Joseph A. Unanue
| Joseph A. Unanue | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 14, 1925 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | June 12, 2013 (aged 88) Alpine, New Jersey |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | 63rd Armored Infantry Battalion, 11th Armored Division |
| Battles/wars |
World War II * Battle of the Bulge |
| Awards |
Bronze Star World War II Victory Medal |
| Relations | Don Prudencio Unanue Ortiz, Doña Carolina Casal Unanue - parents Carmen Ana Casal de Unanue- Spouse |
| Other work | Former president of Goya Foods |
Joseph Andrew Unanue (March 14, 1925 – June 12, 2013) was the president of Goya Foods, which is the largest Hispanic–owned food company in the United States, and is owned by the Unanue family.
Unanue's father, Prudencio Unanue Ortiz, was born in Burgos, Spain. He emigrated to Puerto Rico, where he met a young Spanish girl by the name of Carolina Casal, whose parents also had immigrated to Puerto Rico. They were married in the island in 1921 and soon after moved to New York City and settled in Brooklyn where Joseph Unanue was born.
Prudencio Unanue worked as a broker for Spanish companies doing business in the U.S. He soon realized that there was a need for Hispanic products in New York City, and in 1936 he founded Goya Foods, a food distributing company, in Manhattan.
Prudencio Unanue was very serious about his children's education and enrolled them in Catholic schools. Joseph attended St. Joseph's Grammar School and later St. Cecilia's High School. Since childhood and when not in school, Unanue and his brothers had to work in the family business. His special job was bottling olives. In 1943, he graduated from high school but, since World War II was in full swing, he was drafted into the United States Army.
After basic training, Unanue attended the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. However, due to the intensity of the war, he was soon sent to the battlefield. In 1944, his Army company landed in France and soon joined General George S. Patton's 3rd Army at the Battle of the Bulge. Unanue was only 19 years old and a Private First Class when his sergeant died in action. He was then named sergeant in the field and made platoon leader. Unanue pulled his men to safety and was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery.
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