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Marxuach, Gilberto José (0405503): Difference between revisions

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|surname=Marxuach
|surname=Marxuach
|first=Gilberto
|first=Gilberto
|middle=J.
|middle=José
|class_section=7B
|class_section=7B
|class_rank=Major
|class_rank=Major
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|branch=United States Army
|branch=United States Army
|years_of_service=1928–31, 1940–47
|years_of_service=1928–31, 1940–47
|rank_final=50px; Colonel
|rank_final=Colonel
|battles=World War II
|battles=World War II
|awards_ribbons=Ribbon_American_Defense_Service_Medal_ribbon.png; Ribbon_American_Campaign_Medal_ribbon.png; Ribbon_Asiatic-Pacific_Campaign_Medal_ribbon.png; Ribbon_World_War_II_Victory_Medal_ribbon.png; Ribbon_Army_of_Occupation_ribbon.png; Ribbon_Army_Overseas_Service_Ribbon.png
|awards_ribbons=Ribbon_American_Defense_Service_Medal_ribbon.png; Ribbon_American_Campaign_Medal_ribbon.png; Ribbon_Asiatic-Pacific_Campaign_Medal_ribbon.png; Ribbon_World_War_II_Victory_Medal_ribbon.png; Ribbon_Army_of_Occupation_ribbon.png; Ribbon_Army_Overseas_Service_Ribbon.png
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<div class="soldier-lead">
<div class="soldier-lead">
Colonel Gilberto José Marxuach a.k.a. "The Father of the San Juan Civil Defense" (November 19, 1910 &ndash; April 18, 1957), was a former officer in the United States Army who in 1951 founded and became the first director of the Civil Defense in the City of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
'''Gilberto José Marxuach''' (19 November 1910 &ndash; 18 April 1957) was a Puerto Rican United States Army officer who trained at [[Camp Ritchie]] in [[:Category:Class 10|Class 10]], commanded units of the 296th Infantry Regiment during World War II, and in 1952 became the first director of the San Juan Civil Defense, earning the name "the Father of the San Juan Civil Defense".
</div>
</div>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Gilberto José Marxuach was born Gilberto José Marxuach Acosta on 19 November 1910 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, one of three sons of Colonel Teófilo Marxuach Plumey and Carolina Acosta Acosta, into a family prominent in the island's commercial, political, and military life. His grandfather José María Marxuach was twice mayor of San Juan; his father, an officer of the Porto Rico Regiment, ordered the first shot fired on behalf of the United States in World War I, on 21 March 1915; and his mother was a granddaughter of the journalist and abolitionist José Julián Acosta. Growing up near Fort San Cristóbal, where his father was stationed, gave him a lifelong love of the military. He graduated from Central High School in Santurce in 1928 and on 17 June 1928 joined the Puerto Rico National Guard, training at Camp Las Casas. Governor Theodore Roosevelt Jr. appointed him to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, but an automobile accident left him bedridden for more than a year, and by his recovery he was over the age limit.


Marxuach served in the National Guard until 1931, when he entered the University of Puerto Rico. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1936, rejoined the Guard that year, and in 1937 joined the university's science faculty, becoming a professor of science in 1938. On 23 December 1938 he married Margarita Ginorio Dominguez, and he earned a master's degree in botany at the University of Michigan.


When the 295th and 296th Infantry Regiments of the Puerto Rico National Guard were called into federal service, Marxuach entered the Army and on 15 October 1940 was commissioned a second lieutenant, serving with the 295th at Camp Tortuguero and then the 296th. He attended the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, for three months, and for another three months trained at the Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie as a major with [[:Category:Class 10|Class 10]] (section 7B), studying the organization of foreign armies, advanced map reading, interrogation, and the evaluation of information. On 12 January 1944 the 296th left Puerto Rico for the Panama Canal Zone, where Marxuach, promoted from first lieutenant to major, commanded its 2nd Battalion, underwent jungle training, and led a mission to recover the remains of American soldiers killed in the crash of a C-45 Expeditor. The regiment returned to Puerto Rico in April 1945 and reached Hawaii on 25 June 1945, attached to the Central Pacific Base Command at Kahuku Army Air Field; by then a lieutenant colonel, Marxuach commanded the 1114th Artillery Company and the 1558th Engineer Company. The 296th returned home on 6 March 1946, and he was promoted to colonel on 12 November 1946. He retired in 1947 as the regiment's executive officer because of a service-related disability. His decorations included the American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Army of Occupation Medal.


