Photo By Carlos Cuebas | First MSC soldiers fold the U.S. flag during the military funeral ceremony in honor of...... read more read more
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FORT BUCHANAN, Puerto Rico - The first Puerto Rican to be promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in the Army Reserve was laid to rest Friday at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery.
Family members, friends, representatives of the Government of Puerto Rico, members of the 65th Infantry Regiment Association and the U.S. Army Reserve Puerto Rico, honored Brig. Gen. (ret) Antonio Rodriguez-Baliñas’ during the military funeral ceremony.
“On behalf of all the Puerto Rican soldiers from all the services and components, and specially from the reservists in the island, we want to say thanks to Brig. Gen. (ret) Rodriguez-Baliñas for his leadership during the over 30 years of service to the Nation,” said Brig. Gen. Fernando Fernández, senior U.S. Army Reserve Officer in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean and commander of the 1st Mission Support Command.
“Rodriguez-Baliñas reports today to his last duty station, going next to the Lord and his wife Hilda,” said Fernández.
On its way to the National Cemetery, the funeral motorcade drove through the streets of Fort Buchanan, the only U.S. Army installation in the Caribbean. There, soldiers, civilian employees and the children from the installation’s school system lined up in the streets to honor the first Puerto Rican General in the U.S. Army Reserve.
“It was very touching to see the children at Buchanan with American flags and saluting my dad,” said Wilson Rodriguez Manzano, Rodriguez-Baliñas’ son.
Rodriguez-Baliñas represents the great capabilities of the Puerto Ricans. An Adjuntas, Puerto Rico native, the General was able to achieve positions of great responsibility within the U.S. Armed Forces.
The officer was a strong defender of the service of Puerto Rican service members in the Armed Forces. Many times, Rodriguez-Baliñas highlighted the importance of the service provided by the islanders in the defense of the Nation.
The Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis G. Fortuño declared Friday as a mourning day for the State. The government also ordered the state and U.S. flags to be half mast at all public buildings.
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2011 17:14 |
| Story ID: | 77505 |
| Location: | FORT BUCHANAN, PR |
| Web Views: | 483 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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