Honoring Latino and All Military Heroes on Memorial Day

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Memorial Day is May 25, 2026.

We at Salud America! are excited to honor all U.S. military personnel, including the Latinos, who have served and died for our country.

Latinos in the Military: History

Latinos have a “proud and indeed enviable” record of military service that dates back all the way to the Civil War, according to a U.S. Army history website.

About 20,000 Latino serviceman and women participated in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990-1991, 80,000 in the Vietnam War in 1959-1973, and more than 400,000 in World War II in 1939-1945.

Latinos have earned more than 40 Medals of Honor, according to the Department of Defense.

“Whether their heritage can be traced to Spain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or one of dozens of other Spanish-speaking countries or [backgrounds], they’ve answered the ‘call to duty,’ defending America with unwavering valor and honor,” according to the website.

The Composition of the U.S. Military, Including Latinos

The Latino share of the active-duty force has continued to rise.

In 2015, 12% of all active-duty personnel were Latino. That is three times the share in 1980, according to Pew Research.

Latinos in active duty rose again to 16% in 2017, according to a report done by the Congressional Service Review, and from 17.2% in 2020 to 17.7% in 2021, according to military data released in December 2022.

Two Latinos’ Heroic Stories: Humbert Roque Versace and Marcelino Serna

Pvt. Marcelino Serna, born in Mexico, joined the U.S. Army and fought in World War I.

He was the first Latino to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

“[In 1918, Serna] stood out for single-handedly capturing 24 German soldiers after a German bullet had grazed his head,” according to the Army’s website. “Perhaps even more impressive, Serna prevented another American Soldier from summarily executing all the captives in the heat of the moment.”

Leaders are petitioning the U.S. Army and federal government to posthumously award Serna the Medal of Honor. He also was posthumously awarded the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor.

Capt. Humbert Roque ‘Rocky’ Versace, of Puerto Rican-Italian descent, was a member of U.S. Army Special Forces.

Viet Cong guerrillas captured Versace, 27, two weeks before he was due to return home, Versace, on Oct. 29, 1963.

He mounted four escape attempts, ridiculed his interrogators, swore at them in three languages, and confounded them as best he could, according to two U.S. Soldiers captured with him, according to the Army’s website.

“The witnesses said the unbroken Versace sang ‘God Bless America’ at the top of his lungs the night before he was executed, Sept. 26, 1965. His remains have never been recovered,” according to the Army’s website. “Versace was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, July 8, 2002.”

How You Can Build Health for Latinos and All People

On Memorial Day, inspired by the U.S. military personnel who have served and died for our country, we can take action to improve our cities and neighborhoods.

You can start by downloading a Salud America! Health Report Card!

Enter your county name and get auto-generated local data with interactive maps and comparative gauges on several health indicators. This can help you visualize and explore local issues in education, housing, transportation, food, health, and more.

See how your county stacks up compared to the rest of your state and nation.

Then email the Report Card to local leaders to raise awareness, include the data in a presentation or grant proposal, or share it on social media to drive healthy change in your community!

get a health report card for your town!