prejudice was shown to those deserving the Medal of Honor .
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of several countries . It is also a police rank in some police services .
Emilio Albert De La Garza , Jr. ( June 23 , 1949 - April 11 , 1970 ) was a United States Marine Corps lance corporal who was posthumously presented the nation 's highest military honor - the Medal of Honor - for heroism above and beyond the call of duty on April 11 , 1970 in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War .
Lance corporal is a military rank , used by many armed forces worldwide , and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations . It is below the rank of corporal , and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer , usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR3 .
The United States Marine Corps ( USMC ) , also referred to as the United States Marines , is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations with the United States Navy as well as the Army and Air Force . The U.S. Marine Corps is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States . The Marine Corps has been a component of the U.S. Department of the Navy since 30 June 1834 , working closely with naval forces . The USMC operates installations on land and aboard sea-going amphibious warfare ships around the world . Additionally , several of the Marines ' tactical aviation squadrons , primarily Marine Fighter Attack squadrons , are also embedded in Navy carrier air wings and operate from the aircraft carriers . The history of the Marine Corps began when two battalions of Continental Marines were formed on 10 November 1775 in Philadelphia as a service branch of infantry troops capable of fighting both at sea and on shore . In the Pacific theater of World War II the Corps took the lead in a massive campaign of amphibious warfare , advancing from island to island . As of 2017 , the USMC has around 186,000 active duty members and some 38,500 personnel in reserve .
2nd Battalion , 1st Marines ( 2/1 ) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Horno on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California . Nicknamed The Professionals , the battalion consists of approximately 1,200 Marines and sailors . Normally they fall under the command of the 1st Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division .
Private First Class Ralph Ellis Dias ( July 15 , 1950-November 12 , 1969 ) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam in November 1969 .
Private First Class ( PFC ) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel in some countries ' armed forces .
The 1st Battalion , 7th Marines ( 1/7 ) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps . It is based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms , consists of approximately 1,000 Marines , and is part of the 1st Marine Division . Famous Marines who have served in 1/7 include General Raymond G. Davis , General James Mattis , Lieutenant General Lewis Chesty Puller , and Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone . [ citation needed ]
Jesus Santiago Duran ( July 26 , 1948 - February 17 , 1977 ) was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War , and a recipient of the Medal of Honor .
Santiago Jesus Erevia ( December 15 , 1945 - March 22 , 2016 ) was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor .
The 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment ( 501st AIR ) , previously the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment ( 501st PIR ) and later 501st Infantry Regiment ( 501st IR ) , is an airborne forces regiment of the United States Army , with a long history , having served in World War II and the Vietnam War , both as part of the 101st Airborne Division , as well as the War in Afghanistan . It is the first airborne unit by designation in the United States Armed Forces . Its 1st Battalion is assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team ( Airborne ) , 25th Infantry Division , located at Fort Richardson , Alaska . Its 2nd Battalion is assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team , 82nd Airborne Division , located at Fort Bragg , North Carolina .
The 101st Airborne Division ( Screaming Eagles ) is a specialized modular light infantry division of the US Army trained for air assault operations . The Screaming Eagles has been referred to as the tip of the spear by former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and the most potent and tactically mobile of the U.S. Army 's divisions by former Chief of Staff of the Army GEN Edward C. Meyer ( ret ) . The 101st Airborne is able to plan , coordinate , and execute brigade-size air assault operations capable of seizing key terrain in support of operational objectives , and is capable of working in austere environments with limited or degraded infrastructure . These particular operations are conducted by highly mobile teams covering extensive distances and engaging enemy forces behind enemy lines . According to the author of Screaming Eagles : 101st Airborne Division , its unique battlefield mobility and high level of training have kept it in the vanguard of US land combat forces in recent conflicts . More recently , the 101st Airborne has been performing foreign internal defense and counterterrorism operations within Iraq and Afghanistan . The 101st Airborne Division has a history that is nearly a century long . During World War II , it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord ( the D-Day landings and airborne landings on 6 June 1944 , in Normandy , France ) , Operation Market Garden , the liberation of the Netherlands and its action during the Battle of the Bulge around the city of Bastogne , Belgium . During the Vietnam War , the 101st Airborne Division fought in several major campaigns and battles , including the Battle of Hamburger Hill in May 1969 . In mid-1968 , it was reorganized and redesignated as an airmobile division and then in 1974 as an air assault division . The titles reflect the division 's shift from airplanes to helicopters as the primary method of delivering troops into combat . Many current members of the 101st are graduates of the US Army Air Assault School .
