David Sanes Rodríguez (1954 – 19 April 1999) was a native of

Vieques, Puerto Rico Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island and municipality of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques is part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ...

whose death became a rallying point for those opposed to the U.S. military presence on and use of his home island for live-fire bombing practice. Sanes Rodríguez's death sparked the organization of the

Cause for Vieques The Vieques, Puerto Rico, Naval Training Range was a United States naval facility located on the island of Vieques, about 5 miles east of mainland Puerto Rico. Starting in November 1941, the navy used the range for military exercises. Military o ...

and a series of protests by residents and activists that culminated in the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

abandoning Vieques.

Biography

Sanes Rodríguez was a civilian employee of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, working as a security guard at the Navy's Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility on Vieques. Sanes Rodríguez was killed when two errant 500 lb

Mk 82 The Mark 82 (Mk 82) is an unguided, low- drag general-purpose bomb, part of the United States Mark 80 series. The explosive filling is usually tritonal, though other compositions have sometimes been used. Development and deployment W ...

bombs from a

Marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

F/A-18C Hornet The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twin-engine, supersonic, carrier-capable, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft (hence the F/A designation). Designed by McDonnell Douglas (now p ...

fighter landed 100 yards from a clearly identified hilltop observation post in which Sanes Rodríguez was working. Known amongst his friends for his happy-go-lucky, partying lifestyle, in death, Sanes Rodríguez became a household name in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. His

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

received widespread media coverage, including U.S. newspapers and international

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

networks. Sanes Rodríguez had two children that he raised as his own named Jessica Cruz and Manuel Cruz.

External links

Press Release by Rep. José Serrano on the 1st Anniversary of David Sanes Rodríguez's death
*Lincoln Park Camp of Young Lords in Solidarity with Vieques protesters 1954 births 1999 deaths People from Vieques, Puerto Rico Security guards killed in the line of duty {{PuertoRico-bio-stub

Biography

See also

External links