Major General Luis Raul Esteves (April 30, 1893 – March 12, 1958) was the
Puerto Rican military officer who commanded the United States military forces that in 1950 carried out airstrikes and shelled the towns of
Jayuya
Jayuya (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the mountainous center region of the island, north of Ponce; east of Utuado; and west of Ciales. Jayuya is spread over 10 barrios and Jayuya Pueblo (the downtown and administra ...
and
Utuado in his own native Puerto Rico.
He was the first Puerto Rican and the first American citizen of
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
heritage to graduate from the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
(West Point), and the founder of the
Puerto Rico National Guard
The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) – es, Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico– is the national guard of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and s ...
that attacked the two towns. Of his West Point class, that included
Dwight Eisenhower,
Omar Bradley
Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893April 8, 1981) was a senior officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army. Bradley was the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and over ...
,
Joseph McNarney
Joseph Taggart McNarney (August 28, 1893 – February 1, 1972) was a four-star general in the United States Army and in the United States Air Force, who served as Military Governor of occupied Germany.
Early life
Joseph Taggart McNarney was ...
,
James Van Fleet
General James Alward Van Fleet (March 19, 1892 – September 23, 1992) was a United States Army officer who saw service during World War I, World War II and the Korean War. Van Fleet was a native of New Jersey, who was raised in Florida and gradu ...
and
George E. Stratemeyer, Esteves was the first to achieve the rank of general.
["Historia y Tradiciones: Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico - Cinco Centurias... En Guardia."; Author=José Angel Norat; page=470; publisher=Esmaco Printers]
Early years
Esteves was born Luis Raul Esteves y Völckers in
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is s ...
on April 30, 1893. His father and mother were also natives of Aguadilla. His father, Francisco Esteves Soriano had served in the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
Army and his mother, Enedina Völckers Van der Dijs, of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
and
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
descent, was a housewife. His father, had also served as mayor of Aguadilla.
Esteves received his primary education in the local grammar school and went to high school in
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Mayagüez (, ) is a city and the eighth-largest municipality in Puerto Rico. It was founded as Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez, and is also known as ''La Sultana del Oeste'' (The Sultaness of the West), ''Ciudad de las Aguas Pura ...
.
At the outbreak of 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 = (cloc ...
, the Esteves Völckers family welcomed the Americans as an alternative to Spanish rule of the island. Esteves's father wanted his son to continue the family military tradition and encouraged him to consider a military career. However, his mother had other plans. She wanted her son to become an engineer and to study in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The family's financial situation did not permit her to realize her dream.
Esteves saw a news advertisement announcing examinations for the entry into the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
at
West Point, New York
West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...
and applied without his parents' knowledge. He passed the exam, was accepted to and eventually graduated from West Point, thus becoming the first Puerto Rican to do so.
West Point
![Esteves](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Esteves.jpg)
While at West Point he tutored
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
, as a second language was required in order to graduate. In 1915, Esteves graduated with Eisenhower and
Omar Bradley
Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893April 8, 1981) was a senior officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army. Bradley was the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and over ...
among his classmates, and was the first Puerto Rican graduate of the academy. He was later the first graduate of 1915, "
the class the stars fell on
"The class the stars fell on" is an expression used to describe the class of 1915 at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. In the United States Army, the insignia reserved for generals is one or more stars. Of the 164 gradu ...
", to reach the rank of general. One of the problems that Esteves faced upon his graduation was that in order to become an officer in the U.S. Army he had to be a citizen of the United States and Puerto Ricans at the time were not. The War Department was able find a
precedent
A precedent is a principle or rule established in a previous legal case that is either binding on or persuasive for a court or other tribunal when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts. Common-law legal systems place great valu ...
when they remembered that during the American Revolutionary War, foreign officers like
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette and
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben (born Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Louis von Steuben; September 17, 1730 – November 28, 1794), also referred to as Baron von Steuben (), was a Prussian military officer who ...
were given commissions in the Continental Army. He obtained the rank of Second Lieutenant and was assigned to the 23rd Infantry Regiment, where he worked in the National Matches of Florida.
Pancho Villa incident
Esteves served as a 2nd lieutenant in the 8th Infantry Brigade of the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
under the command of
General Pershing
General of the Armies John Joseph Pershing (September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948), nicknamed "Black Jack", was a senior United States Army officer. He served most famously as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the West ...
, when he was sent to
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
during the "
Pancho Villa Incident". During the onset of the
Battle of Columbus in June 1916, Esteves was promoted to first lieutenant.
He was given charge of infantry units and assigned to protect bridges.
From El Paso, he was sent to the town of
Polvo, Mexico. After being transferred to the town of Polvo, the population named him mayor and judge during his stay.
Puerto Rico National Guard
Esteves was then promoted to the rank of captain.
Esteves helped organize the 23rd Battalion, which was composed of Puerto Ricans and was stationed in
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Esteves was later assigned command of a machine gun company and a battalion.
He was sent to
Camp Las Casas
Camp Las Casas was a United States military installation established in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1904. The camp was the main training base of the "Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry," On January 15, 1899, the military government changed the name of ...
and the Henry Barracks in Puerto Rico and served as an instructor in the preparation of Puerto Rican Officers for the Porto Rico Regiment of Infantry (which in 1919 was renamed the
65th Infantry).
He saw a need for a
Puerto Rican National Guard. Esteves pressured colonial governor Arthur Yager and the colonial legislature about the necessity of a local militia.
His request was met with approval. The National Guard Bureau approved this initiative, and on July 19, 1919, the current incarnation of the PRNG was organized.
In 1918, he was promoted to Major and by 1919, the first regiment of the Puerto Rico National Guard was formed. After the war, Esteves was sent to
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, however his assignment there was cut short and he resigned his commission in the Regular Army because of a medical admonition that residence in a cold climate could have been fatal to his wife.
