An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Dec. 28, 2010

Puerto Rico National Guard recognizes a fallen hero

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Luis Orengo Puerto Rico National Guard

COAMO, Puerto Rico - The Puerto Rico National Guard on Monday posthumously promoted one of the Guardmembers killed in a Dec. 20 helicopter crash.

Army Col. Victor J. Torres, deputy adjutant general of the Puerto Rico National Guard, was promoted to brigadier general on Monday here.

Torres, 58, along with three other Citizen-Soldiers and two state prosecutors, died in the Dec. 20 accident during Operation New Dawn in support of the Puerto Rico Justice Department when a UH-72A Lakota helicopter crashed into the sea.

The bodies of Torres, the state prosecutors and two of the other Citizen-Soldiers – Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Hector Ramirez and Army Staff Sgt. Jose O. Sostre – were recovered from the sea on Dec. 21.

One Citizen-Soldier, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Carlos Acevedo, remains missing.

Torres’ career spanned more than 30 years of faithful and loyal service to the Puerto Rico National Guard, attaining high recognition from superior officers, peers, subordinates and state and federal government officials.

His wake, at the Coamo Convention Center, saw thousands of people from all over the island gather to pay their respect to a man considered by many to be a great teacher, Soldier and public servant.

The governor of Puerto Rico, the Hon. Luis G. Fortuño, the state secretary and the president of the state Senate were among participants.

“The loss of Victor J. Torres is a loss to all Puerto Rico," the governor said. "This hero, and his companions, fell doing their job: to protect the people of this island, and I know that for as long as we have the Puerto Rico National Guard the name of Victor Torres will forever be remembered."

Torres was recognized with the following awards: The Legion of Merit Medal and the Puerto Rico National Guard Merit Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Medal of Valor and Law Enforcement Ribbon.

The awards were presented to Torres’ two surviving sons and one daughter.

"There are no words to describe Victor Torres," said the adjutant general of Puerto Rico, Army Maj. Gen. Antonio J. Vicéns.  "He was a man dedicated to serve his nation and his country who gave his life trying to make a better Puerto Rico and a better nation.

 

“He was an optimistic man who saw the bright side of life and who knew how to instill in others the desire to become better people for the good of others.

 

“The Puerto Rico National Guard will sorely miss him and his leadership. Let his example become the beacon that will guide the next generations of Citizen-Soldiers – a beacon that will forever stand strong in our values of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage.

“The Puerto Rico National Guard has lost a great man; the Nation has lost a great man."

The body of Army Brig. Gen. Victor J. Torres was scheduled to be interned at his hometown of Coamo, Puerto Rico, today.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group prepare dummies for a simulated casualty evacuation at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, July 17, 2025. The 108th Medical Company engaged in a weeklong field medical exercise to validate their readiness and elevate their medical and basic Soldier skills. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Christopher Booker)
Pennsylvania Guard Medics Simulate Chaos in Exercise
By Capt. Christopher Booker, | July 18, 2025
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Soldiers assigned to the Pennsylvania National Guard's 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, are engaged in a comprehensive two-week field medical exercise here.The...

Nevada Air National Guard's 152nd Maintenance Group and 152nd Logistics Readiness Squadron personnel load Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) equipment onto MAFFS #8, aircraft #554 at the Nevada Air National Guard Base on July 12, 2025. U.S. Northern Command activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) Aircraft, one from the 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Station in California. Two C-130 aircraft equipped with MAFFS and their associated personnel will support firefighting efforts in the Western United States. The 152nd Airlift Wing’s “High Rollers” and 146th Airlift Wing's “Hollywood Guard” report on July 14, 2025, and will be initially based out of Channel Islands Air National Guard Base in California and are anticipated to be in place through August 14, 2025.
Nevada Air Guard Wing Assists in Firefighting Efforts
By Senior Master Sgt. Paula Macomber, | July 18, 2025
RENO, Nev. – U.S. Northern Command has activated two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System Aircraft, one from the Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing out of Reno, Nevada, and one from the 146th Airlift Wing out of...

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the adjutant general of Texas, for an aerial assessment of flood-affected areas in Central Texas and to visit Guardsmen on duty supporting civil authorities with response efforts, Kerrville, Texas, July 15, 2025. To date, National Guard search and rescue operations, led by the Texas National Guard, have resulted in the rescue of more than 525 Texans. Hundreds of Guardsmen remain on mission to continue working with interagency partners in search and rescue and recovery operations.
Nordhaus, Raines see Heroism, Partnerships in Central Texas
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely, | July 18, 2025
KERRVILLE, Texas – Early on July 4, almost 30 inches of rain fell within hours across Central Texas’s Hill Country, surging the Guadalupe River and triggering catastrophic flash flooding.Within hours, Texas National Guard...