Captain Félix Arenas Gaspar (December 13, 1891 – July 29, 1921), a Puerto Rican, was a captain in the

Spanish Army The Spanish Army ( es, Ejército de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century. The ...

who was posthumously awarded the Cruz Laureada de San Fernando for his actions in the

Rif War The Rif War () was an armed conflict fought from 1921 to 1926 between Spain (joined by History of France, France in 1924) and the Berbers, Berber tribes of the mountainous Rif region of northern Morocco. Led by Abd el-Krim, the Riffians at ...

. The Cruz Laureada de San Fernando (

Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand The Royal and Military Order of Saint Ferdinand ( es, Real y Militar Orden de San Fernando), is a Spanish military order whose decoration, known as Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand ( es, Cruz Laureada de San Fernando), is Spain's highest mili ...

) is the highest military decoration awarded by the

Spanish government gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua , image = , caption = Logo of the Government of Spain , headerstyle = background-color: #efefef , label1 = Role , data1 = Executive power , label2 = Established , da ...

. It is bestowed on a member of the Spanish armed forces who distinguishes himself during combat. It is Spain's equivalent to the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

Early years

Arenas Gaspar was born in

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

, the capital of

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 ...

, when the island was still a Spanish colony. His father Félix Arenas Gaspar, Sr. was a captain of an artillery division stationed in the island. His family moved to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

when Puerto Rico became a possession of the United States as an outcome of the

Treaty of Paris of 1898 The Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, commonly known as the Treaty of Paris of 1898 ( fil, Kasunduan sa Paris ng 1898; es, Tratado de París de 1898), was a treaty signed by Spain and the United Stat ...

which concluded the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

. They settled in the town of Molina de Aragón, where his family originally came from, and there he received his primary and secondary education.Pando Despierto, Juan (1999). Historia secreta de Annual. Madrid: Ediciones Temas de Hoy. Colección: Historia, 424 p. . (Spanish)

Military career

In 1906, Arenas Gaspar entered the Military Academy of Engineers of

Guadalajara, Spain Guadalajara (, ) is a city and municipality in Spain, located in the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. It is the capital of the Province of Guadalajara. Lying on the central part of the Iberian Peninsula at roughly metres above sea ...

and earned his degree and

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

of engineer's commission in the Spanish Army in 1911. He was assigned to Aerostation Service and in 1913 earned his

Balloon Pilot Badge The Balloon Pilot Badge is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces which was issued during the First and Second World Wars. The badge was issued by both the United States Army and the U.S. Air Force, with the Navy equivalent known as t ...

. In October 1913, he was assigned to the Aerostation Company of Tetuan and served in

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

where he was involved in active combat. From 1914 to 1917 he attended the Superior School of War, during which time (1915) he was promoted to the rank of Captain of Engineers. In 1919, Arenas Gaspar was given the command of the 2nd Company of Zapadores in

Melilla Melilla ( , ; ; rif, Mřič ; ar, مليلية ) is an autonomous city of Spain located in north Africa. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was par ...

. Melilla is a city under Spanish rule located on the Mediterranean, on the Moroccan coast.

Rif War

In 1919, a rebellion against Spanish colonial rule took place in

Spanish Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

, a Spanish protectorate in what is known as the

. In July 1921, many Spanish military outposts fell to the Riffian rebels, as part of the

disaster of Annual The Battle of Annual was fought on 22 July 1921 at Annual, in northeastern Morocco, between the Spanish Army and Rifian Berbers during the Rif War. The Spanish suffered a major military defeat, which is almost always referred to by the Spanish ...

, and Arenas Gaspar together with a lieutenant colonel by the name of Ugarte headed towards the town and fort of Dar Dríus. During their journey they encountered members of a Spanish squadron retreating from Dar Dríus, who informed them that the passageway was blocked. Arenas Gaspar joined the squadron, which included many of their wounded, and headed towards Monte Arruit. After helping with the wounded, Arenas Gaspar decided to go to Tistutin to defend the Spanish position there, and to re-establish the telegraph service with Monte Arruit which had been interrupted. Arena Gaspar's position was under constant enemy attack. He decided on the nights of July 25 and 26, to leave his parameter and set fire to the stacks of hay which served as the enemy's protective barriers. A member of his company by the name of Captain Aguirre and a squad of riflemen provided Arena Gaspar with the necessary firepower to cover him. He was severely burned when one the gasoline tanks which he was carrying blew up, but not before he killed ten of the enemy. On July 29, the Spanish troops were ordered to retreat to the major fort at Monte Arruit. Arenas Gaspar volunteered to stay in the rear to cover the retreat with Capt. Aguirre and 200 men. They fought against the enemy until the Spanish troops were safely in Monte Arruit. Then they found themselves surrounded and outnumbered by the Riffians. They battled against the Riffians until Arenas Gaspar ordered Capt. Aguirre and the survivors to reach the Spanish position at Monte Arruit. Arenas Gaspar decided to stay and cover their retreat. Arenas Gaspar took charge of one of the artillery batteries and opened fire, which halted the enemy advance and allowed his men to reach Monte Arruit. Unfortunately one of the Riffians was able to get close enough to Arenas Gaspar, shot him in the head, and killed him.

Cruz Laureada de San Fernando

Various officers who witnessed the actions of Arenas Gaspar requested that he be posthumously awarded the Cruz Laureada de San Fernando. In 1924, Capt. Félix Arenas Gaspar was awarded the Cruz Laureada de San Fernando (Laureate Cross of Saint Fernand), the highest military decoration awarded by the Spanish government.

Legacy

On July 5, 1928, King

Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alfo ...

of Spain unveiled a bust with the likeness of Capt. Félix Arena Gaspar and named a street n his honor in the town of Molina de Aragon. In 1956, the city of Guadalajara named a street in his honor. In Melilla, Morocco the military barracks ''Capitán Arenas'' was named in his honor. He is featured in the ''Who's Who in Ballooning.''Who's Who in Ballooning
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Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arenas Gaspar, Felix 1891 births 1921 deaths Military personnel from San Juan, Puerto Rico Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent Puerto Rican Army personnel 20th-century Spanish military personnel Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand Puerto Rican military officers Puerto Rican emigrants to Spain People of the Spanish colonial Americas