 
After the war Marxuach studied law at the University of Puerto Rico, working in its Carnegie Library to pay his tuition, earned his law degree on 27 June 1949, and opened a private practice in San Juan. In 1951 he joined the administration of Mayor Felisa Rincón de Gautier as municipal legal adviser and was charged with organizing the San Juan Municipal Civil Defense, becoming its first director on 8 March 1952. He held both posts until he died after a brief illness at his home in Santurce on 18 April 1957. He was buried with full military honors at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamón. On 26 June 1970 San Juan named an underground nuclear shelter in Río Piedras housing municipal emergency offices the Colonel Gilberto Marxuach Center in his honor.
 
 
 
Colonel Gilberto José Marxuach a.k.a. "The Father of the San Juan Civil Defense" (November 19, 1910 &ndash; April 18, 1957), was a former officer in the United States Army who in 1951 founded and became the first director of the Civil Defense in the City of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
 
In 1937, Japan invaded China and in September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. As a precautionary measure, the 295th and 296th Infantry Regiments of the Puerto Rican National Guard, founded by Major General Luis R. Esteves, were called into Federal Active Service and assigned to the Puerto Rican Department in accordance with the existing War Plan Orange. That same month, Marxuach joined the United States Army and on October 15, 1940, was commissioned a second lieutenant. He was assigned to the 295 Regiment at Camp Tortuguero in Puerto Rico and soon after was reassigned to 296th Infantry Regiment. By then Marxuach had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was in charge of the 1114th Artillery Co. and the 1558th Engineers Co.
 
During his military career, Marxuach attended the Infantry School at Fort Benning in Georgia for 3 months where he learned the mechanical functioning and tactical employment of all infantry weapons. For another three months he attended the Military Intelligence Center at Camp Ritchie, situated in the mountains near Pennsylvania. Here he studied the organization and composition of foreign armies, advanced map reading, interrogation of the enemy during war, and evaluation of information.
 
Among Colonel Gilberto José Marxuach's many military decorations are the following:
 


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
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== Timeline ==
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed soldier-timeline">
<div class="soldier-timeline-body">
* 19 November 1910 — Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
* 17 June 1928 — Joined the Puerto Rico National Guard.
* 1936 — BS, University of Puerto Rico.
* 23 December 1938 — Married Margarita Ginorio Dominguez.
* 15 October 1940 — Commissioned second lieutenant.
* 12 January 1944 — Departed with the 296th Infantry Regiment for the Panama Canal Zone.
* 25 June 1945 — Arrived in Hawaii with the 296th.
* 12 November 1946 — Promoted to colonel.
* 1947 — Retired for service-related disability.
* 27 June 1949 — Earned law degree, University of Puerto Rico.
* 8 March 1952 — Became first director of the San Juan Municipal Civil Defense.
* 18 April 1957 — Died in Santurce, Puerto Rico.
* World War II — Infantry School, Fort Benning; Military Intelligence Training Center, Camp Ritchie (Class 10).
</div>
</div><div style="clear: both;"></div>


== Sources ==
== Sources ==

Latest revision as of 03:39, 25 September 2026

Gilberto José Marxuach
Gilberto José Marxuach
Personal details
Birth nameGilberto José Marxuach Acosta
Born19 November 1910
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Died18 April 1957
Santurce, Puerto Rico
NativityPuerto Rico
ReligionCatholic
AwardsAmerican Defense Service Medal
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch United States Army
ASN0405503
RankColonel
Rank at RitchieMajor
Camp RitchieClass 10 (23 July – 20 September 1943)
Section7B
Battles / warsWorld War II
Awards and honors
American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal Army Overseas Service Ribbon with award numeral 10
Research notes on this page are compiled from the source file and later edits. They may be unverified, incomplete, or incorrect, and should not be treated as established fact. Please correct the article or add sources on the talk page. For class-roster terms, see About the data.
Sources & confidence: Treat Research notes as leads, not settled fact. Prefer NARA, the class roster, newspapers, Find a Grave, or published histories for contested claims. Mark unsourced claims with {{Needs source}}, or explain disagreements on talk. Baseline import notes: About the data.


Gilberto José Marxuach (19 November 1910 – 18 April 1957) was a Puerto Rican United States Army officer who trained at Camp Ritchie in Class 10, commanded units of the 296th Infantry Regiment during World War II, and in 1952 became the first director of the San Juan Civil Defense, earning the name "the Father of the San Juan Civil Defense".