Esteves joined the new entity on February 25, 1920, as commander of the First Battalion of the First Puerto Rico Regiment and its companies.
On February 7, 1939, Esteves was named Adjutant General.
He was responsible for funneling an increase of new recruits at Camp Tortuguero.
In 1942, Esteves was given command of the temporary State Guard.
![Troops in Jayuya](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Troops_in_Jayuya.gif)
On October 15, 1940, the Puerto Rico National Guard was activated pursuant to Executive Order 3551. Esteves was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and ordered to active duty and given the command of the
92nd Infantry Brigade. He commanded the 92nd until he was summoned by
José Miguel Gallardo the Interim Governor of Puerto Rico to organize a State Guard, with the Army's approval, that in a short time consisted of nine well trained and equipped regiments. On June 22, 1946, Esteves was awarded with the Legion of Merit by the Military Department of the Antilles.
During this time, he reorganized the Puerto Rico National Guard and held the position of
Adjutant General
An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer.
France
In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...
until his retirement in June 1957.
On October 30, 1950, the
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
The Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico ( es, Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico, PNPR) is a Puerto Rican political party founded on September 17, 1922, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Its primary goal is to work for Puerto Rico's independence. The P ...
organized a series of uprisings in numerous cities in Puerto Rico against the United States rule and the Puerto Rican commonwealth government in what is known as the
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party Revolts of the 1950s. The Puerto Rico National Guard was mobilized under the command of Esteves by orders of Governor
Luis Muñoz Marín
José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín (February 18, 1898April 30, 1980) was a Puerto Rican journalist, politician, statesman and was the first elected governor of Puerto Rico, regarded as the "Architect of the Puerto Rico Commonwealth."
In 1948 he ...
and U.S. Brigadier Gen.
Edwin L. Sibert, and sent to confront the Nationalists in various towns such as
Jayuya
Jayuya (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the mountainous center region of the island, north of Ponce; east of Utuado; and west of Ciales. Jayuya is spread over 10 barrios and Jayuya Pueblo (the downtown and administra ...
,
Utuado and
San Juan.
Later years
General Esteves' main hobby was studying military history. He also published two books, ''Los Barrabases'' and ''¡Los Soldados Son Así!'' (Soldiers are like that). In ''¡Los Soldados Son Así!'', he tells about many
anecdotes, jokes, and stories of the Boricua (Puerto Rican) soldiers, covering the period from when the ancient regiment from Puerto Rico was organized (which today is the 65 Infantry) up to the Second World War. He also authored ''Cosas de Viajero'' and ''Cosas de Soldados''.
Esteves married Guadalupe Navarro, with whom he had four children, Raúl, Roberto, Maricel and Vernon.
Esteves also helped establish the first two theaters in Aguadilla, his hometown, with the help of fellow community leader Juan Garcia. On April 30, 1957, Esteves retired from service due to health concerns.
On March 12, 1958, Esteves died in Santurce as a complication of these issues.
His remains are interred in Cementerio Histórico Urbano de Aguadilla. On August 24, 1958, the PRNG's Armory was re-baptized in his honor.
On May 11, 1962, Division General Juan Cordero dedicated a speech to him during the re-inauguration of the PRNG's Military Museum.
The former Puerto Rico National Guard Armory in
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico
Hato Rey is a former barrio located in the northwest part of the dissolved municipality of Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. It now stretches over three Barrios of Puerto Rico, barrios, of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico, San J ...
"Gen. Luis R. Esteves" and the street in front of the Puerto Rico National Guard's headquarters in
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Old San Juan ( es, Viejo San Juan) is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the islet of San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Catedral, Marina, Mercado, San Cristóbal, and San Francisco sub-barrios ( ...
was renamed "La Calle Gen. Esteves" in his honor.
Mark Yannone
, Retrieved November 6, 2007
Military awards and decorations
Among Major General Luis R. Esteves' military decoration and awards are the following:
See also
* List of Puerto Ricans
* List of Puerto Rican military personnel
Throughout history Puerto Ricans, including people of Puerto Rican descent, have gained notability as members of the military. They have served and have fought for many countries, such as Canada, Cuba, England, Mexico, Spain, the United States an ...
* Puerto Ricans in World War I
Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States Armed Forces in every conflict in which the United States has been involved since World War I.
One of the consequences of the Spanish–American ...
* Puerto Ricans in World War II
Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican descent have participated as members of the United States Armed Forces in the American Civil War and in every conflict which the United States has been involved since World War I. In World War II, more tha ...
* Puerto Rico Adjutant General
The Puerto Rico Adjutant General ( es, Ayudante General de Puerto Rico) is the Commander of the Puerto Rico National Guard. As the Adjutant General he is also the Senior Military Advisor to the Governor of Puerto Rico and oversees both State and ...
* 65th Infantry
* German immigration to Puerto Rico
German immigration to Puerto Rico began in the early part of the 19th century and continued to increase when German businessmen immigrated and established themselves with their families on the island.
However, it was the economic and political s ...
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
External links
*
Generals of World War II
{{DEFAULTSORT:Esteves, Luis R.
1893 births
1958 deaths
United States Army Infantry Branch personnel
United States Army personnel of World War I
American military personnel of World War I
National Guard (United States) generals
People from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican military officers
Puerto Rico Adjutant Generals
Puerto Rican Army personnel
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
United States Army generals
United States Military Academy alumni
Puerto Rican people of German descent
Puerto Rican people of Dutch descent
Puerto Rico National Guard personnel
Graduates of the United States Military Academy Class of 1915
Puerto Rican expatriates in Mexico
United States Army generals of World War II