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Contact Info
Home Town Ponce, Puerto Rico
Last Address Coronado, CA
Date of Passing Sep 24, 2000
Location of Interment Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (VA) - San Diego, California
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Admiral Horacio Rivero, Jr. (USN) (May 16, 1910–September 24, 2000), was the first Puerto Rican four-star Admiral and second Hispanic to become a full Admiral in the modern United States Navy. David Glasgow Farragut (1801–1870), a Hispanic, became the first full admiral of the Navy during the American Civil War. After retiring from the Navy, Rivero served as the U.S. Ambassador to Spain (1972–1974), and was also the first Hispanic to hold that position.
Horacio Rivero was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on 16 May 1910, son of Margarita De Lucca Vda De Rivero and Horacio Rivero. He was graduated from Central High School in San Juan, before entering the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, on appointment from Puerto Rico on 20 June 1927. He was graduated with distinction, third in a Class of 441 members.
Admiral Rivero was transferred to the Retired List of the US Navy on 1 June 1972 after forty-one years of service.
Other Comments:
Bronze Star
During this period Captain (then Lieutenant Commander) Rivero ably controlled the after batteries of the USS San Juan during the effective supporting fire in the landing of our Marines at Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942. On the following day, when attacked by a large number of enemy shore based torpedo planes, the batteries under his control shot down several of the attacking aircraft and inflicted hits on many others, contributing to their subsequent loss. While conducting a lone raid on the Gilbert Islands in October 1942, his batteries efficiently contributed to the sinking of two Japanese patrol vessels and the capture of sixteen prisoners. On October 26, 1942, in the Battle of Santa Cruz, he superbly controlled the after batteries with devastating effect downing many enemy carrier based aircraft...
Legion of Merit
He was particularly outstanding in his intelligent and timely direction of the heads of Departments of the ship, and his immdeiate inspections of damaged and flooded portions of the ship under extremely hazardous conditions and at the risk of his own life resulted in correct decisions being made, damage boundaries being correctly established and the efforts of the entire ship's personnel being correctly directed to the end that no lives were lost and it was possible to bring the ship safely to port.
Navy and Marine Corp Commendation Medal
(He) participated (from its inception) in the organization of both the military and the technical Staff of Joint Task Force ONE. In addition he was instrumental in selecting and indoctrinating the personnel of the technical staff in the many and varied fields involved in such an operation...(and) contributing immeasurably to the successful completion of Operation Crossroads...
