Raúl G. Villaronga (April 1, 1938 – March 20, 2021) was a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
officer who was the first
Puerto Rican mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of a
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
city. He served as mayor of
Killeen, Texas for three consecutive terms, from 1992 to 1998.
Early years
Raúl G. Villaronga was born on April 1, 1938 in
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.
Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...
, His parents were Raul Gil Villaronga Pasarell, an accountant with the
Puerto Rico Iron Works who once served in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
, and Maria Monserrate Martinez Perez, a school teacher and a housewife. Raúl was the second of their three children. His family moved to
St Croix,
Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands ( es, Islas Vírgenes) are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. They are geologically and biogeographically the easternmost part of the Greater Antilles, the northern islands belonging to the Puerto Rico Trench and St. Cro ...
, where his father worked as an accountant for a
distillery. In
Christiansted, he began his elementary school education. After a few years, his family returned to Puerto Rico, and he was enrolled in the
public school system of Ponce. During his early teen years, he attended the
Catholic Seminary (Casa Manresa) in the town of
Aibonito, Puerto Rico, for two years and studied
ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
and
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
. Villaronga returned to school at the
Colegio Ponceño de Varones in Ponce, and in his senior year, transferred to Ponce High School (the "original" Ponce High School), from which he graduated in 1954.
[''The Battalion''](_blank)
Texas A&M University.
During his high school years, he joined the
Civil Air Patrol and was a member of the national champion Ponce
Drill Team
A drill team can be one of four different entities:
# A military drill team is a marching unit that performs routines based on military foot or exhibition drills. Military drill teams perform either armed or unarmed.
# A dance drill team crea ...
. This experience served as an influential factor in his decision as to which college/university he would attend. He enrolled in
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
because of its military environment, and immediately enrolled in the institution's
Air Force ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) program. In 1954, Villaronga met his future wife, Julia Bush. After his
freshman year he returned to Puerto Rico for one year, after which he returned once more to Texas A&M University and this time joined the
Army ROTC
The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AROTC) is the United States Army component of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It is the largest Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program which is a group of college and university-based offic ...
program. Villaronga married Julia in 1958 during his senior year. In 1959, he earned his
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
in
industrial engineering
Industrial engineering is an engineering profession that is concerned with the optimization of complex processes, systems, or organizations by developing, improving and implementing integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information a ...
and was commissioned as an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
second lieutenant of the U.S. Army.
Military career
While attending Texas A&M, Villaronga worked for
Brown & Root
KBR, Inc. (formerly Kellogg Brown & Root) is a U.S. based company operating in fields of science, technology and engineering. KBR works in various markets including aerospace, defense, industrial and intelligence. After Halliburton acquired Dres ...
Caribe in Puerto Rico and for Brown & Root, Inc. in Texas during the period of time between his graduation from college and the time that he had to report for his active military duty. He was ordered to report to
Fort Benning,
U.S. state of Georgia, on April 3, 1960, for his
basic training
Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique dema ...
. Upon the completion of his basic training, he attended the Infantry Officer's Basic Course and Basic
Airborne Course. In December 1960, he was assigned as platoon leader in the 1st Battle Group, 87th Infantry and then 2nd BG,
23rd Infantry at Fort Benning. On October 3, 1961, Villaronga was promoted to
first lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...
and underwent intense combat training during the
Berlin Crisis. In 1962, he took the Special Forces Officer's Course and served from March 1962 to November 1962 as
Special Forces officer at the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne),
Fort Bragg,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
. He underwent extensive mountain training in
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...
and jungle operations training at
Eglin Air Force Base (Air Commandos).
[Newsletter](_blank)
/ref>
From 1963 to 1965, Villaronga was assigned to the 8th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Gulick
Fort Gulick was a United States Army base in the former Panama Canal Zone located on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal near Fort Davis, on Gatun Lake.
