Jose Horacio Delucca Rivero Jr. (1910 - 2000)

Born 16 May 1910 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, United States

Died 24 Sep 2000 at age 90 in Coronado, San Diego, California, United States

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Biography

Horacio was born on 16 May 1910 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1931, ranked 3rd in a class of 411. Following initial sea duty, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering.

During World War II, Horacio served as a gunnery officer aboard USS San Juan (CL-54), earning a Bronze Star Medal, and Executive Officer aboard USS PIttsburgh (CA-72), earning the Legion of Merit for lifesaving actions during a typhoon in June 1945.

Horatio participated in landings at Guadalcanal-Tulagi, a raid on the Gilberts, the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, the South and Central Pacific Campaigns, the Solomon Islands Campaign, the capture of the Gilbert Islands, and the actions at Kwajalein, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

He served on the staff of Joint Task Force Seven during nuclear weapons testing at Eniwetok in 1948. He was Commanding Officer of the destroyer USS William C. Lawe (DD-763) from 1948-1949, and of the amphibious transport ship USS Noble (APA-218) from 1951-1952.

During the Cuban Crisis in 1962-63 he was the Commander of Amphibious Forces Atlantic for which he was awarded a gold star in lieu of a second Legion of Merit. From 1963-64 he was Director, Navy Program Planning, for which service he was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.

Horatio was named Vice Chief of Naval Operations in July 1964 and served in that capacity until January 1968.

On 22 May 1965, Horatio attended the launching of the USS James K. Polk (SSBN 645) at Groton, CT, while his wife, Hazel, served as sponsor and christened the ship.^[1]

His final duty station was Commander in Chief, Allied Forces, Southern Europe, from 1968-1972.

After he retired from the Navy, he was named US Ambassador to Spain by President Nixon and served in that position from 1972-1974. He retired from public service to Coronado, California, where he passed away on 24 Sep 2000.

Sources

1. ↑ USS James K. Polk

• Horacio Rivero, Class of 1931. U.S. Naval Academy Notable Graduates.
• Rivero, Horacio Jr., Adm., USN (Ret.), 1910-2000. U.S. Naval Institute Press oral histories.
• Horacio Rivero. The Hall of Valor Project website.
• Horacio Rivero, Jr., 16 May 1910 - 24 September 2000. Naval History and Heritage Command, Modern Biographical Files in the Navy Department Library.