The Latino Military Legacy America Should Know by Heart
The day after Memorial Day, Silicon Valley Latino reflects on the Latino veterans whose courage, sacrifice, and service helped build the greatest military force in history.
By Sergio Domeyko, COO & Editor, Silicon Valley Latino
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
I served in the U.S. Coast Guard. I came home.
Not everyone does.
The day after Memorial Day, I find myself thinking about that more than usual. About what it means to serve. About who has served alongside us, before us, and in ways that never made the history books the way they should have.
Because here is something that should be common knowledge and is not.
More than 60 Latino service members have earned the Medal of Honor. According to military historians and veterans organizations, Hispanic and Latino Americans have earned more Medals of Honor per capita than any other ethnic group in U.S. history.
That is not a footnote. That is a legacy.
From the Civil War to Today. Always There
Latino service members have shown up in every major U.S. conflict since the Revolutionary War. The first Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient, Corporal Joseph H. De Castro, distinguished himself at Gettysburg in 1863. Wounded twice. Still standing. Still carrying the flag forward.
That spirit never stopped.
In World War II, the 65th Infantry Regiment, the Borinqueneers, became one of the most celebrated units in U.S. military history. Puerto Rican soldiers who fought through some of the war's most brutal campaigns. In 2014, the nation honored them with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor the United States can bestow. A recognition well earned, and long overdue.
In that same year, 24 Latino veterans received Medals of Honor for their service in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Men whose heroism had waited decades for the formal recognition it deserved.
These are names that belong in every classroom. Every history book. Every dinner table conversation this weekend.
Today: The Backbone of the Force
The tradition continues. Today, Latinos make up approximately 17% of active-duty U.S. military personnel, the fastest-growing demographic in the armed forces. The Marine Corps is 23% Latino. Nearly 1.3 million Latino veterans are alive today, carrying that legacy forward in their communities, their families, their daily lives.
We are not guests in this military. We built it alongside everyone else. And we keep showing up.
The Obligation Is Ours
I came home from my service. I carry that with me every day. And part of how I honor those who did not is by making sure their stories get told.
That is what SVL exists to do. Not just in May. Not just this weekend. Every single week.
At Silicon Valley Latino, honoring Latino veterans is not a heritage month gesture. It is a year-round commitment, to know their names, celebrate their service, and make sure the next generation grows up understanding the full depth of what our community has contributed to this country.
The flags came down yesterday. Our pride does not.
To every Latino veteran and every family who carries their memory, gracias. We carry them with us. Los llevamos con nosotros.
Do you have a Latino veteran in your family? Share their name in the comments. Let us honor them together.
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Sergio Domeyko
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