History
The post was constructed and opened in 1941, and named for John W. Gulick, a U.S. ...
in the Panama Canal Zone, where he served in several classified counterinsurgency missions which included an assignment in 1965 of commander of Detachment XX, 8th Special Forces Group, in Central and South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
, in which he conducted training for American and Latin American
Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-eth ...
soldiers in basic, jumpmaster, rigger, and pathfinder courses. During his stay in the Canal Zone, Villaronga continued his military preparation by studying Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
at the Defense Language Institute
The Defense Language Institute (DLI) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) educational and research institution consisting of two separate entities which provide linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other f ...
and jungle warfare
Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain.
It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for bo ...
operations. Villaronga was promoted to captain on October 26, 1964.
Vietnam War
In 1966, Villaronga completed the Infantry Officers Career Course and then was sent to the Republic of Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of t ...
, where he served two tours during the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
. From July to September 1966, he served as the adjutant of the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment (Airborne). From October 1966 through July 1967, he served as company commander, Co B, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment (Airborne).[761st](_blank)
/ref>
When he returned to the United States, Villaronga served as special warfare instructor, U.S. Army Quartermaster School and as supply systems instructor, US Army Quartermaster School from September 1967 to December 1969 at Fort Lee, in Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. During this period of time he was promoted to major (October 26, 1967) and completed the Supply Management Course and ADP Systems Analysis Course.
During the 1970s, he completed the Logistics Executive Development Course and served in various positions in the military. He returned to the Republic of Vietnam and served as logistics staff officer, 29th General Support Group, and as the battalion executive officer, 266 Supply and Service Battalion.
Post-Vietnam War
In June 1973, he was reassigned to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The borough is eight miles (13 km) west of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 8,981.
...
, where until November 1976 he served in the following positions: chief, plans & programs, and manpower, defense depot; chief, management support office, defense depot and chief, transportation division, defense depot. During this period (1973) Villaronga earned his master's degree in industrial engineering
Industrial engineering is an engineering profession that is concerned with the optimization of complex processes, systems, or organizations by developing, improving and implementing integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information a ...
from Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sy ...
and also completed the following courses: Defense Language Institute
The Defense Language Institute (DLI) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) educational and research institution consisting of two separate entities which provide linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other f ...
(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 the Brigade, Battalion Commanders Course. On January 1, 1976 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. From November 1976 to October 1979, he served in Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
as commander, 66th Maintenance Battalion in Kaiserslautern, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and later as plans & operation officer, 7th Support Command.[Class Newsletter](_blank)
In November 1979, Villaronga was assigned to New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, where he served as logistics staff officer, U.S. Army Logistics Evaluation Agency. In 1980, he attended the Command & General Staff College, and on November 1, 1981, he was promoted to colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
. In June 1983, Villaronga was sent to Fort Hood
Fort Hood is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. Named after Confederate General John Bell Hood, it is located halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas. The post is the headquarter ...
, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, where he served as deputy commander, 13th Support Command and later as director of instrumentation, US Army TCATA, until August 1985. On August 1, 1985, Villaronga retired from the United States Army.
Awards and decorations
Among Villaronga's military decorations are the following:
Civilian life
After Villaronga retired from the military, he decided to make Killeen his home and went to work as a part-time professor at Central Texas College
Central Texas College (CTC) is a community college in Killeen, Texas. Founded in 1965, it has branch campuses in Europe and on military installations across the U.S.
History
Central Texas College was established by a vote of the citizens of C ...
, where he taught logistics, math and computer science. Unable to get a full-time position as a professor because he lacked a master's degree in education, he decided to work as a consultant for the Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
and later for Brown & Root Services Corporation in Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
. Villaronga applied and was hired by the 's Office in Austin, and served with the Child Support Enforcement Division. He designed and implemented a case tracking system that provided visibility as to what was happening to cases in each of the organizations involved with CSED.
Political career
Villaronga became interested in an ongoing situation between the citizens of Killeen and the members of the Killeen City Council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
which involved the building of a convention center and as a result ran for city council member in 1989. He served a 2-year term as city council member until 1991.
In 1992, Villaronga successfully ran for mayor of Killeen. Villaronga, the first Puerto Rican to be elected mayor of a Texas city was sworn in office June 20, 1992. He eventually resigned from the OAG after serving his first term as mayor. As mayor, he served as the head of the City of Killeen government for all ceremonial purposes, and for the purposes of military law
Military justice (also military law) is the legal system (bodies of law and procedure) that governs the conduct of the active-duty personnel of the armed forces of a country. In some nation-states, civil law and military law are distinct bodie ...
