Juan Manuel Torres

Dr. Juan Manuel Torres of Pine Island, Florida—a decorated Korean and Vietnam veteran and beloved father, grandfather, and friend to many—passed away this week at the age of 86 years after a courageous battle against cancer and pneumonia.

Dr. Torres, who earned a PhD later in life, was a true patriot and conservative American hero. Born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, New York, he joined the US Army in 1949 at the young age of fifteen by “revising” his birth certificate. After enlisting in the US Army, Dr. Torres was immediately deployed to Korea where he was assigned to the 21st Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division (Task Force Smith) and placed directly into combat against aggressing North Korean and Chinese (the Reds) troops.

Outnumbered 5 to 1, his unit suffered heavy casualties over many months of sustained fighting. During one battle he was briefly captured and beaten after being assigned to hold back the advancing Reds while his squad moved to another location and escaped while being marched to a prisoner detention facility.

Later when Dr. Torres’ squad leader was killed during an intense battle, he was given a field promotion to Corporal. While in a foxhole during one battle, his buddies affectionately called him “Skip,” which is a name he kept for the rest of his life.

Skip was discharged and returned from Korea to New York after the Army discovered he was only 16 years old. He was, however, later allowed to enlist in the US Air Force as an Air Policeman (later changed by the USAF to Security Forces) where he spent the next 20-plus years, including a one-year tour in Vietnam during the height of the conflict.

While in Vietnam, he was promoted to Technical Sergeant (TSgt) where he led the USAF Security Forces at Bien Hoa Air Base and protected US jet fighters and bombers during the “Tet Offensive” when 100,000 Viet Cong attacked US personnel and facilities, including the air base at Bien Hoa. During the offensive, the Viet Cong struck heavily with continuous artillery, mortar, rocket and machine gun fire to try to take control of his base.

TSgt Torres’ security forces were the first line of defense and held back the invading Viet Cong while US Army helicopter gunships and Air Force F-100 fighters took off to end the assault.

TSgt Torres was injured during the battle while extracting US troops from a burning Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), but declined any awards saying: “It was just my duty”.

When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Skip was chosen to lead the Honor Guard at Montauk Air Force Base in New York to commemorate the passing or our president and to demonstrate American resolve. Skip received the Purple Heart Medal for injuries he sustained from gunshot and shrapnel wounds while in combat against the North Koreans and Chinese. He was also awarded numerous additional US Army and Air Force distinctions, such as the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB) and the US Air Force Commendation Medal.

After retiring from the US armed forces, Skip was recruited by the US Marshals Service as a Deputy US Marshal and was later promoted to Chief Deputy US Marshal where he led key task forces against drug cartels and mafias in the southeast and northeast regions of the United States. He was once again injured during a standoff between US Marshals and armed mafia assailants. Skip retired from the US Marshals Service after 30-plus years of combined US military and government service.

After retiring from the US Marshals Service, Skip earned a PhD seminary studies and became an ordained minister where he faithfully served his community for the remainder of his life. For three decades, he volunteered to feed the homeless throughout Central and South Florida nearly every week; participated in dozens of veteran’s events; helped to create a veteran’s museum; and delivered hundreds of sermons as an ordained reverend.

He gave most of his US military and government retirement pay to charities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide, such as a Pakistan Relief Fund for victims of a devastating earthquake, the Feed the Children foundation, Jewish charities based in Israel where he traveled, as well as to veteran’s organizations, such as Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Dr. Torres also gave generously to the Republican Party and was active in both local and national elections.

Dr. Juan Manuel Torres was one of the many proud Infantrymen of Puerto Rico who volunteered and served valiantly in the Korea and Vietnam wars and he is one of the last surviving soldiers of Task Force Smith – The Battle of OSAN. He was part of America’s greatest generation, and we thank him for his lifetime of service. One of his sons went on to serve in the US Army Special Forces (Green Berets) earning the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Bronze Star Medal and another son served with the 82nd Airborne Division. Dr. Juan M. Torres will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, and his legacy will continue in the hearts of the countless people he influenced throughout his 86 years of life.

Please also read this article from the Department of Defense

Written by Dr. Rebekah Dyer, Fairfax, VA in collaboration with son Jerry W. Torres, Arlington, VA