Arcadio Santiago Rodriguez

Arcadio Santiago Rodríguez "Cayito" December 15, 1923- July 11, 2025.

Master Sergeant Arcadio Santiago Rodríguez, 101, of Palm Bay, Florida, went peacefully into his Father's arms on July 11, 2025.

Arcadio was born in Cidra, Puerto Rico on December 15, 1923, to Arcadio Santiago and Elisa Rodriguez. He was a proud Jibarito who enjoyed the beauty and nature of his native land with such intensity that he brought the skills of growing trees to Palm Bay, often sharing with neighbors seedlings, avocados, mangoes, papayas and oranges from his yard.

Arcadio was drafted in 1944 and later actively participated in combat during WWII. He served in the U.S. Army for 30 years. During his impeccable military career, he received many recognitions. Among those was a Silver Star Medal for outstanding acts of valor under enemy fire in Hongbok, Korea in 1951. Later, during the Vietnam War, he received another Silver Star Medal for his bravery during combat. Arcadio was stationed in Panama and Germany, as well as several states in the USA. He had the honor of participating in the burial of President John F. Kennedy, a day he always remembered with teary eyes. In 1969, he was selected as U.S. Soldier of the Year.

After he retired from the military, Arcadio settled in Brevard and served Brevard Public Schools with excellence as a school bus driver for twenty years.

In 2014, President Obama formally recognized the Borinqueneers by presenting and honoring them with the highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal. In November 2024, he was inducted into the Distinguished Puerto Rican Veterans Hall of Fame.

Arcadio Santiago Rodriguez, Cayito, is survived by his wife, Bernarda de Lourdes and his children, Miriam, Luis Raul, José, Carmen, Annie, Lisi, Susie and Richard, 15 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren.

Services will be held on Friday July 18, 2025 at Our Lady of Lourdes, 1710 S. Hickory St., Melbourne, FL 32901. Viewing will be at 1PM, followed by mass and burial at Florida Memorial Gardens, 5950 S. US Highway 1, Rockledge, FL 32955

As a Borinqueneer, Arcadio leaves a legacy of unwavering loyalty, bravery, discipline, excellence and love for country and family. You can honor his life by making the world a better place through service of others, planting a tree or singing a Le Lo Lai.