Biography[edit | edit source]

Gilberto José Marxuach was born Gilberto José Marxuach Acosta on 19 November 1910 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, one of three sons of Colonel Teófilo Marxuach Plumey and Carolina Acosta Acosta, into a family prominent in the island's commercial, political, and military life. His grandfather José María Marxuach was twice mayor of San Juan; his father, an officer of the Porto Rico Regiment, ordered the first shot fired on behalf of the United States in World War I, on 21 March 1915; and his mother was a granddaughter of the journalist and abolitionist José Julián Acosta. Growing up near Fort San Cristóbal, where his father was stationed, gave him a lifelong love of the military. He graduated from Central High School in Santurce in 1928 and on 17 June 1928 joined the Puerto Rico National Guard, training at Camp Las Casas. Governor Theodore Roosevelt Jr. appointed him to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, but an automobile accident left him bedridden for more than a year, and by his recovery he was over the age limit.

Marxuach served in the National Guard until 1931, when he entered the University of Puerto Rico. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1936, rejoined the Guard that year, and in 1937 joined the university's science faculty, becoming a professor of science in 1938. On 23 December 1938 he married Margarita Ginorio Dominguez, and he earned a master's degree in botany at the University of Michigan.

When the 295th and 296th Infantry Regiments of the Puerto Rico National Guard were called into federal service, Marxuach entered the Army and on 15 October 1940 was commissioned a second lieutenant, serving with the 295th at Camp Tortuguero and then the 296th. He attended the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, for three months, and for another three months trained at the Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie as a major with Class 10 (section 7B), studying the organization of foreign armies, advanced map reading, interrogation, and the evaluation of information. On 12 January 1944 the 296th left Puerto Rico for the Panama Canal Zone, where Marxuach, promoted from first lieutenant to major, commanded its 2nd Battalion, underwent jungle training, and led a mission to recover the remains of American soldiers killed in the crash of a C-45 Expeditor. The regiment returned to Puerto Rico in April 1945 and reached Hawaii on 25 June 1945, attached to the Central Pacific Base Command at Kahuku Army Air Field; by then a lieutenant colonel, Marxuach commanded the 1114th Artillery Company and the 1558th Engineer Company. The 296th returned home on 6 March 1946, and he was promoted to colonel on 12 November 1946. He retired in 1947 as the regiment's executive officer because of a service-related disability. His decorations included the American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Army of Occupation Medal.

After the war Marxuach studied law at the University of Puerto Rico, working in its Carnegie Library to pay his tuition, earned his law degree on 27 June 1949, and opened a private practice in San Juan. In 1951 he joined the administration of Mayor Felisa Rincón de Gautier as municipal legal adviser and was charged with organizing the San Juan Municipal Civil Defense, becoming its first director on 8 March 1952. He held both posts until he died after a brief illness at his home in Santurce on 18 April 1957. He was buried with full military honors at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamón. On 26 June 1970 San Juan named an underground nuclear shelter in Río Piedras housing municipal emergency offices the Colonel Gilberto Marxuach Center in his honor.

Research notes[edit | edit source]

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Technical record[edit | edit source]

Field Imported value
Approx Age at Death 47
Class_ASN 405503
Class_Name MARXUACH, Gilberto J.
match_method asn_exact_name_exact
row_source both

Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • 19 November 1910 — Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • 17 June 1928 — Joined the Puerto Rico National Guard.
  • 1936 — BS, University of Puerto Rico.
  • 23 December 1938 — Married Margarita Ginorio Dominguez.
  • 15 October 1940 — Commissioned second lieutenant.
  • 12 January 1944 — Departed with the 296th Infantry Regiment for the Panama Canal Zone.
  • 25 June 1945 — Arrived in Hawaii with the 296th.
  • 12 November 1946 — Promoted to colonel.
  • 1947 — Retired for service-related disability.
  • 27 June 1949 — Earned law degree, University of Puerto Rico.
  • 8 March 1952 — Became first director of the San Juan Municipal Civil Defense.
  • 18 April 1957 — Died in Santurce, Puerto Rico.
  • World War II — Infantry School, Fort Benning; Military Intelligence Training Center, Camp Ritchie (Class 10).

Sources[edit | edit source]

  • Wikipedia: Gilberto José Marxuach
  • Camp Ritchie Museum, Inc. (The Ritchie History Museum), Classes 1–31 roster data
  • Dan Gross research spreadsheets, including original Excel timeline/roster work, combined with other research and records
  • NARA World War II Army enlistment records (where a NARA ASN is present)
  • 1940 U.S. Census (where a census match is present)
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