Since 1978, Latin American Legion Post 840 and Auxiliary Unit 840 have held an annual ceremony at the Medal of Honor Grove in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to recognize and honor the Medal of Honor recipients from Puerto Rico. Nine Puerto Ricans have received the Medal of Honor so far.
The Medal of Honor Grove is divided into sections for each state and for D.C. and Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican Medal of Honor Obelisk marks the site of the annual ceremony. The obelisk, a 7-foot red granite structure engraved with the names of the recipients of the Medal of Honor, was erected in 2019. A previous muniment was dedicated in 1977.
The names on the obelisk:
- PFC Fernando L. Garcia USMC
- CAPT Euripides Rubio USA
- PFC Carlos J. Lozada USA
- SP4 Hector Santiago-Colon USA
- Capt Humbert R. Versace USA
- SSG Felix Conde-Falcon USA
- SGT Juan E. Negron USA
- PVT Demensio Rivera USA
- PVT Miguel A. Vera USA
The Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is awarded “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life, above and beyond the call of duty, in actual combat against an armed enemy force.” Recipients are chosen by the President of the United States.
This is the highest military decoration presented to members of the U.S. military. It was initially presented to soldiers in the Civil War.
There is a National Medal of Honor Museum. It includes an interactive database with the citations for all the individuals listed above.
Photo by William Fischer
