CPL Guillermo "Billy" San Pedro, Jr.
CPL Guilermo "Billy" San Pedro, Jr. Photo courtesy of www.findagrave.com
Billy San Pedro, Jr. attended Miami Springs Middle School and Miami Springs Senior High, but by all accounts he never really enjoyed school much. Since the time he was little, he had wanted to be a Marine, and at 16, he asked his father’s permission and dropped out of High School to join the Marine Corps, which he saw as a way to get himself together.
He joined the Anti-Tank (TOW missile) Co., 1/8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division. He excelled in the Marines, earning Rifle Expert certification, and he looked forward to becoming a fireman after his commitment was finished. He was deployed to Lebanon as part of the U.S. Multinational Peacekeeping Force, and was among the 241 US Servicemen killed by a terrorist truck bombing of the barracks on October 23, 1983. He was survived by his parents, Guillermo Sr. and Sila, and his younger brother, Javier. While some families voiced opposition to the U.S. Peacekeeping mission, the San Pedros were supportive of the mission, and incredibly proud of their son and his service to our Country. He was interred at Vista Memorial Gardens, and is memorialized by a plaque that hangs still today in the Media Center at Miami Springs Middle School. If you have photos, memorabilia, or further information regarding Billy or his family and their time in South Florida, please let me know, you can email to [email protected]. |
Photograph: www.findagrave.com
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