Colonel Héctor Andrés Negroni (born January 30, 1938) is a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

officer, historian, senior aerospace defense executive, author, and the first Puerto Rican graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He was commissioned by Spain's Fifth Centennial Commission to write the "''Historia Militar de Puerto Rico''" (A Military History of Puerto Rico).

Early years

Negroni was born in the town of

Yauco, Puerto Rico Yauco () is a Yauco barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the Yauco barrio-pueblo, downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco ...

, which is located in the southwestern region of the island. There he received his primary education. While still young, his parents moved to

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa (Spanish language, Spanish for "Rose of Lima, Saint Rose") is a city in and the county seat of Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay A ...

. During this period of his life, his family continued to move, and Negroni was to attend school in the Mexican city of

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

and finally in

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, Pennsylvania. In 1956, he graduated from Frankford High School and enrolled in

Drexel University Drexel University is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony Joseph Drexel, Anthony J. Drexel, a financier ...

, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he completed one year of civil engineering before he received appointments for all three service academies, The

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

, The

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

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, and the

United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academies, United States service academy in Air Force Academy, Colorado, Air Force Academy Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs. I ...

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...

. He decided for the Air Force Academy, where in 1961 he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering with a major in public affairs. Negroni was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force and was awarded his navigator wings. While at

, Negroni was a member of

Pi Kappa Phi Pi Kappa Phi (), commonly known as Pi Kapp(s), is an American Greek Letter secret and social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty Jr. on De ...

fraternity.

Military career

In 1962, he received his pilot wings after completing pilot training at

Reese Air Force Base Reese Air Force Base was a former U.S. Army Air Base located near Lubbock, Texas. It was closed in 1997 and converted into a research center. History Reese Air Force Base began as the Lubbock Army Air Corps Advanced Flying School in 1942. It ...

, in

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. In 1964, the Air Force presented him with a scholarship to pursue a master's degree at the

University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Universidad de Puerto Rico;'' often shortened to UPR) is the main List of state and territorial universities in the United States, public university system in the Commonwealth (U.S. i ...

. In 1967, he graduated from the University of Puerto Rico and earned a Master of Arts degree in Hispanic Studies. Negroni served as an assistant professor of Spanish in the Air Force Academy between the years 1967 and 1971. There he taught and directed all the Spanish courses. He also holds degrees from the

Industrial College of the Armed Forces The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (Eisenhower School), formerly known as the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), is a part of the National Defense University (Washington, D.C.), National Defens ...

and the

Air War College The Air War College (AWC) is the senior Professional Military Education (PME) school of the U.S. Air Force. A part of the United States Air Force's Air University (United States Air Force), Air University, AWC emphasizes the employment of air, ...

Negroni participated in combat missions during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

and accumulated over 600 combat hours. During his tour he served in the 553rd Reconnaissance Squadron stationed in

Korat The Korat cat (, ) is a silver-tipped blue-grey, short-haired Cat breed, breed of Cat, domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of Adipose tissue, body fat. Its body is semi-cobby, and unusually heavy for its size. It is an ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

and as chief of combat operation in the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron in

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, Thailand. In 1973, he was assigned to the 317th Tactical Airlift Wing, Pope Air Force Base,

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, serving as an aircraft commander, flight commander, assistant operations officer, and wing chief of aircrew training. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1977 and became the commander of the 3rd Mobile Aerial Port Squadron. In 1978, he was named the chief of liaison for the Joint United States Military Group in Spain. The

Spanish Government The government of Spain () is the central government which leads the executive branch and the General State Administration of the Kingdom of Spain. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the o ...

presented Negroni with its highest Air Force peacetime award, the Aeronautical Merit Cross for his contributions to the successful implementation of the United States-Spain Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. In 1980, Negroni was reassigned to the Pentagon and in 1981 promoted to colonel. Among the positions which he held in the Pentagon are the following: *Latin America Politico-Military Affairs Officer for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. *Vice commander for the Air District of Washington at Bolling Air Force Base. *Chief of the Policy and Management Division, Directorate of International Program, Deputate of Programs and Resources at the Headquarters United States Air Force in the Pentagon.

Written works

Negroni has authored over 200 articles which have been published in various U.S. and foreign journals. His research of the Corsican-Puerto Rican connection has provided a wealth of information about Puerto Rico's ties with Corsica. Among Negroni's works is "''La Genealogía de Puerto Rico''" (The Genealogy of Puerto Rico) which provides an in-depth study of the Puerto Rican people. He is the author of ''Historia Militar de Puerto Rico'' (A Military History of Puerto Rico (the book)), commissioned by Spain's Fifth Centennial Commission, "''Historia de Yauco''" (The History of Yauco) and ''The History of the Negroni Family''.

Later years

In October 1985, Negroni retired from the Air Force after 24 years of service. He then joined the McDonnell Douglas Corporation. He was named manager of the International Business Development for the Harpoon anti-ship missile program in the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company. In 1987 he was appointed manager of international program development for McDonnell Aircraft Company. In 1990 he was named general manager for McDonnell Douglas Spain Ltd., a subsidiary of McDonnell Douglas Corporation. He is currently married to Joan Leah Blanco, with whom he had two sons, Hector Emilio, a CEO for Fundamental Credit Opportunities in New York City and Xavier Andres, a managing director for Pierpont Securities in Stamford, Connecticut. Negroni and his wife resided in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, Virginia where he was a commercial pilot, a navigator and a certified Spanish-English diplomatic translator-interpreter. In December 1992, Negroni became a private management consultant specializing in project, marketing, and proposal management. He was also involved with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, where he acted as eastern regional director; the Latin American Management Association as executive director and T.E. Systems, Inc. as vice president of business development. In 1996, he joined AlliedSignal Aerospace Company (which later became Honeywell International) as the general manager for their Huntsville, Alabama office. His responsibilities include marketing, sales and support activities with

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

's Marshall Space Center and the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command at the

Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal is a United States Army base adjacent to Huntsville, Alabama in the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. A census-designated place in Madison County, Alabama, United States, it is part of the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistica ...

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. He retired from the aerospace defense industry in 2000 and currently resides with his wife in

Bonita Springs, Florida Bonita Springs is a city in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 53,644 at the 2020 census, up from 43,914 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, on the state's sou ...

. In 2022 Héctor Andrés Negroni was inducted to the Puerto Rico Veterans Hall of Fame.

Awards and recognitions

Among Col. Negroni's U.S. and foreign decorations and awards are the following:Puerto Rico Caribbean Emergency Ribbon; Special Order 37; 156TH TACTICAL FIGHTER GROUP; Puerto Rico Air National Guard; Puerto Rico International Airport; February 19, 1965 Badges: *