Puerto Ricans Missing in Action

Puerto Ricans Missing in Action in the Vietnam War
Location of the island of Puerto Rico (green) POW/MIA flag POW/MIA flag The POW/MIA flag is an American flag designed as a symbol of citizen concern about United States military personnel taken as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action ....

There were 18 Puerto Ricans Missing in Action in the Vietnam War, from a total of 2,338 people that were listed as Missing in Action

Missing in action

Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...

. This total, with the exception of PFC. Jose Ramon Sanchez, does not include people of Puerto Rican descent born in the mainland of the United States.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

was officially ceded to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

from Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

under the terms of the 1898 Treaty of Paris which concluded the Spanish-American War

Spanish-American War

The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...

. It is a United States territory and upon the outbreak of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the U.S. Congress approved the Jones-Shafroth Act

Jones-Shafroth Act

The Jones–Shafroth Act was a 1917 Act of the United States Congress by which Puerto Ricans were collectively made U.S. citizens, the people of Puerto Rico were empowered to have a popularly-elected Senate, established a bill of rights, and authorized the election of a Resident Commissioner to a...

, which granted Puerto Ricans citizenship. As a result Puerto Ricans

Puerto Rican people

A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...

have participated in every war involving the United States from World War I onward.

Thousands of Puerto Ricans participated in these wars Many lived and returned to their homeland, others were less fortunate and either died as a result of a hostile enemy action or were listed as MIA (Missing In Action). Missing In Action (abbreviated MIA) is a term (dating from 1946) referring 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

Prisoner of war

A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

. The Vietnam War was one of two wars (the other was the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

) which accounted for the most Puerto Ricans missing in action.

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN, or North Vietnam) and the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, or South Vietnam), which eventually involved their respective allies. In 1959, the United States sent military advisors to train the South Vietnamese Army. By 1965, there were 25,000 military advisors in South Vietnam.." The United States participation in the war continued to escalate until April 30, 1975 when the United States officially declared the war over. During the Vietnam War, an estimated 48,000 Puerto Ricans served in the four branches of the armed forces. Of a total of 345 Puerto Ricans who died in combat, 18 were listed as MIA's. They were all members of the Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

with the exceptions of First Lieutenant

First Lieutenant

First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...

Jose Hector Ortiz who was the only Puerto Rican MIA member of the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

and PFC Jose R. Sanchez who was a member of the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

. Of the 18 Puerto Rican MIA's, PFC. Humberto Acosta-Rosario

Humberto Acosta-Rosario

PFC Humberto Acosta-Rosario was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry ; 25th InfantryDivision, United States Army who is currently the only Puerto Rican MIA whose body has never been recovered....

is the only one whose body has never been recovered and is currently still listed as Missing In Action. Friendly forces captured documents from the Vietnam People's Army 7th Infantry Division dated August 23, 1968. The documents were analyzed by US intelligence agencies. The reports documented that Humberto Acosta-Rosario was in fact captured by NVA forces during the battle near the Ben Cui

Ben Cui

Ben Cui is a rubber plantation that is part of the Michelin Rubber Plantation near Dau Tieng, Republic of Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, Ben Cui and other sections of the Michelin rubber plantation were the scene of intense fighting between United States forces and the North Vietnamese Army and...

Rubber Plantation. However, the US military chose not to upgrade his status to Prisoner of War

Prisoner of war

A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

.

Acosta-Rosario's name was listed in the USG's (United States Government) "Last Known Alive" list. This list was released by the U.S. Government on April 1991 and it contains the names of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action who were known to be alive in enemy hands and for whom there is no evidence that he or she died in captivity. In March 1978, Acosta-Rosario was declared dead/body not recovered based on a presumptive finding of death.

PFC. Humberto Acosta-Rosario was posthumously promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. His name is on panel 47W, line 030 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

and he is also list in El Monumento de la Recordacion located in San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...

. There is a headstone with his name inscribed Plot: MB 0 6 of Puerto Rican National Cemetery in Bayamon, Puerto Rico

Bayamón, Puerto Rico

Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...

