Robert Salvador is a retired Philippine Army officer and a recipient the Philippines' highest military award for

courage Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...

, the Medal of Valor. Salvador, then a

Private First Class Private first class (french: Soldat de 1 classe; es, Soldado de primera) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel in a number of armed forces. French speaking countries In France and other French speaking countries, the rank (; ) ...

, was one of the soldiers defending Camp Aguinaldo during the

1989 Philippine coup attempt File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

. When armored personnel carriers of the rebel

Reform the Armed Forces Movement The Reform the Armed Forces Movement, also referred to by the acronym RAM, was a cabal of officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) known for several attempts to seize power in the Philippines during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, som ...

rammed the camp's gate on 3 December 1989, Salvador fired on the vehicles with a 90 mm

recoilless rifle A recoilless rifle, recoilless launcher or recoilless gun, sometimes abbreviated "RR" or "RCL" (for ReCoilLess) is a type of lightweight artillery system or man-portable launcher that is designed to eject some form of countermass such as propel ...

, killing several crewmen inside. One of those killed turned out to be Salvador's brother, Rogelio. Salvador had been promoted to

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

by the time he was conferred the Medal of Valor on March 22, 1991. He was a

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

by December 2016, just before his retirement.

Medal of Valor citation

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ROBERT F SALVADOR 723530 PA
LOGCOM, CGEA, Quezon City – 3 December 1989 "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life beyond the call of duty during the failed coup attempt staged by the rebel soldiers on 3 December 1989. Upon orders by the Commanding Officer, 49th Infantry Battalion, which was then defending the AFP Logistics Command area, PRIVATE FIRST CLASS SALVADOR, armed with 90 mm recoiless rifle, tracked down a fleeing enemy V-150 Command Tank amidst heavy enemy gunfire and directly fired at it, hitting the rear and right tire, partially disabling it. His second shot totally destroyed the rebel- driven armor. Minutes later, a second armoured tank arrived along Santolan Road. Apparently dispatched for a rescue and reinforcement mission, the landing vehicle bombarded the strong defensive position of the 49th Infantry Battalion. With this situation, PRIVATE FIRST CLASS SALVADOR surreptitiously advanced towards the hostile tank and blew it thoroughly with his recoiless rifle. His heroic effort disorganized the hostile forces and caused them to cease their attack and withdraw. The successful defence of the Battalion at LOGCOM proved to be the most decisive defeat incurred by the rebel soldiers in their all-out effort to capture the General Headquarters. This prevented the hostile forces to penetrate the inner defense of Camp Aguinaldo and to seize the ammunition depot of LOGCOM. Such victory was attributed to the selfless heroism of this intrepid soldier. By this display of extraordinary gallantry, PRIVATE FIRST CLASS SALVADOR distinguished himself in the field of combat in keeping with the highest tradition of Filipino soldiery."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salvador, Robert Living people Armed Forces of the Philippines Medal of Valor Philippine Army personnel Place of birth missing (living people) Recipients of the Philippine Medal of Valor Year of birth missing (living people)