Honoring Veterans: Army Veteran Cruz Roque-Vicens

Cruz Roque-Vicens was born in July 1934 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. The son of Aurora Vicens and former professional boxer Cruz Roque-Rios, he attended José Gautier Benítez High School in Caguas, where he played softball, ran track and field and graduated with a degree in bookkeeping.

While working as a bookkeeper, Roque-Vicens joined the Army Reserve. When he was accepted to the University of Puerto Rico, he enrolled in the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), then volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1954. He was officially inducted at Fort Buchanan in Puerto Rico and sent to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

Roque-Vicens was assigned to the 74th Engineer Company in Korea. After serving as a lumber and construction specialist, he requested a transfer to the Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) school and was eventually served as a supply sergeant.

In 1957, after leaving the Army, Roque-Vicens returned to Puerto Rico, where he began working as a sports journalist for the daily tabloid “El Imparcial.” There, he conducted interviews with various future stars of Major League Baseball (MLB), including Roberto Clemente and Orlando Cepeda, both of whom are now in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Roque-Vicens was appointed sports editor of “El Dia” newspaper in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1961, where he continued to spotlight baseball players, including MLB pitcher  Luis Enrique “Tite” Arroyo and famous Negro leagues player Francisco “Pancho” Coimbre Atiles. He moved to “El Mundo,” where he was named sports editor after the former editor resigned. He held that position until 1982.

In 1986, he was appointed editor of “El Vocero de Puerto Rico.” After retiring in 1999, he was ordained within the Church of the Nazarene and inducted into the Caguas Sports Hall of Fame. Roque-Vicens, now 89, is the father of five daughters, the grandfather of nine grandchildren and married to his wife of 63 years. They live together in Cantaño, Puerto Rico.

We honor his service.

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s Honoring Veterans social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Writer: Liam McGraw

Editors: Lillian Williams, James Bisceglia

Researchers: Kelsey Burchard, Raphael Romea

Graphic Designer: Kiki Kelley