06/13/2021
Meet Sergeant First Class Jorge Otero-Barreto, aka "The Puerto Rican Rambo"...
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Between 1961 and 1970, Otero-Barreto deployed 5 times to Vietnam, seeing combat on nearly 200 missions. He earned 2 Silver Stars, 5 Bronze Stars with "V", 5 Purple Hearts, and many other personal awards in addition to his nickname. His 2nd Silver Star came in May 1968, while leading his squad through an enemy held village, killing numerous NVA in their holes as he overran their machine gun positions. Today, Otero-Barreto has been recognized for his service in numerous ways by the US and Puerto Rico.
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"...serving with Company A, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 502d Infantry Regiment, 101st Air Cavalry Division, was occupying defensive positions around a village north of Hue. The village was occupied by elements of the North Vietnamese Army and had defied all offensive attempts for two days. At 0415 hours, the enemy began a series of human wave attacks against Company A in a desperate attempt to break out of the village. After the human wave assaults had twice been driven back and 58 enemy lay dead, the enemy forces withdrew into the village for their final stand. The first platoon led Company A into the village to destroy the remainder of the NVA and Sergeant Otero was the leader of the point element. Suddenly the point came under fire from RPGs, machine guns, and small arms firing from enemy bunkers and spider holes. With complete disregard for his own safety, Platoon Sergeant Otero immediately assaulted the nearest machine gun emplacement and killed all three of its crew members. He then led his squad through enemy fire in assaulting three more enemy positions, overrunning them and killing or incapacitating all of the enemy. Platoon Sergeant Otero swiftly moved his squad to occupy vacated enemy positions and place effective fire on the remaining enemy so that other Company A platoons could maneuver."
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