Cleto Rodriguez (1923 - 1990)

Born 26 Apr 1923 in San Marcos, Hays, Texas, United States

Died 7 Dec 1990 at age 67 in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, United States

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Biography

Cleto Rodriguez was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Master Sgt Cleto Rodriguez was Wounded in Action during World War II.

Cleto Rodriguez is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army 1944-1945
World War II, Private in Company B, 148th Infantry, 37th Infantry Division, automatic rifleman, Hometown: San Marcos, Texas

Cleto Rodriguez is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Air Force 1952-1954

Cleto Rodriguez is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army 1955-1970
Achieved the rank of Master Sergeant upon retirement.

Cleto Rodriguez has Mexican ancestry.

Cleto Luna Rodriguez, Retired Master Sergeant, World War II Medal of Honor recipient.

Master Sergeant Rodríguez was the fifth person of Mexican descent to receive the Medal of Honor.

Private First Class John Reese (who was mortally wounded) of Pryor, Oklahoma, received a Medal of Honor also.

Privates Rodriguez and Reese killed 82 Japanese enemy soldiers during the Battle for Manila, Philippine Islands on February 9, 1945.^[1]

Place of burial: Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery^[2]

Allegiance: United States of America

Battles/wars: World War II

Decorations: Medal of Honor, Silver Star, (2) Bronze Stars w/ OLC, Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with two campaign stars), the World War II Victory Medal, and the Philippine Liberation Medal

Rodríguez married Flora Muñiz on November 11, 1945, and they had four children.^[3]

He was a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens, Council 2, in 1946.

In 1975, Ivanhoe Elementary School in San Antonio was renamed Cleto L. Rodríguez Elementary School in his honor.^[4]

On December 7, 1991, a section of U.S. Route 90 in San Antonio was named after him.

There are two murals depicting his likeness in San Antonio, one at the Casiano Housing Projects and one at the San Antonio Central Library. ^[5]

Medal of Honor

• RANK: TECHNICAL SERGEANT (RANK AT TIME OF ACTION: PRIVATE)
• CONFLICT/ERA: WORLD WAR II
• UNIT/COMMAND: COMPANY B, 148TH INFANTRY, 37TH INFANTRY DIVISION
• MILITARY SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. ARMY
• MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION DATE: FEBRUARY 9, 1945
• MEDAL OF HONOR ACTION PLACE: PACO RAILROAD STATION, MANILA, LUZON, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

CITATION He was an automatic rifleman when his unit attacked the strongly defended Paco Railroad Station during the battle for Manila, Philippine Islands. While making a frontal assault across an open field, his platoon was halted 100 yards from the station by intense enemy fire. On his own initiative, he left the platoon, accompanied by a comrade, and continued forward to a house 60 yards from the objective. Although under constant enemy observation, the two men remained in this position for an hour, firing at targets of opportunity, killing more than 35 hostile soldiers, and wounding many more. Moving closer to the station and discovering a group of Japanese replacements attempting to reach pillboxes, they opened heavy fire, killed more than 40, and stopped all subsequent attempts to man the emplacements. Enemy fire became more intense as they advanced to within 20 yards of the station. Then, covered by his companion, Pvt. Rodriguez boldly moved up to the building and threw five grenades through a doorway, killing seven Japanese, destroying a 20-mm gun, and wrecking a heavy machine gun. With their ammunition running low, the two men started to return to the American lines, alternately providing covering fire for each other's withdrawal. During this movement, Pvt. Rodriguez' companion was killed. In 2 and one half hours of fierce fighting the intrepid team killed more than 82 Japanese, completely disorganized their defense, and paved the way for the subsequent overwhelming defeat of the enemy at this strongpoint. Two days later, Pvt. Rodriguez again enabled his comrades to advance when he singlehandedly killed six Japanese and destroyed a well-placed 20-mm gun. By his outstanding skill with his weapon, gallant determination to destroy the enemy, and heroic courage in the face of tremendous odds, Pvt. Rodriguez, on two occasions, materially aided the advance of our troops in Manila.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Cleto Rodriguez on Texas State Cemetery website
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #9793 Cleto Rodriguez
3. ↑ Cleto Rodriguez on Handbook of Texas Online
4. ↑ Cleto L. Rodríguez Elementary School website
5. ↑ Cleto Rodrigues on Texas Originals, humanitiestexas.org website
6. ↑ Congressional Medal of Honor Society retrieved 2 Jan 2023

• Cleto Rodriguez on Texas State Cemetery website

• Cleto L. Rodriguez on Wikipedia

• Veteran's War Memorial of Texas on mcallen.net
• List of recipients from Texas
• List of Texans MOH recipients on Texas State Cemetery website
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients, 1863–1973 (Washington: GPO, 1973).

Barrett, Michael L. 2011. Medal of Honor: Cleto Rodriguez Waco Tribune Herald

• Cleto Rodriguez MOH citation on militarytimes.com
• Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
• "Texas Death Index, 1964-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JVVR-Z6D : 5 December 2014), Cleto Luna Rodriguez, Bexar, Texas, United States; citing Department of State Health Services, Austin.
• "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J5Q4-1JZ : 20 May 2014), Cleto Rodriguez, 07 Dec 1990; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).