Jorge Otero-Barreto went on more than 200 combat missions during the Vietnam War. He was born on April 7, 1937, in the small town of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, not far from San Juan. His parents, Eloy Otero-Bruno and Crispina Barreto-Torres, named him after his father’s hero, George Washington. They had no idea their son would one day become a hero himself — one of the most decorated U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam War.
Jorge studied biology in college for three years before joining the U.S. Army in 1959. Just a year later, he made history by becoming the first Puerto Rican to graduate from the Army’s Air Assault School.
Soon after, Jorge volunteered to serve in Vietnam. It was the first of five tours he would complete between 1961 and 1970. He served with elite units like the 101st Airborne, the 82nd Airborne, and the 25th Infantry Division.
In total, Jorge volunteered for around 200 combat missions.
For his bravery and service, he received 38 military honors, including three Silver Stars, five Purple Hearts, five Bronze Stars, five Air Medals, and four Army Commendation Medals.
One of those honors came from a fierce battle on May 1, 1968. Jorge and his unit were near the city of Hue, holding a position against enemy forces. That morning, they were attacked twice by enemy soldiers, but Jorge’s team pushed them back, killing 58 attackers.
Instead of waiting for another wave, Jorge led a charge into the enemy-held village with his platoon. As they moved in, they were hit with heavy gunfire. Jorge rushed forward, took out a machine gun bunker by himself, and then led his men through three more enemy bunkers, clearing the way for the rest of his unit to take control. This act of bravery earned him one of his Silver Stars.
After the war, Jorge’s combat career ended, but his legacy only grew. In 2006, he received the National Puerto Rican Coalition’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Veterans’ homes and museums have been named in his honor. In 2011, his hometown of Vega Baja named him Citizen of the Year.
Jorge Otero-Barreto’s incredible story is celebrated in The Giant Killer book and Facebook page — helping make sure heroes like him are never forgotten.
