Jesus Rodriguez
Bio
Jesus Rodriguez was born in Los Angeles, California, and was attending school when he enlisted in the Army in 1949. After completing 17 weeks of basic training at Fort Ord, he traveled by ship to Japan, enduring a typhoon along the way. Upon arrival, he was surprised and dismayed to learn he’d been selected for leadership school. In July 1950, he landed in Pusan and soon advanced into the Iron Triangle. For his bravery and service, he earned the Silver Star, a Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge, and the Korean Service Medal with B2 and three service stars.
Video Clips
Seventy-Five Demerits in a Week
Jesus Rodriguez shares how he initially tried to manipulate the demerit system to get out of Leadership Camp before deploying to Korea. However, he soon realized he needed to pass the training regardless. Shifting his mindset, he changed his strategy and committed to finishing the program successfully. (Explicit language)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZkTJC3ApWo&start=546&end=663
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/jesus-rodriguez#clip-1
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"There was a lot of them, and just one of me"
Jesus Rodriguez recalls earning the Silver Star after fighting alone for five hours against North Koreans when his company abandoned him at night. He later reflected on the translator’s suspicious behavior during the battle, questioning whether he might have been a spy. Despite the odds, Rodriguez’s courage and determination carried him through the harrowing ordeal.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZkTJC3ApWo&start=1104&end=1571
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/jesus-rodriguez#clip-2
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Korea over the years
Jesus Rodriguez shares his return to Korea, sparked by an invitation from Seoul’s mayor after they met at a Veterans Day event in La Habra, Seoul’s sister city. During his visit, he noticed remarkable changes in Korea and was deeply moved by the warm hospitality and gratitude shown by the Korean people.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZkTJC3ApWo&start=1777&end=1947
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/jesus-rodriguez#clip-3
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Hand-to-Hand Combat
Jesus Rodriguez recounts fighting in a battle along the Naktong River just before the Incheon Landing. He notes the conditions were very dangerous, so much so that being sent on a mission could have bee a one-way trip. Fighting was so intense and the enemy so close that often it was impossible to load their weapons so they resorted to hand-to-hand combat.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZkTJC3ApWo&start=890&end=1019
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/jesus-rodriguez#clip-4
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