Daniel D. Fernández ( June 30 , 1944 - February 18 , 1966 ) was a United States Army soldier in the Vietnam War who received the U.S. military 's highest decoration , the Medal of Honor . Fernández was awarded the medal for his actions in Hậu Nghĩa province , Republic of Vietnam , in February 1966 - throwing himself on a live grenade , he sacrificed his life to save lives of the soldiers around him .
Candelario Garcia , Jr. ( February 26 , 1944 - January 10 , 2013 ) was a United States Army veteran of the Vietnam War , and a recipient of the Medal of Honor .
Sergeant ( /ˈsɑː ( r ) dʒənt/ SARJ-ənt ; abbreviated to Sgt . and capitalized when used as a named person 's title ) is a rank in many uniformed organizations , principally military and policing forces . The alternative spelling , serjeant , is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British Light Infantry . Its origin is the Latin serviens , 'one who serves ' , through the French term sergent . The term sergeant refers to a non-commissioned officer placed above the rank of a corporal and a police officer immediately below a lieutenant or , in the UK Police forces , below an inspector . In most armies the rank of sergeant corresponds to command of a squad ( or section ) . In Commonwealth armies , it is a more senior rank , corresponding roughly to a platoon second-in-command . In the United States Army , sergeant is a more junior rank corresponding to a four-soldier fireteam leader . More senior non-commissioned ranks are often variations on sergeant , for example staff sergeant , first sergeant , and sergeant major . Many countries use sergeant rank , whether in English or using a cognate with the same origin in another language . The equivalent rank in Arab armies is raqīb ( رقيب ) , meaning 'overseer ' or 'watcher ' .
Alfredo Cantu Freddy Gonzalez ( May 23 , 1946 - February 4 , 1968 ) was a United States Marine Corps sergeant who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for service in the Battle of Huế during the Vietnam War .
1st Battalion 1st Marines ( 1/1 ) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Pendleton , California , consisting of anywhere from 800 to 2,000 Marines and Sailors , but the number fluctuates depending on the Battalion 's mission . They fall under the command of the 1st Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division . Commonly referred to as The first of the First .
José Francisco Jo Jo Jiménez ( March 20 , 1946 - August 28 , 1969 ) was a United States Marine Corps Lance Corporal who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in the Vietnam War in August 1969 .
The 3rd Battalion 7th Marine Regiment ( 3/7 ) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps . They are based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 800 Marines . The battalion falls under the command of the 7th Marine Regiment and the 1st Marine Division . The battalion has seen combat in World War II , the Korean War , the Vietnam War , the Gulf War and was a part of the main effort during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003 . In the Global War on Terror , the battalion has seen eleven sequential combat deployments ; five in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom , three in support of Operation Enduring Freedom , and three in support Operation Inherent Resolve . The unit has a long , decorated history with countless achievements . Its members were described as true professionals by embedded reporters during the 2003 invasion of Iraq .
Miguel Keith ( June 2 , 1951 - May 8 , 1970 ) was a United States Marine who posthumously received the United States 's highest military decoration - the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam in May 1970 . Despite being severely wounded , he advanced on enemy attackers , allowing his platoon to rout the attack of a numerically superior enemy force .
Carlos James Lozada ( September 6 , 1946 - November 20 , 1967 ) was a member of the United States Army who was one of nine Puerto Ricans who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for their actions in combat .
Alfred Velazquez Rascon ( born September 10 , 1945 ) is a retired United States Army lieutenant colonel . In 2000 , he was awarded the Medal of Honor - the United States ' highest military decoration - for his actions as a medic near Long Khánh Province during the Vietnam War . On more than one occasion Rascon exposed himself to enemy fire and grenades by covering the bodies of those whom he was aiding with his own . In addition to Vietnam , Rascon also served as a medical officer in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq .
South Vietnam , officially the Republic of Vietnam ( RVN ; Vietnamese : Việt Nam Cộng Hòa ; French : République du Viêt Nam ) , was a country that existed from 1955 to 1975 , the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of the Cold War . It received international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam ( a self-governing entity in the French Empire ) , which was a constitutional monarchy ( 1949-1955 ) . The country was renamed the Republic of Vietnam in 1955 . Its capital was Saigon ( now Ho Chi Minh City ) . South Vietnam was bordered by North Vietnam to the north , Laos to the northwest , Cambodia to the southwest , Thailand across the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest , and the Philippines , Malaysia , Brunei , and Indonesia across the South China Sea to the east and southeast . The Republic of Vietnam was proclaimed on 26 October 1955 , with Ngô Đình Diệm as its first president , after having briefly served as premier under Emperor Bảo Đại who was exiled . Its sovereignty was recognized by the United States and 87 other nations . It had membership in several special committees of the United Nations , but its application for full membership was rejected in 1957 because of a Soviet veto ( neither South nor North Vietnam were members of the UN during the Vietnam War , but the united Vietnam became a member state in 1977 ) . South Vietnam 's origins can be traced to the French colony of Cochinchina , which consisted of the southern third of Vietnam which was Cochinchina [ Nam Kỳ ] , a subdivision of French Indochina , and the southern half of Central Vietnam or Annam [ Trung Kỳ ] which was a French protectorate . After the Second World War , the anti-Japanese Việt Minh guerrilla forces , led by Ho Chi Minh , proclaimed the establishment of a Democratic Republic of Vietnam in Hanoi in September 1945 , issuing a Declaration of Independence modeled on the US one from 1776 . In 1949 , anti-communist Vietnamese politicians formed a rival government in Saigon led by former emperor Bảo Đại . Bảo Đại was deposed by Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm in 1955 , who proclaimed himself president after a referendum .
Chief Warrant Officer Two Louis Richard Rocco ( November 19 , 1938 - October 31 , 2002 ) was a United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor - the United States ' highest military decoration - for his actions near the village of Katum , in the Republic of Vietnam , during the Vietnam War . Despite being wounded , Rocco saved three comrades from a burning helicopter .
Sergeant First Class ( SFC ) is a military rank in some militaries and other uniformed organizations around the world , typically that of a senior non-commissioned officer .
Jose Rodela ( born June 15 , 1937 ) is a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor .
Captain Eurípides Rubio ( March 1 , 1938 - November 8 , 1966 ) was a United States Army officer and one of nine Puerto Ricans who were posthumously awarded the United States ' highest military decoration for valor , the Medal of Honor , for actions on November 8 , 1966 , during the Vietnam War . Rubio was a member of the United States Army , Headquarters & Headquarters Company , 1st Battalion , 28th Infantry Regiment ( Black Lions ) , 1st Infantry Division , Republic of Vietnam .
In the United States Army ( USA ) , U.S. Marine Corps ( USMC ) , and U.S. Air Force ( USAF ) , captain ( abbreviated CPT in the USA and Capt in the USMC and USAF ) is a company grade officer rank , with the pay grade of O-3 . It ranks above first lieutenant and below major . It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the Navy/Coast Guard officer rank system . The insignia for the rank consists of two silver bars , with slight stylized differences between the Army/Air Force version and the Marine Corps version .
Héctor Santiago-Colón [ note 1 ] ( December 20 , 1942 - June 28 , 1968 ) is one of nine Puerto Ricans who have been posthumously presented with the Medal of Honor , the highest military decoration awarded by the United States . His actions on June 28 , 1968 during the Vietnam War saved the lives of his comrades .
Quảng Trị ( Vietnamese : [ kwa᷉ːŋ ʈîˀ ] ( listen ) ) is a province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam , north of the former imperial capital of Huế .
Sergeant First Class Elmelindo Rodrigues Smith [ note 1 ] ( July 27 , 1935 - February 16 , 1967 ) was a United States Army soldier , of Hispanic-Asian descent , who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War . Despite being severely wounded , Smith inspired his men to beat back an enemy assault .
Jay R. Vargas ( born July 29 , 1938 ) , is an American and a retired United States Marine Corps colonel who served in the Vietnam War . He received the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action , in 1968 . Vargas is one of four brothers who has served in combat in the United States Armed Forces in time of war - World War II , the Korean War , and the Vietnam War .
2nd Battalion , 4th Marines ( 2/4 ) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps . The battalion , nicknamed the Magnificent Bastards , is based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton , California and is a part of the 4th Marine Regiment and 1st Marine Division .