Puerto Rican recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross

rdf:langString Puerto Rican recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross

rdf:langString Puerto Ricans have served as members of the United States Armed Forces and have fought in every major conflict in which the United States has been involved from World War I onward. Many Puerto Ricans, including those of Puerto Rican descent, have distinguished themselves during combat as members of the five branches of the U.S. Military, the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and the Coast Guard. Nine Puerto Ricans have been awarded the United States' highest military decoration—the Medal of Honor—while seven have been awarded the Navy Cross and nineteen have been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions which merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree to be above those required for all other U.S. combat decorations but not meeting the criteria for the Medal of Honor. The following is a list of the fifteen Puerto Ricans awarded the Distinguished Service Cross with their citations. On March 18, 2014, President Barack Obama upgraded the Distinguished Service Crosses awarded to Juan E. Negrón, Demensio Rivera, Miguel Vera and Félix M Conde Falcón to the Medal of Honor in a ceremony held in the White House.