Andres Rosado-Rodriguez

Andres Rosado Rodriquez, 94, of the Lower East Side, New York, is survived by his wife, Lucille Rosado, son Andre Rosado, daughter Lillian, Vivian, and Andrea Rosado Sosa from the beloved union of Ines Caciques, and his sisters Carmen Rosado Feliú and Olga Rosado. He leaves behind his grandchildren, Devin and Mia, and great-grandchildren, Eli and Preston.

He was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, on February 3, 1931, son of Isabel Rodriguez Mandia Rosado and Nicacio Rosado. He came to the United States in his teens and met my mother when she was 15. They married when my mother was 18 and my father was 20. They've known each other for 75 years.

Andres Rosado had three brothers and two sisters. All the brothers served in the military. Santiago Rosado Rosas was in the army, and my father's other two brothers, Antonio and Milton, like him, were Marines and served in the Korean War. Andres Rosado belonged to the 595th Platoon, Fourth Battalion, Happy Company. He fought on the battlefield for eight months and eleven consecutive days and was awarded the Purple Heart with other Korean War medals for head and body injuries.

The citation from the Commanding General of the United States Marine Corps reads:

"For excellent service in the line of his profession while serving with a Marine company during operations against the enemy in KOREA on the night of July 5, 1952. Private First Class ROSADO-RODRIQUEZ, a member of a thirty-man defending force on a combat outpost, fired effective fire with his automatic rifle during an assault…. Protecting three wounded Marines who were in his fighting bunker and an adjacent trench. When he expended his ammunition, he guided the wounded men back to a safer bunker through heavy artillery, mortar, grenade, and small arms fire. After the wounded were placed in a bunker, where they could be treated, he resupplied himself with ammunition and guarded the entrance to the bunker unit the action ceased. Private First Class ROSADO-RODRIQUEZ's conduct throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service".

Commendation Ribbon with Combat "V" Authorized indicates that the award was given for acts of heroism involving direct participation in combat operations. The V is attached to the ribbon to signify his valor in action.

For many years, he carried the Geneva Convention papers in his wallet in the event of enemy capture.

He lived a deliberate life. He was not violent, combative, or complained. He did not smoke or drink alcohol except for Manischewitz Blackberry wine on holidays. He disapproved of drug taking, and with severe headaches due to his head wound in Korea, the most potent medicine was Tylenol.

Dad had a simple formula for living. He loved his family, children, community, and country. He had many friends in the community. He greeted many people in the neighborhood. He was quick to buy his friends coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. He loved all his children. I was old enough to see that he perfected parenting when Vivian and Andrea were born. He had so much fun with them. He had more stories in his playbook. The stories were longer and featured more vivid characters. We all had our special moments with Dad.

I've learned life lessons from my father. He taught me how to live (he said to speak up for people who cannot speak up for themselves. He called that 'making noise'. He said that Andrea and my daughter, Mia, made noise. He often called me Vivian or Vip, but I accepted and answered him because I knew all his children were taking care of him. MY brother visited him weekly without fail, and my mother came along for many of those trips. With his only remaining strength, he managed to wave at his family toward the end. His eyes were fixed on his grand and great-grandchildren. He taught me how to live, and on Sunday, July 20, 2025, he taught me how to die with dignity. Private First Class, Andres Rosado Rodriquez, passed surrounded by all his children.

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