Antonio Maldonado
Antonio Maldonado | |
---|---|
United States of America | |
Service/ | Puerto Rico Air National Guard
Air Force Commendation Medal |
Early years
Maldonado was born in Comerío, a town located in the center-eastern region of Puerto Rico. He is the youngest of twelve brothers and sisters born to Flor Maldonado Colón from Barranquitas and Carmen López Rodriguez from Naranjito. His family moved to the capital of the island, San Juan and there he attended Central High School. Maldonado graduated from high school in May 1959 and continued his academic education in the University of Puerto Rico where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration in May 1964. Started his military career as an enlisted Operation Specialist with the 198th TFS in the Puerto Rico Air National Guard while he was still a student at the University of Puerto Rico during the early 60s. Upon his graduation, Maldonado received the commission of Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force as a Distinguished Graduate from the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He married Carmen Gonzalez from San Juan, Puerto Rico.[1]
Military career
Maldonado was sent to
Vietnam War
In January 1971, Maldonado was transferred to the 432nd Tactical Fighter Reconnaissance Wing, Udon Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. His active participation in the Vietnam War included 183 air combat missions over North and South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia logging more than 400 combat flying hours in the RF-4C Phantom.[1]
Return to the United States
In December 1971, Maldonado returned to the United States upon completing his tour of duty in Vietnam. He was assigned to
Among the assignments which he held from 1977 to 1982 were the following: B-52 Instructor Pilot and Chief of the Command Control Division (1977–1979) for the 42nd Bombardment Wing at
Pentagon assignments
Upon his graduation from the Air War College, Maldonado was assigned to
In April 1984, Maldonado was transferred to
In May 1987, Maldonado was reassigned once more to the Pentagon where he served as Chief, Strategic Operations Division, Operations Directorate, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In June 1988 he became Deputy Director for Operations, National Military Command Center, the Pentagon. On September 1 of that same year, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General becoming the second Air Force Officer from Puerto Rico and the first from a Puerto Rico University to reach the general officer ranks.[3]
In July 1989, Maldonado was named Chief, U.S. Office of Defense Cooperation,
Later years
After Maldonado retired from the Air Force in 1991, he was named President of "Fomento Industrial de Puerto Rico" (
In 2017 Antonio Maldonado was inducted to the Puerto Rico Veterans Hall of Fame.[5]
Awards and recognitions
Among Brigadier General Antonio Maldonado's decorations and medals were the following:
Defense Superior Service Medal | |
Legion of Merit | |
Distinguished Flying Cross | |
oak leaf clusters
| |
Air Medal with one silver and three oak leaf clusters (Tenth award) | |
Air Force Commendation Medal | |
Air Force Longevity Service Award
| |
National Defense Service Medal with one bronze service star | |
Air Force Overseas Short Tour Service Ribbon | |
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with bronze service star | |
Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze service star | |
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
| |
Air Force Training Ribbon
| |
Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Emblem with Palm and Frame
| |
Vietnam Civil Actions Medal
| |
Vietnam Campaign Medal | |
Inter-American Defense Board Medal |
Badges:
- US Air Force Command Pilot Badge
- Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- Hispanics in the United States Air Force
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Brigadier General Antonio Maldonado > U.S. Air Force > Biography Display". www.af.mil. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
- ^ a b Ildelfonso Lopez, Tras las Huellas de Nuestro Paso, Pg. 34, Publisher: AEELA, 1998, Retrieved June 6, 2007; Publisher: El Mundo, February 28, 1968, retrieved April 25, 2013.
- ^ a b John T. Kelly, Publisher El Nuevo Dia, April 10, 1988; El Mundo, February 8, 1988, retrieved April 24, 2013.
- ^ "National Marrow Donor Program". Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2007-03-04.
- ^ https://www.opv.pr.gov/salon-de-la-fama/salon-de-la-fama
Further reading
- Puertorriquenos Who Served With Guts, Glory, and Honor. Fighting to Defend a Nation Not Completely Their Own; by : Greg Boudonck; ISBN 978-1497421837