Gilberto José Marxuach
| Gilberto José Marxuach | |
|---|---|
Colonel Gilberto José Marxuach
"Father of the San Juan Civil Defense" |
|
| Born |
November 19, 1910 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Died | April 18, 1957 (aged 46) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Place of burial | Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamón, Puerto Rico |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1928–31, 1940–47 |
| Rank |
 Colonel |
| Commands held | 1114th Artillery Co. and the 1558th Engineers Co, 296th Regiment. |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Other work | Founder and first director of the San Juan Civil Defense in Puerto Rico |
Colonel Gilberto José Marxuach a.k.a. "The Father of the San Juan Civil Defense" (November 19, 1910 – April 18, 1957), was a former officer in the United States Army who in 1951 founded and became the first director of the Civil Defense in the City of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Marxuach (birth name: Gilberto José Marxuach Acosta ) was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Colonel Teófilo Marxuach Plumey and Carolina Acosta Acosta. Marxuach was one of three siblings born to the couple; his brothers were Teófilo José and Raúl José. His family had historically played a prominent role in the island's commercial, political and military affairs. His grandfather, José María Marxuach, was twice the Mayor of the City of San Juan and the only Puerto Rican to serve in said position when Puerto Rico was under Spanish rule and after the island was ceded to the United States. Marxuach's father belonged to the Porto Rico Regiment and had the distinction of ordering the first shot fired in World War I on behalf of the United States on March 21, 1915, and his uncle Acisclo Marxuach y Plumey (b. 1895) was an honorary consul of Spain in Puerto Rico. Marxuach's mother was the granddaughter of José Julián Acosta, a distinguished journalist and a fervent advocate of the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico.
Marxuach was greatly influenced by his father and grew up near Fort San Cristóbal, where his father was stationed. The experience instilled in him a lifetime love for the military, and served as an influential factor in his decision to seek a career in the military. Marxuach graduated from the Central High School in Santurce in 1928. On June 17, 1928, he joined the Puerto Rico National Guard and received his basic training at Camp Las Casas in Santurce. He was given an appointment to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, by Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., the United States appointed governor of Puerto Rico. However, an automobile accident left him bedridden for over a year. Upon recovery, he was unable to attend the academy because he was over the age limit.
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