By Paul Lanning

The son of Mexican immigrants, Joseph Charles Rodriguez was born in 1928 and would become the first in his family to graduate from college, earning an associate’s degree in architecture from San Bernardino Valley College in 1950. With the country caught up at the time in Korean War, it was not long before Rodriguez was drafted into the United States Army. Just a year after graduating from college, Rodriguez was an Army private engaged in enemy combat across the planet in Korea, and soon after would find himself in a seemingly hopeless battle that instead would lead to his nomination for this nation’s highest military honor: the Congressional Medal of Honor.

On May 21, 1951, U.S. Army Company F was assigned the mission of occupying some high ground near the Korean village of Munye-ri. The high ground was firmly entrenched with Communist forces who were unwilling to give up the ground. Three times Company F attacked the ridge and three times they were thrown back.

Rodriguez was the assistant squad leader of the Second Platoon of Company F. His squad's advance was halted by enemy fire coming from five different emplacements. With his unit pinned down, Rodriguez took it upon himself to destroy those emplacements.

Quoting from his Medal of Honor citation: "Fully aware of the odds against him, Sergeant Rodriguez leaped to his feet, dashed 60 yards up the fire-swept slope, and, after lobbing grenades into the first foxhole with deadly accuracy, ran around the left flank, silenced an automatic weapon with two grenades and continued his whirlwind assault to the top of the peak, wiping out two more foxholes and then, reaching the right flank, he tossed grenades into the remaining emplacement destroying the gun and annihilating its crew."

In all 15 enemy soldiers were killed in Rodriguez’s daring assault, and "the defense of the opposition was broken, and the enemy routed, and the strategic strongpoint secured."

For his heroism on the field of battle, Rodriguez was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and nominated for the Medal of Honor.

One week after the battle at Munye-ri, Rodriguez was wounded in combat and evacuated to a hospital in Japan for three months. Upon recuperating from his wounds, he requested to be returned to his unit in Korea. He remained in Korea until late November 1951 and then returned back to the United States. The recommendation for bestowing the Congressional Medal of Honor was approved and presented to Rodriguez by President Harry S Truman in a ceremony held in the Rose Garden outside the White House on January 21, 1952.

Rodriguez’s next assignment was in Reserve Officers Training Corps administration back home at San Bernardino Valley College. During his time back at his alma mater, Sergeant Rodriguez and his fiancée, Rose Aranda, were guests on the popular television show, “You Bet Your Life”, hosted by Groucho Marx.

It was while he was overseeing the ROTC program at the college that Rodriguez was convinced by his superiors to explore the opportunities available to a professional army officer. Sergeant First Class Rodriguez became Second Lieutenant Rodriguez, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with his wife-to-be assisting in pinning on his bars in June 1952.

Over a 30-year career in the United States Army, Rodriguez held every rank except Master Sergeant. Putting his architecture degree to use, he was assigned to various engineer organizations in the United States and the Far East that included two tours in Korea and one in Vietnam. He was also stationed in several countries in Latin America including Bolivia, Puerto Rico, and twice in the Panama Canal Zone. He traveled extensively throughout much of Latin America on diplomatic and presidential assignments and served 12 consecutive years overseas.

His final military assignment brought him back to the United States, where he served at Fort Bliss, Texas as the Facilities Engineer of the installation. He retired at the rank of Colonel. Throughout his military career he attended various military and civilian schools and universities to continue his personal and professional growth. His impressive service record includes the following decorations:
   • Congressional Medal of Honor
   • Legion of Merit (with two oak clusters)
   • Meritorious Service Medal
   • Bronze Star
   • Air Medal
   • Army Commendation Medal (with one oak cluster)
   • Purple Heart
   • Good Conduct Medal
   • Wharang Distinguished Service Medal (with gold star from Korea)

Other awards include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, three Presidential Unit Citations, Airborne wings and various service medals from Korea, Vietnam, and the United States.

After retiring from the military, Colonel Rodriguez accepted a position at the University of Texas, El Paso, as the Director of the Physical Plant, where he worked for another decade. He was responsible for construction and maintenance of all campus facilities at UTEP. After retiring from that second career, he was constantly involved in speaking engagements with civic, youth and veterans organizations throughout the country.

Rodriguez and his wife Rose had three children, Charles, Lawrence, and Karen. Charles is a West Point graduate who was appointed Adjutant General for the Texas Armed Forces by Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2005, the first Latino ever to hold that position. He built a career in university administration in the University of Texas system in addition to his military career in the Texas National Guard. Lawrence pursued a career in finance, serving most recently as a Wells Fargo vice president based in Reno, Nevada. Karen, the wife of a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, is a registered nurse. In fact, all three of Joseph and Rosa’s children married and had children of their own, leading to 11 grandchildren.

Colonel Joseph Charles Rodriguez passed away on November 1, 2005 at the age of 76. He was buried with full military honors at Mountain View Cemetery in Beaumont, California, near his hometown of San Bernardino and just miles from the college that gave him his start in 1950.

In 2008, the Joseph C. Rodriguez PREP Academy opened in San Bernardino, a lasting hometown honor for a first-generation American war hero who benefited greatly from the education he pursued at San Bernardino Valley College.