Asturians under American flag
Historical page about of those young people of Asturian origin who participated with the US in World War II.
Prisioner of War Medal
Awarded to any person who was taken prisoner of war and held captive after April 5, 1917, during World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam conflicts and Operation Desert Storm.
Though not authorized until it was approved by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, the POW Medal was created with a grandfather clause making it an approved award to all former Prisoners of War since the beginning of World War I. The legislation authorizing the award does require that the conduct of the POW was honorable during their imprisonment thus preventing presentation to collaborators. The award is presented posthumously to the next of kin of deceased Prisoners of War.
Regino Rodríguez Jr. was born in Tampa (Florida) on March 28, 1924, the youngest of the six children of Regino Rodríguez (Los Cabos, Pravia, Asturias - 01/18/1891) and Carola Caranante (Naples, Italy - 09/26/1899).
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Regino studied at Hillsborough High School and at the age of 19 he enlisted at Camp Blanding (Florida) on February 26, 1943, he received gunnery training to be part of the crew of the B-17 bombers that began to operate in Europe destroying infrastructures. of the Axis forces.
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He is assigned to B-17 nº 42-38069 "Big Widget" at the Italian base of Amendola (Italy) as part of a squadron of the 96th Bomb Squadron of the 15th Air Force, his usual position being gunner of the lower turret handling two parallel machine guns 50 cal.
On August 22, 1944, during mission no. 256, on its way to bomb the Odertal refinery (Germany), the B-17 “Big Widget” was attacked by three BF-190s at about 1:15 p.m., 150 km to the SW of Budapest (Testimony of S/Sgt. Donald E. Crutcher, lower turret gunner of the No. 395 B-17 flying in that formation)
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Of the 10 crew members, 8 managed to parachute, including S/Sgt Regino Rodríguez who was taken prisoner by the German forces and spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft 4, being released in June 1945.
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Upon his return to the US, he would marry Mrs. Dhalia González on June 8, 1945 and the couple had four daughters.
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Regino Rodríguez died on May 13, 2004, being buried in the Bay Pines National Cemetery, Pinellas County (Pinellas), Florida, (United States).
Regino Rodríguez Jr. Nace en Tampa (Florida) el 28 de marzo de 1924, siendo el pequeño de los seis hijos del matrimonio Regino Rodríguez (Los Cabos, Pravia, Asturias - 18/01/1891) y Carola Caranante (Nápoles, Italia -26/09/1899).
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Regino cursa estudios en Hillsborough High School y con 19 años se alista en Camp Blanding (Florida) el 26 de febrero de 1943, recibe formación de artillero para formar parte de la tripulación de los bombarderos B-17 que comienzan a operar en Europa destruyendo infraestructuras de las fuerzas del Eje.
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Es asignado al B-17 nº 42-38069 “Big Widget "en la base italiana de Amendola (Italia) formando parte de una escuadrilla del 96th Bomb Escuadrón de la 15th Air Force siendo su puesto habitual artillero de la torreta inferior manejando dos ametralladoras paralelas del cal. 50.
El 22 de agosto de 1944, durante la misión nº 256, de camino a bombardear la refinería de Odertal (Alemania), el B-17 “Big Widget” fue atacado por tres BF-190 sobre las 13:15 horas a 150 km al SW de Budapest (Testimonio del S/Sgt. Donald E. Crutcher, artillero de torreta inferior del B-17 No. 395 que volaba en aquella formación)
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De los 10 tripulantes consiguieron saltar en paracaídas 8, entre ellos el S/Sgt Regino Rodríguez que cayo prisionero de las fuerzas alemanas pasando el resto de la guerra en el Stalag Luft 4, siendo liberado en junio de 1945.
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A su vuelta a EEUU se casaría con Mrs.Dhalia González el 8 de junio de 1945 y el matrimonio tendía cuatro hijas.
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Regino Rodríguez fallece el 13 de mayo de 2004, siendo enterrado en el Cementerio Nacional de Bay Pines, Pinellas County (Pinellas), Florida, (Estados Unidos).