Oldest World War I and World War II Veteran. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in February 1919 and although an armistice had officially ended WW I on November 11, 1918, the nature of the minesweeping operation qualified him as a WW I veteran. In 1921, he graduated from the U.S. Navy Radio School and his first duty was as an air crewman on a seaplane on the first U.S. aircraft carrier, the Langley. During World War II, he served from 1942 to 1944 and was involved in 1945, liberation of his Philippines homeland. During his 30 year naval career, he was among the first Filipinos to serve as a radio operator, a combat air crewman, an aviation chief petty officer and be commissioned Chief Warrant Officer. He also was the oldest minesweeper sailor at the time of his death, according to the Bureau of Naval Personnel. He returned to San Diego after the war, serving in flight operations at North Island Naval Air Station until retiring in 1949. As a civilian, he worked as an electronics technician at General Dynamics, supervisor of factory electronics calibration for the Astronautics Division, involved with guidance systems for the Atlas missile and Mercury space programs. Also a amateur radio operator, he coordinated West Coast emergency networks for broadcasts of weather conditions to vessels in the Pacific and was credited by the National Weather Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and Mexican public officials for life-saving efforts. Cause of death, heart failure at age 103.
Oldest World War I and World War II Veteran. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in February 1919 and although an armistice had officially ended WW I on November 11, 1918, the nature of the minesweeping operation qualified him as a WW I veteran. In 1921, he graduated from the U.S. Navy Radio School and his first duty was as an air crewman on a seaplane on the first U.S. aircraft carrier, the Langley. During World War II, he served from 1942 to 1944 and was involved in 1945, liberation of his Philippines homeland. During his 30 year naval career, he was among the first Filipinos to serve as a radio operator, a combat air crewman, an aviation chief petty officer and be commissioned Chief Warrant Officer. He also was the oldest minesweeper sailor at the time of his death, according to the Bureau of Naval Personnel. He returned to San Diego after the war, serving in flight operations at North Island Naval Air Station until retiring in 1949. As a civilian, he worked as an electronics technician at General Dynamics, supervisor of factory electronics calibration for the Astronautics Division, involved with guidance systems for the Atlas missile and Mercury space programs. Also a amateur radio operator, he coordinated West Coast emergency networks for broadcasts of weather conditions to vessels in the Pacific and was credited by the National Weather Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and Mexican public officials for life-saving efforts. Cause of death, heart failure at age 103.
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