JORGE OTERO-BARRETOThe Puerto Rican "Rambo", Legendary Puerto Rican-American Vietnam War hero, An amazing Warrior, (Guerrero), The most decorated soldier of the Vietnam War, The epitome of a true Bravelord…..he has been given all of these well-deserved accolades and more, and yet, he remains one of the most underrated, unrecognized, misunderstood and unknown of our Puerto Rican living legends.Sargeant First Class Jorge A. Otero-Barreto (Ret.), was born on April 7, 1937 in the town of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. In Vega Baja, Otero-Barreto received his primary and secondary education. He attended college for three years, studying biology until 1959 when he joined the U.S. Army. After his basic training, he attended the Army's Air Assault School, graduating in 1960. He was the first Puerto Rican to graduate from the U.S. Army Air Assault School.From 1961 to 1970, Otero-Barreto served five tours in Southeast Asia, starting as an advisor who helped train Vietnamese troops. Otero-Barreto served in various military units during his military career. He served in the 101st Airborne Division and the 25th Infantry Division "Tropic Lightning". He also served in the 82nd Airborne Division, an active airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute landing operations and in the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. He participated in 200 combat missions, was wounded five times in combat, and was awarded 38 military decorations, making him "the most decorated soldier of the Vietnam War." Among his many decorations are 3 Silver Stars, 5 Bronze Stars with Valor, 4 Army Commendation Medals, 5 Purple Hearts and 5 Air Medals (one each for every 5th mission which involved a helicopter).Otero-Barreto has been called "the most decorated Puerto Rican veteran," and the news media and various organizations have called him "the most decorated soldier of the Vietnam War." Whatever the case, Otero-Barreto remains one of the most decorated Vietnam War veterans, and possibly the most decorated U.S. soldier in the Vietnam War living today. Much of the above information comes from Wikipedia, but the true facts that shed a different light on the above data are found in the documentary film "Brave Lords" where Jorge Otero reveals, that because of the many covert missions that he was involved in during those Vietnam War years, the U.S. Military essentially told him to go home after he was discharged and shut his mouth for the next forty or fifty years. Thus, he has been at war with the Veteran's Administration for years to claim his full disability compensation benefits, to get the awards due to him, (he did not receive his Purple Heart medals until 1999-2000), and he is still due other awards and medals that the VA still does not want to acknowledge that he earned. Prior to the filmed interview, Jorge Otero produced official, now-declassified documentation that authenticate everything he said.Sadly, not even the Government of Puerto Rico has given Jorge Otero-Barreto the due recognition he deserves, other than bringing up his name at some official functions related to the military and the recognition he received from his hometown of Vega Baja. Stateside Puerto Rican Veterans Groups from Boston and Springfield, Massachusetts and a group in Lorain, Ohio have also honored Jorge Otero-Barreto for his exemplary service as a soldier during the Vietnam War. On June 22, 2012, Otero-Barreto was the keynote speaker at a Vietnam Veterans Memorial Dinner in Lorain, Ohio. On September 1, 2006, the Coalición Nacional Puertorriqueña (National Puerto Rican Coalition) honored Otero-Barreto with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" in a conference held at the Hotel Hilton of Chicago. The keynote speaker was U.S. Congressman Luis Gutierrez. A transitional home for veterans in Springfield, Massachusetts, the SFC Jorge Otero-Barreto Homeless Veterans Transitional Home, was also named after Otero-Barreto. The town of Vega Baja dedicated its military museum to Otero-Barreto and named it the "Jorge Otero Barreto Museum." On October 2, 2011, Otero-Barreto was named Vegabajeño del Año en Civismo (Civic Citizen of Year of Vega Baja).A few years ago I asked a member of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York, if they would please consider Jorge Otero-Barreto for recognition of some sort at their coming year's parade, but since he was neither a well-known Puerto Rican celebrity or high powered Puerto Rican politician, the request went nowhere. The documentary film "Brave Lords" is in production and will be out in early 2014. Log onto www.bravelords.com for more info. JF
Posted by BRAVE LORDS CHRONICLES on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
