Juan de Dios Aldea (1853–1879) was a

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

an marine. His remains rest in the crypt of the Monument to the Heroes of the

Battle of Iquique The Battle of Iquique was a naval engagement that occurred between a Chilean corvette under the command of Arturo Prat Chacón and a Peruvian ironclad under Miguel Grau Seminario on 21 May 1879, during the naval stage of the War of the Pacifi ...

, in

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

Early life

He was born to a modest family. He was the son of professor Jose Manuel Aldea and Ursula Fonseca. His childhood was spent in

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...

with his paternal grandparents, Juan de Dios Aldea and Maria Antonieta Contreras. At the age of 8, he enrolled in the Franciscan School of

Chillán Chillán () is the capital city of the Ñuble Region in the Diguillín Province of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of the new Ñuble Region since 6 Sept ...

, directed by his father. Here he distinguished himself with his excellent handwriting and his evident interest for military exercises.

Career

After living for four years with his aunt, on August 1, 1872, he enrolled as a volunteer soldier in the Financial Commission sent by the Navy's Artillery Battalion; an organization located in Valparaiso which was dependent on the General Command of the

Chilean Navy The Chilean Navy ( es, Armada de Chile) is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso. History Origins and the Wars ...

. In this battalion, he also served as a chief. He stayed in the First Company of that battalion for two years. In April 1874 he was sent on commission to

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...

and on May 11 was promoted to 2nd Corporal. On January 1, 1876 he was promoted to 1st Corporal, and a year later to 2nd Sergeant. In June 1877 he embarked on the corvette ''Esmeralda''. In February 1878 he was transferred to the pontoon ''Thalaba'', and, after staying a month, he returned to the First Company of the Battalion. In October he was back in the ''Thalaba'' and in December returned to the Company of the Battalion, having transferred to the post of Guard of the Municipality of Valparaíso. Combate Naval Iquique-Thomas Somerscales

Combate Naval Iquique-Thomas Somerscales

Due to his impeccable service record, upon the declaration of the

War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific ( es, link=no, Guerra del Pacífico), also known as the Saltpeter War ( es, link=no, Guerra del salitre) and by multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought ...

, he was assigned to the corvette ''Esmeralda''. On May 21, 1879, the ''Esmeralda'', along with the ''Covadonga'', blockaded the Peruvian port of

Iquique Iquique () is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert. It has a population of 191,468 ...

. After the lookout of the ''Covadonga'' spotted the Peruvian ships ''Huascar'' and ''Independencia'', Aldea joined the gunners and took over their combat post. After an hour of combat, the Peruvian Commander

Miguel Grau Seminario Miguel María Grau Seminario (27 July 1834 – 8 October 1879) was the most renowned Peruvian naval officer and hero of the naval battle of Angamos during the War of the Pacific (1879–1884). He was known as ''el Caballero de los Mares'' (Spa ...

ordered the ''Huascar'' to ram the Esmeralda.

References

1853 births 1879 deaths Chilean sailors People from Chillán Chilean military personnel killed in action Military personnel killed in the War of the Pacific Chilean Navy personnel of the War of the Pacific People from Valparaíso 19th-century Chilean Navy personnel {{Chile-bio-stub

Early life

Career

See also

References