Hispanics and Heroes

Carlos E. Martínez, Brigadier General, USAF, Retired and

Ricardo Aponte, Brigadier General, USAF, Retired

Ever since the days of the legendary El Cid who helped drive the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula; Hispanics have been enamored with heroes. We read and write about them and honor them, for they represent the age-old battle between good and evil.

The authors have spent more than 34 years in the United States Air Force from the early 1970s into the 21st Century and have met many heroes. Let us tell you about a Hispanic-American hero that we both know, Air Force Master Sergeant Noel Sepúlveda.

Noel began his Air Force career during the Vietnam War. Following his training as a medic, he was assigned to an Army medical evacuation unit in Vietnam. His mission was to fly directly into the heat of combat to tend to and evacuate the wounded. There he learned that even though as a medic he was officially a non-combatant, if he was to save anyone’s life he first had to fight his way in manning a .50 caliber machine gun from the door of the helicopter. Noel accepted that critical responsibility and did his job honorably, helping save many soldiers during his tour.

He continued to serve in the Air Force for many years but never had to prove himself again until many years later. On the morning of September 11, 2001, Noel was arriving by motorcycle at the Pentagon parking lot as the terrorists crashed a plane into the building. He witnessed the airplane clip a couple of light poles and then slam into the Pentagon. The force of the explosion threw Noel onto one of the light poles. Although stunned by the blast, he quickly got up and rushed to the scene of the disaster. Arriving there, he immediately began directing others on the task of helping the wounded and establishing a triage area. Soon thereafter, an Air Force general arrived, confronting Noel with, “Who put you in charge here?” Noel replied that no one had, that he just saw the need and jumped into action. The general immediately responded, “As Surgeon General of the United States Air Force, I hereby officially appoint you in charge of caring for the victims of this disaster.” For his actions that day, Noel received two medals, the Airman’s Medal for bravery and a medal for being wounded in combat, because it was later discovered that the force of the blast had given him a head concussion.[1]

Master Sergeant Sepulveda represents just one of the heroes our nation has known. While they all exhibited heroism in different ways, the one thing they all had in common was the acceptance of responsibility. They did the right thing without regard for their own well-being, even in the face of imminent danger, and often paid the ultimate sacrifice. Many of those heroes are offspring of Hispanic families. In fact, there have been 60 Hispanics that received the nation’s highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, dating back to the American Civil War. The first was Union Army Corporal Joseph H. De Castro for his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg and the most recent is Army Sergeant First Class Leroy Petry for his actions in Afghanistan. A complete list with a description of their heroic actions can be easily found on-line.[2]

It is fitting for us to reflect upon these heroes during Hispanic Heritage Month, that time dedicated every year to celebrate the contributions that Americans of Hispanic descent have made to our great country. We may be natural born citizens, or we may have come from many different places, often to escape tyranny. We are heroes to our own families, often having risked life and limb, trekking across the dry deserts of the Southwest or floating on makeshift rafts across shark-infested waters.

Today, during the pandemic crisis that is gripping the nation many of us our quiet heroes. We continue to provide the backbone that enables the nation and our economy to continue to function. We are the ones who leave our children at home, put on our masks, and risk our lives riding on buses, trains, and subways that don’t permit social distancing to get to jobs that need to continue to be done. Among these are preparing and serving food in restaurants, delivering the mail, cleaning office buildings, and working in nursing homes and hospitals to attend to the needs of the sick and dying. We have adopted this country as our own, we comprise an ever-growing proportion of our nation’s military, and we continue to prove ourselves every day to be celebrated as Americans.

We are now faced with a choice for president. Joe Biden knows us, respects us, and knows the meaning of selfless service to the nation. He does not try to divide the nation against itself through inflammatory language and actions.

For us, the choice is easy. So, please join us this year and vote for Joe Biden and Kamela Harris.

[1] https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/96900

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hispanic_Medal_of_Honor_recipients#:~:text=Private%20Joe%20P.,receive%20the%20Medal%20of%20Honor