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

, 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''
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 ...

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
/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
/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

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:

(

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
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 ...

, 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

Texas Attorney General The Texas attorney general is the chief legal officer
of 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

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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.

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