🇺🇲WWII uncovered: Private Cleto L. Rodriguez: Hero of the Battle of Manila and One of the Most Decorated Warriors of the PTO

"On February 9, 1945, 21-year-old US Army Private Cleto L. Rodriguez, of San Antonio Texas, rushed across smoking rubble and into Japanese gunfire on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. For nearly a week, he and his fellow soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment of the 37th Infantry Division battled to liberate the capital city from a determined enemy.

Rodriguez and Private First Class John N. Reese, Jr., a fellow 21-year-old automatic rifleman from Pryor, Oklahoma took action living up to the words on their regimental patch, “WE’LL DO IT". The two grabbed as many grenades and magazines for their Browning Automatic Rifles as they could carry and ran through enemy fire toward the train station." (National World War II Museum)

Private First Class John N. Reese, Jr was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for this heroic action.

⭐Private Rodriguez's Medal of Honor Citation reads as follows:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Technical Sergeant Cleto L. Rodriguez, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty on 9 February 1945, while serving with Company B, 148th Infantry Regiment, 37th Infantry Division. Technical Sergeant Rodriguez was an automatic rifleman when his unit attacked the strongly defended Paco Railroad Station during the battle for Manila, Philippine Islands.

While making a frontal assault across an open field, his platoon was halted 100 yards from the station by intense enemy fire. On his own initiative, he left the platoon, accompanied by Private First Class John N. Reese, Jr, and continued forward to a house 60 yards from the objective. Although under constant enemy observation, the two men remained in this position for an hour, firing at targets of opportunity, mortally wounding more than 35 hostile soldiers and wounding many more.

Moving closer to the station and discovering a group of Japanese replacements attempting to reach pillboxes, they opened heavy fire, eliminating more than 40 and stopping all subsequent attempts to man the emplacements. Enemy fire became more intense as they advanced to within 20 yards of the station. Then, covered by his companion, Private Rodriguez boldly moved up to the building and threw five grenades through a doorway eliminating 7 Japanese, destroying a 20-mm gun and wrecking a heavy machinegun.

With their ammunition running low, the two men started to return to the American lines, alternately providing covering fire for each other's withdrawal. During this movement, Private First Class John N. Reese, Jr was fatally wounded. In 2 1/2 hours of fierce fighting the intrepid team stopped more than 82 Japanese soldiers, completely disorganized their defense, and paved the way for the subsequent overwhelming defeat of the enemy at this strongpoint.

Two days later, Rodriguez again enabled his comrades to advance when he single-handedly stopped six enemy combatants and destroyed a well-placed 20-mm gun by his outstanding skill with his weapons, gallant determination to destroy the enemy, and heroic courage in the face of tremendous odds, Private Rodriguez, on two occasions, materially aided the advance of our troops in Manila.

"President Harry S. Truman presented newly promoted Technical Sergeant Rodriguez with the Medal of Honor in a ceremony on the White House Lawn on October 12, 1945. One of the most decorated soldiers in the PTO, Rodriguez also received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and numerous other awards. After the war, Technical Sergeant Rodriguez returned to San Antonio to a hero’s welcome."

Cleto left the Army in December 1945 and worked for the Veterans Administration, where he began a lifelong commitment to help fellow Hispanic Americans receive continuing education and skills training. In 1952, Rodriguez rejoined the service, initially with the US Air Force before transferring to the Army, retiring in 1970 as a Master Sergeant." (National World War II Museum)

On December 7, 1990, Rodriguez died at the age of 67 years old. He lies in rest at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. Lest We Forget.

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