The following is a list with the names, ranks, date and place of birth and the date that the person was listed as MIA:

Name	Rank	Date of birth	Place of birth	MIA Date
Acosta-Rosario, Humberto	E6Staff Sergeant	1947-01-15January 15, 1947	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez is the eighth-largest municipality of Puerto Rico. Originally founded as "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" it is also known as "La Sultana del Oeste" , "Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" , or "Ciudad del Mangó"...	1978-03-01March 1, 1978
Aubain, Joseph Augustín	E4.4Specialist 4 Specialist (rank) Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...	1949-10-09October 9, 1949	San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...	1971-11-28November 28, 1971
Burgos Torres, Benjamín	E3Private First Class	1950-08-23August 23, 1950	Cayey, Puerto Rico Cayey, Puerto Rico Cayey is a mountain town in central Puerto Rico located on the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo Cayey is spread over 21 wards and Cayey Pueblo...	1971-02-15February 15, 1971
Guzmán-Ríos, Antonio	E4.4Specialist 4	1945-04-09April 9, 1945	Corozal, Puerto Rico Corozal, Puerto Rico Corozal is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central-eastern region, north of Orocovis and Barranquitas; south Vega Alta; southwest of Toa Alta; east of Morovis and Orocovis; and west of Naranjito. Corozal is spread over 12 wards and Corozal Pueblo...	1968-05-12May 12, 1968
Irizarry-Hernández, Ángel	E4.6 Specialist 6 Specialist (rank) Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...	1943-10-02October 2, 1943	Hato Rey, Puerto Rico Hato Rey, Puerto Rico Hato Rey is a former ward located in the northwest part of the dissolved municipality of Río Piedras. It now stretches over three wards of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico:Hato Rey CentralHato Rey Norte*Hato Rey Sur...	1967-10-13October 13, 1967
Kuilan, Wenceslao	E6Staff Sergeant	1929-09-28September 28, 1929	Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón, Puerto Rico Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...	1966-01-25January 25, 1966
Maldonado-Torres, Lionel	E4Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....	1949-04-21April 21, 1949	Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico Juana Díaz is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Jayuya, Ciales, Orocovis and Villalba; east of Ponce; and west of Coamo and Santa Isabel and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Juana Díaz is spread over 12 wards and Juana Diaz Pueblo...	1968-09-17September 17, 1968
Márquez-López, Luis Manuel	E7Sergeant First Class Sergeant First Class Sergeant First Class is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is the first senior non-commissioned officer rank...	1927-07-20July 20, 1927	Guayama, Puerto Rico Guayama, Puerto Rico Guayama is a municipality of Puerto Rico founded on January 29, 1736 and located on the Southern Coastal Valley region, bordering the Caribbean, south of Cayey; east of Salinas; and west of Patillas and Arroyo. Guayama is spread over 9 wards and Guayama Pueblo...	1967-12-13December 13, 1967
Martínez-Zayas, Rubén	E4Corporal	1951-02-21February 21, 1951	Salinas, Puerto Rico Salinas, Puerto Rico Salinas is a small municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Aibonito and Cayey; southeast of Coamo, east of Santa Isabel; and west of Guayama...	1970-08-26August 26, 1970
Medina-Torres, Vincente	E8Master Sergeant Master Sergeant A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...	1925-01-22January 22, 1925	San Juan, Puerto Rico	1967-04-06April 6, 1967
Miranda-Ortiz, José Luis	E6Staff Sergeant	1936-01-28January 28, 1936	Río Piedras, Puerto Rico Río Piedras, Puerto Rico Río Piedras is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Founded in 1714, it has been the home of the University of Puerto Rico's main campus since 1903, earning the town the popular name of Ciudad Universitaria...	1967-11-30November 30, 1967
Ortiz, José Héctor	O2First Lieutenant First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...	1946-09-08September 8, 1946	Rolling Hills, Carolina, Puerto Rico Carolina, Puerto Rico Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo...	1970-04-29April 29, 1970
Ortiz-Rodríguez, Ángel	E5Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....	1941-05-01May 1, 1941	Puerto Rico	1967-03-09March 9, 1967
Quiñones-Borrás, Nicholas	O4Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...	1935-04-30April 30, 1935	Santurce, Puerto Rico	1972-06-05June 5, 1972
Ramos, Armando	E7Sergeant First Class	1921-01-01January 1, 1921	Santurce, Puerto Rico	1966-10-04October 4, 1966
Rosado-Rodríguez, Eugenio	E3Private First Class	1943-10-30October 30, 1943,	Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...	1966-07-19July 19, 1966
Sanchez, Jose Ramon	E3Private First Class	1949-03-15March 15, 1949,	Brooklyn, N.Y.	1968-06-06June 6, 1968
Vadi Rodríguez, Alberto	E4.5 Specialist 5 Specialist (rank) Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...	1950-03-04March 4, 1950	San Juan, Puerto Rico	1972-03-17March 17, 1972

Their names are inscribed in both the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national memorial in Washington, D.C. It honors U.S. service members of the U.S. armed forces who fought in the Vietnam War, service members who died in service in Vietnam/South East Asia, and those service members who were unaccounted for during the War.Its...

located in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

and in El Monumento de la Recordación (The Wall of Remembrance) located in San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Vietnam War

Puerto Ricans Missing In Action

See also