SFC Valentin Negron-Batista (Ret.)

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Co. A 1950-1951, served 1942-1962 (Deceased 2000)

Article:

Retired Sergeant First Class Valentin Negrón-Batista was born on February 13, 1923, in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, where he lived until his late adolescent years.  After growing tired of cutting sugar cane for a living, Sgt. Negron-Batista moved to the capital city of San Juan in search of better opportunities.  As the story is told, and retold, an Army truck fitted with a loudspeaker was making its rounds in San Juan, requesting listeners of a certain age join the U.S. Army by simply jumping on the truck, which a young 19-year old Valentin did.  Although joining the Army entailed more than just jumping on the truck, Valentin was eventually inducted into the U.S. Army on March 25, 1942; 109 days after the attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  Sgt. Negron-Batista  served in the 65th Infantry Regiment during World War II and during the Korean War, where he served in Company A from 1950 to 1951.  Valentin later performed active duty service in his native Puerto Rico; in Panama during World War II; Fort Carson, Colorado; Nuremberg, Germany; and, Fort Knox, Kentucky.  Sgt. Negron-Batista retired from the U.S. Army in 1962 after 20 years of service with the rank of Sergeant First Class.  He then worked as an industrial mechanic for a number of years.  Valentin was an avid sports fan who especially loved baseball. He passed away on December 30, 2000 and is survived by his wife Edelmira, and his two sons Hector  and Victor.   Following in his father’s tradition, Victor joined the United States Marine Corps as a Private and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel with 20 years of service.

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