. Along with the council members, he was responsible for soliciting citizen views in forming these policies and interpreting them for the public. Villaronga successfully served for three consecutive terms and in 1998 stepped down as mayor in accordance with the term limits established by the city charter. During the years in which Villaronga served as mayor, he was involved with and responsible for the implementation of the following:
* An agreement with the Cable Company
This is a list of cable television providers by country.
Andorra
* Mútua Elèctrica(Cable Mútua), Sant Julià de Lória)
Argentina
* Cablevisión
*DirecTV
*
*
*Gigared
*Telered
Australia
* Foxtel
* Fetch TV
Austria
*BKF
*LIWEST
* Salzburg ...
for a Government-access television
Government-access television (GATV) is a type of specialty television channel created by government entities (generally local governments) and broadcast over cable TV systems or, in some cases, over-the-air broadcast television stations. GATV pr ...
cable TV channel, where the City Council Meetings are broadcast live.
* Establishment of the Central Texas Area Veterans Advisory Committee, giving veterans a stronger voice on local matters which resulted in the recognition of the contributions of all veterans to the community.
* A plan for Automation that integrated Local Area Networks in the city's Departments was established.
* An agreement with the Army to use Fort Hood's Robert Gray Army Airfield as a Joint Use Airport, which opened up transportation to the area and resulted in a great economic growth boom.
* A Youth Advisory Commission which provided representation to their Future Leaders as a Commission reporting directly to the City Council on all matters concerning Youth.
* Establishment of the first Sister City Program in Killeen with the city of Osan
Osan () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, approximately south of Seoul. The population of the city is around 200,000. The local economy is supported by a mix of agricultural and industrial enterprises.
It is famous for one of the lar ...
, South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
.
Later years
Among the civic organizations which Villaronga was involved with were the Disabled American Veterans
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is an organization created in 1920 by World War I veterans for disabled military veterans of the United States Armed Forces that helps them and their families through various means. It was issued a federal ch ...
, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion. He was also a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the largest and oldest Hispanic and Latin-American civil rights organization in the United States. It was established on February 17, 1929, in Corpus Christi, Texas, largely by Hispanics ...
(LULAC) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. ...
(NAACP). Villaronga and his wife were on the board of directors of Killeen Crime Stoppers, Inc., and they were both members of the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce. They both served as Chamber Ambassadors, who are the "visible" face of the chamber in promoting business and growth. Villaronga won the 2003 Exchange Club of Killeen Golden Deeds Award. On December 3, 2007, Villaronga, chairman of LULAC's Killeen Foundation, helped organize an event that honored both the "Borinqueneers" (the 65th Infantry Regiment
The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers" during the Korean War for the original Taíno Indian name for Puerto Rico (Borinquen), is a Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army. The regiment's motto is ''Honor et Fidelita ...
of the United States Army, composed almost entirely of Puerto Ricans who fought in the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
) and Puerto Rico Senate President Kenneth McClintock.
Villaronga and his wife were retired and resided in Killeen. They had three grown sons. Villaronga died March 20, 2021, in Killeen. He was buried with full Military Honors at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery.
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 ...
References
External links
Newsletter May
Ethics
Marybeth Harrell for Congress
761st
- The Battalion News
Casa Manresa – Aibonito
{{DEFAULTSORT:Villaronga, Raul G.
1938 births
2021 deaths
Military personnel from Ponce
Politicians from Ponce
United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War
Hispanic and Latino American mayors in Texas
Members of the United States Army Special Forces
Central Texas College people
Puerto Rican military officers
Puerto Rican Army personnel
Recipients of the Silver Star
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
United States Army colonels
United States Army officers
Recipients of the Air Medal
Recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam)
Texas Tech University alumni
Defense Language Institute alumni
Mayors of places in Texas
People from Killeen, Texas
Military personnel from Texas